The Green Beret Project Sussex, a nonprofit that helps local youth build confidence through service and work, noticed the Whitford family’s front-yard Sept. 11 memorial might be in need of a spring cleanup. The group visited the Whitfords’ Minos Conaway Road home April 8 to help beautify the memorial. 

Katie Nelson, head of the Sussex chapter, said the program is geared toward children coming from underprivileged communities and has a goal of showing them a better way of living than what they may experience. She started the program three years ago during the pandemic when, as a teacher at Delaware Technical Community College’s Outward Bound Program, she noticed work-study was difficult to find. Using a small gym and a few classrooms, Nelson began noticing results. 

“We are always trying to find a way to reach the kids, and a lot of that comes through physical fitness outside and getting them to work on projects,” Nelson said.

Nearly 20 students enrolled in the program spent their Easter Saturday at the Whitfords’ home. Pulling weeds, reorganizing stones and helping to clear away lawn debris, the students were able to prepare the memorial for any spring and summer visitors.

Nelson said her outreach has expanded into several minority communities, including Haitian and Guatemalan, and she notices several different languages being spoken at their campus. She thinks it's a wonderful thing to operate in a melting pot like Sussex County, as it offers the chance to bring together a diverse community.

“They all learn to work together as a team, and that creates a more cohesive community,” Nelson said.

The Whitfords, grateful for the Green Beret Project’s work, provided lunch for the kids and presented them with a certificate of appreciation. Following the cleanup and lunch, the group surrounded Roger Whitford for a group prayer. While the kids were aware of Roger’s upcoming medical procedure, he was not aware they had planned a show of support.

“That’s when the tears started rolling,” Roger said.

The Green Beret Project Sussex is hoping to continue performing community projects and has plans to expand its own campus.

“We’re hoping to build another facility on the property so we don’t just have the gym, but we actually have an educational center that will have a kitchen, and we’ll be teaching them about how to process food from the garden, how to store it, how to cook a healthy meal,” Nelson said.

After moving to Delaware, Roger and Carol Whitford created a memorial in honor of their son Mark, an FDNY member who died at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. The couple has added to the memorial over the years and received quite a bit of fanfare for their dedication. They host a ceremony every September to commemorate the lives lost and sacrifices made Sept. 11, 2001. 

The cleaned memorial can be seen at 17181 Minos Conaway Road, Lewes. If paying tribute during normal business hours, the Whitfords have memorial T-shirts for sale to help fund the Mark Whitford Memorial Scholarship given to a Cape Henlopen High School student each year.

More information about the Green Beret Project, including how to donate, can be found at greenberetproject.org. When donating, it is important to note it is for the Sussex chapter to ensure funds remain local. Green Beret Project Sussex also has a Facebook page that provides updates on the group’s work.