ST. LOUIS — Rachel Wilkins remembers the exact moment her husband, retired Lt. Col. Patrick Wilkins, told her he wanted to join the Army.
"He said he was going to go into something called the Army Rangers,” Rachel Wilkins said. “I thought, 'Oh, that's cool!'"
"I was in a unit called the 75th Ranger regiment,” Retired Lt. Col. Patrick Wilkins said. “A hand-selected special operations force. I had 11 combat tours with that organization across Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts unknown."
For 20 years, the Wilkins family made the necessary sacrifices to support Lt. Col. Wilkins as he served our country.
"The toughest part is to leave something that you love for something that you believe in selflessly,” Lt. Col. Wilkins said.
"I remember my dad’s uniforms,” Sarah Wilkins said. “Trying them on. Unpacking, repacking, and playing in all of the boxes."
"One of my goals with our children was to help them believe that their mind was their greatest asset,” Rachel Wilkins said. “Education at every location was the number one thing on my list.”
Lt. Col. Wilkins' sacrifice for his country helped each of his five kids earn scholarships from Folds of Honor.
"Without Lt. Col. Dan, who founded Folds of Honor and the Folds team, we would not be where we are today with our five children,” Lt. Col Wilkins said.
That includes Hanah, who is studying neuroscience and psychology at the University of Colorado.
"It's taken a lot of weight off my parents' shoulders just for paying for tuition,” Hanah Wilkins said. “I don't get a scholarship at Boulder, so this has helped with tuition."
Hanah’s twin sister Sarah, a sophomore English major, is following in her parents' footsteps at Washington University.
"It helps me with my academic goals and my tuition goals,” Sarah Wilkins said.
"Folds provides that consistency to know that you've got a team and a community behind these families that can help them, and to help their children achieve the American dream, to do better than your parents did,” Lt. Col. Wilkins said.
The Folds of Honor campaign sponsored by Schnucks is currently underway.
You have through May 28 to round up at the register at all area Schnucks locations.
The money raised goes towards scholarships for spouses and children of fallen and wounded service members and first responders.
5 On Your Side is a proud partner of the Folds of Honor campaign.