The heart of Celememorate™
Big Tony
Big Tony is an Air Force veteran and the founder of Celememorate. For more than twenty years, across Colorado, he has made a daily practice of one simple idea: that those who served — and especially those who gave their lives — should never be forgotten. He calls it Americans helping Americans.
Why I Do This
Ask Big Tony about the work and he’ll turn the conversation away from himself almost immediately. He doesn’t want the spotlight. He tells his story only because the mission needs more hands — not because he wants the credit.
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“Let me break it down in plain terms. If I borrowed five dollars from you and said I’d catch you tomorrow, tomorrow I hand you ten and we’re square. But how do you square a deal when a nineteen-year-old kid dies for you — so that you can be sitting here today, free? You can’t. The best thing you can do is make sure that he, or she, is never forgotten. That’s what I’ve been doing every single day.”
“You ever play poker? When you get the hand, you go all in. Those men and women went all in for you and me. So I go all in for them — every day.”
“A long time ago, when I was serving, there was a night I wondered whether anybody really cared. When I got back to the barracks, there were two greeting cards waiting for me from total strangers, saying they were praying for my safe return. Two hours earlier I’d been asking myself if anyone gave it a second thought — and there they were. I’ve never forgotten it. Everything I do now comes from that: Americans helping Americans.”
“If I did something for you and it helped you, the only time it ever comes up is if you bring it up — because I’m already on to the next one. If you have to talk about something you did for somebody, you probably shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”
“I live in the moment. Thank you is more than sufficient.”
“One percent of this country is responsible for ninety-nine percent of its freedom. Just remember that.”
— Big Tony
Ask him what he’d want remembered, and the answer is three words: “Big T was here.”
Carrying On My Mother’s Work
“People ask who my hero is. It’s my mother. Whatever you see in me, multiply it by infinity — that was her. Everything I do, I’m just carrying on her work.”
“She raised me to take responsibility early, and to treat every person with dignity — no exceptions. Coming up, that meant looking after the people in my own family who couldn’t look after themselves. You did what had to be done, and you did it with respect. That’s where all of this started.”
“When I was finally able to, I made sure she was taken care of, the way she’d always taken care of everyone else. I learned service at home, long before I ever put on a uniform. This work is how I keep her with me.”
— Big Tony
What Big Tony Does
Big Tony has a simple way of putting it: walk a mile in their boots. His work isn’t a program with a brochure — it’s something he simply does, most days, wherever he’s needed:
- Honoring the fallen. He tends and cleans the graves of Colorado’s fallen service members — going back after the mud and weather to make sure their names can be read.
- Welcoming service members home. He and fellow volunteers help returning service members, veterans, and their families — a ride, a hand with their bags, a warm welcome when no one else is there.
- Showing up when disaster strikes. From wildfire relief to community donation drives, Big Tony helps rally neighbors to help neighbors.
- Simple gratitude. A greeting card, a thank-you, a moment of respect — the small gestures he says mean the most.
“I’m just a regular guy. I love this country, and I put the country first. I’m not affiliated with any party. Tell me how you can help this country — and I’m your guy.”
— Big Tony
Join Big Tony
Celememorate is built on volunteers — neighbors giving their time to honor those who served and help fellow Americans. There’s a place for you.
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