09/07/2026
🏅 Meet Carlos Varon, our 2026 History & Preservation Award winner.
A tavern only reaches 197 years when the people in the community decide that the past is worth protecting. Carlos spends his life doing exactly that for veterans across the country, with a decades-long focus on honoring those who are buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery, close by to Neir’s Tavern.
Carlos serves as Volunteer Location Coordinator for Wreaths Across America at Cypress Hills National Cemetery and rides with the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, supporting veterans and military families all year long. An internationally recognized Hanshi, (an 8th-degree black belt), he has spent more than fifty years teaching and preserving traditional martial arts. He is also a photographer and storyteller who documents veterans, memorials, and community events.
Wherever he travels, Carlos makes a point of visiting national cemeteries to honor the people buried there. Remembrance, for him, is not an occasion. It is a habit.
Drop a congratulations for Carlos in the comments 👇
Then come celebrate him and all of our 2026 Ambassadors at the 197th Anniversary Block Party, Saturday, October 3rd. Admission is free, and the first 197 people to register and attend receive a surprise gift.
Want to give back a little more? When you register, place a message in our Anniversary Journal (the keepsake program which will be distributed to guests at the Block Party), or buy a collector's edition Road to 200 souvenir keychain in advance. 🎟️ Both help fund the celebration.
🔗 Register: https://neirsroadto200blockparty.eventbrite.com