Financial boost from veterans to help vets
11/10/2009 by David Chapman Staff Writer Allied Veterans of the World Inc. & Affiliates has come a long way in the amount of time, effort and money its members have been able to donate to military, first responder and charitable organizations. Monday, they showed just how far. Just two days before Veterans Day, the organization — founded in 1979 to primarily assist veterans in need — hosted a story-laden celebratory luncheon that saw checks for more than $1.2 million written and donated to various organizations around Florida, including many in Northeast Florida. “This is a military city,” said former Mayor Jake Godbold during his opening remarks as master of ceremonies. “Jacksonville has always been a great military city.”Around 400 people, many clad in uniform, attended the luncheon. Prior to the headlining donation giveaway, Allied Veterans Senior Vice Commander Jerry Bass joked about the checks and money being the main reason people were in attendance, but the funds themselves weren’t a laughing matter. For many, said several officials, it’s vital to their continued success. Several Northeast Florida organizations benefitted from the Allied Veterans giveaway, including: WJCT ($3,000 for programming sponsorship); Jacksonville National Cemetery Advisory Committee ($5,000); Northeast Florida Hospice ($35,000); Florida National Guard Foundation ($50,000); Justice Coalition ($25,000); food banks from 11 Florida counties ($110,000, $10,000 each); Greater Jacksonville USO ($100,000); and Wounded Warrior Project ($50,000). The group also donated $30,000 to Tom and Dee Twigg, who created “Bringing Home the Wall,” a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., complete with more than 58,000 names, and on display for the first time in Jacksonville since Saturday at various locations. It was on display in the back of the ballroom during the event. “It’s what this week is all about,” said Bass. “It goes to so many places where closure (of the Vietnam War) has not happened yet.” Fresh off a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans at NAS Jax, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw attended the event and was honored as the Allied Veterans “Man of the Year” for his work in Congress in advocating for better health and quality of life improvements for veterans. The honor came as a surprise to Crenshaw, who gave a few remarks on why he strongly advocates for the cause. “It’s one of the most rewarding things I do,” he said. Crenshaw wasn’t done, though, as he awarded Bass — who would have made the earlier NAS Jax ceremony had it not been for the Allied Veterans event conflicting — a certificate for his military service. In addition to the individual organizations, Allied Veterans also gave area Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs more than $300,000 for scholarships for students, many of which were on hand, in the programs who complete high school. dchapman@baileypub.com 356-2466
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