Vet2Vet Success in Cairo

CAIRO — The first annual Vet2Vet Community Day in Cairo was a complete washout – at least for U.S. Congressman Marc Molinaro who good-naturedly got dunked three times on the first three pitches thrown by a few of his local constituency.  

A good time was had by all, and then some, with a robust turnout of 200-plus members of the Greene County community who attended the celebration held in the Town Park. Games for the kids included Tic Tac Toe, bean bag toss, a bouncy house, the aforementioned dunking machine, among others, and for adults, a tent dedicated to some of the best cornhole tossing this reporter has ever seen.

If the spectators weren’t busy enjoying the games, they could relax and eat a free meal of hamburgers, hot dogs and coleslaw while they enjoyed a demonstration of Irish step dancing from the Farrell School of Irish Dance and the country rock music of The Last Cowboys. 

There were information booths ranging from the Blue Star Mothers where I met Anne Paquette and Donna Greiner, to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department’s booth manned by social worker Katherine Murphy and Lieutenant George Tortorelis.

Greene County Legislator Matt Luvera in an interview sang the praises of the work that Vet2Vet does to reintegrate veterans when they return home. He stated that you can’t overestimate the good that comes from the veteran-to-veteran connection. Local Legislator Sherry B. True noted that the Greene County chapter of Vet2Vet was the recent recipient of a Wayne C. Speenburgh Greene County Legislature Grant. 

For whatever reason, nothing brings a smile to the lips and healing to the soul of one vet than to share stories of their service with fellow vets. Larry Ferrante, who served as a gunner’s mate on board the USS Berkeley DDG-15, shared a laugh with this reporter while reminiscing about life in the Navy. 

The event raised over $5,000 through raffles and donations for a scholarship to be awarded to a student with a veteran parent. Director of Greene Vet2Vet Arin Van Demark was “more than happy. It turned out to be a great event for which I would like to thank the Greene County Community, our sponsors, the Greene County Legislature, and all the participants who came out.”

Vet2Vet provides a medley of services, groups and activities that include peer-to-peer sessions, referrals to community-based organizations, referrals to state and federal programs, and a coffee group which meets weekly. For further information on these and additional programs, give Arin a call at 518-719-0020. The Vet2Vet office is located in the Greene County Office Building in Cairo next to the Angelo Canna Town Park.

Editor’s Note: Murphy is a veteran and one of the original members of the Vet2Vet Writing Group in Cairo.