Benefit for Long Beach VFW and the SAR Flag

The VFW and The SAR flag are having a benefit concert May 20th at The Cabana in Long Beach, NY.

Opening is an incredible artist, whose own story to success is poignant and beautiful, Jah Stix.

The headliner is the band Shilelagh Law (halfthebottle.com), an incredibly entertaining Irish American band made up of a couple of NYC FDNY members and a retired NYPD member among others that have been entertaining the tri-state area and beyond for 25 years, drawing capacity crowds at all the venues they play!

There will be an opening act, then a ceremony, some added special guests of honor, distinguished speakers and then the headlining band mentioned above. The concert is a benefit for both the Long Beach VFW and for the SAR Flag (sarflag.org).

 Some of the tentative highlights for this year's event include: 

-Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder has committed to appear, sing and dedicate Danny Boy to the Commander of our post, Purple Heart Recipient and USMC Vietnam Veteran Dan MacPhee during our ceremony. Commander Dan has helmed the Long Beach VFW for 15 years to a level unparalleled, quite frankly, in the entire northeast United States.

-Matias Ferraira, USMC Veteran, Suffolk County Police Department and first double amputee policeman in the United States. You can not walk away and not be inspired by this amazing and proud American!

-Last year, John McManus, bagpiper of the Tyrone Pipes and Drums, volunteered to play in memory of his brother and US Navy Veteran that took his life. This year, he has volunteered again, but we will be surprising him with a plethora of other pipers and drummers for a special tribute to his brother and all veterans that left us too early through suicide that will be both a lament for the passing and a celebration of life in their names and to all in attendance. They will hear us sounding the pibroch for all as a call to arms for all of our brothers and sisters, both those no longer with us and those that are struggling, that we are here to help lift them up.

-USMC Veteran and Nassau County EMT, Joe Zoleta, the founder of Black 6 Projects and Black 6 Coffee ( black6projects.com black6coffee.com ) will be on hand and collaborating with The Cabana for a special Frozen Irish Coffee cocktail. Black 6 Coffee is the profit arm that funds Black 6 Projects humanitarian projects that you will be amazed by. Both Black 6 entities are non-profits, exemplifies the VFW mantra of "still serving" and a new member of our post.

-The master blender from Fighting 69th Whiskey will be on hand with special items for raffle. Their regional representative will also again be on hand with complimentary samplings for those in attendance. They were tremendously popular at last years's event.

 INFORMATION DETAILING THE CAUSES: 

We currently have legislation introduced in the states of New York and New Jersey to make the SAR Flag an official flag and to make 9/22 Veterans Suicide and Awareness Day. September is already Suicide Awareness Month and the 22nd was chosen due to a famous study a few years back that found that we lose 22 veterans a day to suicide. It is our belief that championing the SAR Flag all the way to the federal level will raise this to a new level in our nation's consciousness, the same way that the POW-MIA Flag did for many of the Vietnam Era in regards to prisoners of war and those missing in action and effect change.

For a post 9/11 veteran such as myself, this has become a call to arms and action. Post 9/11 we have lost four times as many Veterans to suicide than combat. I think that you'll agree that something outside the box like legislation of the SAR Flag and the national dialogue that it entails can have a huge positive effect on this. Too many families have been affected for generations, too many Service members and Veterans should still be here, it is time to fly and wave the flag of care, concern and desire to make a greater impact on this pandemic in the veteran community. Our citizens, in particular those that volunteer to serve our nation need to be treated like what they are, our nation's greatest asset. Let my fellow veterans know where you stand on this with your generous support. To be blunt, help us end Veteran Suicide.