SAUGUS — Chinese food, drinks, and the laughs became a huge help towards a special day for honoring local veterans as the North Shore Veterans Appreciation Day Parade Committee hosted a comedy night fundraiser Friday night at the Kowloon Restaurant to raise funds for their September parade in Lynn.
“We’re working very hard to make this the biggest parade yet,” committee chairman John Sacherski said.
The parade can cost upwards of $60,000 and for the committee members every penny means so much for those who have sacrificed and lost their lives serving the country.
“It’s a day not just honoring today’s veterans but all those who have served in the past,” Sacherski, who is a Vietnam veteran, said. “There is nothing better than standing in the parade with your niece, nephew or grandchild.”
“I remember all sorts of parades for veterans, they were always so big and now they have been getting smaller,” committee member and Vietnam veteran Tom Cahill said. “That’s what makes this so special.”
Tom and his wife, Jane, got involved in supporting the parade in 2009 and recognize the hard work, much of which is still ahead of the group, to make the parade possible.
“It’s amazing to see all these people who are here, all volunteer,” Jane said. “It takes a village.”
For David Solimine Sr., also a part of the committee, the parade serves as a perfect tribute to show veterans respect.
“People who have served deserve to be honored,” he said. “Every time someone sees a veteran they should thank them.”
While the night helped take steps forward to make the parade possible, the committee also took time to honor one of its members, state Rep. Donald Wong.
“Here is one of the finest men that walks the face of this earth,” Sgt. Major Kenneth Oswald, who also directs the Lynn English High School Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, said to the crowd.
Oswald presented Wong with a plaque to honor his devotion and service towards the veterans, much to Wong’s surprise.
“It’s a complete surprise,” he said. “This means so much coming from the veterans. Me and my family just try to give back to them, this isn’t just for me it’s for all of them.”
Currently the parade funds sit at about $37,000 and Sacherski is confident that number will continue to grow.
“We still have a ways to go,” he said. “But everyone knows that what we are doing is the right thing to do.”
