LYNNFIELD — There were winners all around Saturday at the Veterans Donation Drive at Lynnfield Middle School.
Organized by Lynnfield High boys hockey teammates Jake Connell, Dylan Damiani and Joe Raffa along with Essex Tech hockey player Drew Carney, the drive collected boxes and boxes of basic necessities, which will be donated to several veterans’ administration facilities next month.
If anyone knows the sacrifices military families make in service to their country, it’s Connell. His father, Joe, served 30 years in the U.S. Army before retiring in 2014. He served at every level, from platoon leader to chief of staff for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
“It’s good to do this for our veterans because they’re coming home from war and many of them don’t have much family,” Jake Connell said. “They need our help. It’s also just good to help people.”
“It’s nice to help our vets who do so much for our country, and they really need these items,” said Raffa.
Damiani noted that many veterans sometimes have no other place to go than a shelter.
“They have no options, so we’re just trying to help them any way we can with some of the things they don’t have,” Damiani said.
“Some of them can’t get help living at these homeless shelters. They can go get a shower but can’t get these supplies sometimes,” said Carney.
A steady caravan of cars made their way past the donation station for much of the day. From crisp, new T-shirts and socks to shaving supplies, soap, lotion, deodorant, shampoo and gift cards, there is sure to be a little something for every veteran in need, male and female alike.
In the middle of it all, Connell, Damiani and Raffa had to dash off to Peabody’s McVann-O’Keefe Ice Rink to join their Pioneer teammates in their opening-round game in the state championship tournament against Northbridge. (The Pioneers made short work of it, grabbing a 7-0 lead after the first period en route to an easy 10-0 victory). Meanwhile, Carney had to book it to Danvers to prepare for Essex Tech’s tournament game Monday at top-seeded Marlborough.
Matt Kennedy and his daughter Maeve were among the first donors to drop off a contribution.
“This is for a great cause, so of course we want to show our support for the many veterans and all they do for our country,” Matt said.
A Venmo account set up by Jake’s mother, Kate Connell, was immensely successful. Carney said that nearly $1,400 had been raised by early afternoon. Kate said the money will be used to purchase more gift cards at retail department stores, including Target, which will also be distributed to veterans.
Lynnfield’s commitment to veterans will continue in coming years.
“This has been a great experience for the boys, who now know firsthand how important it is to help those who aren’t as fortunate as they are,” said Kate. “Some of the teachers were so impressed with what the kids were doing to help these veterans that they say they intend to continue running the drive every year in March.”
“I didn’t realize how many homeless shelters there are and how many veterans live in them,” said Joe Connell. “A lot of them just don’t have the financial support, so it’s great the way the people of Lynnfield have stepped up today and done the right thing. Darren Damiani, Dylan’s dad, who is a teacher here, said he plans to keep this going in the future with other teachers. So I couldn’t be happier, the state couldn’t be happier, so we’re looking forward to that.”
