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Post a commentVoorhees mom continues to work to aid son, all troops
In an effort to honor and support soldiers of “then, now and always,” local volunteers are teaming up this Veterans Day to raise funds for military personnel.
The 8th annual Veterans Dinner Dance honoring active military and veterans will be held Nov. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Coastline Restaurant in Cherry Hill.
For $10, guests can enjoy an open bar, buffet and Chinese auction, said Lisa Kirstein, a volunteer working with the Jewish War Veterans Post 126 of Cherry Hill on the event. Items up for auction include autographed Philadelphia Flyers hockey sticks, a Dell laptop, club box seats to a Philadelphia 76ers game, golf for four at Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Golf Club in Blackwood and more.
Chatter Party Band and special guest Joe Piscopo, a former Saturday Night Live performer who lives in the area, will provide live entertainment. Former Miss New Jersey Jill Horner will emcee and ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio will be in attendance, said Kirstein.
Organizations benefiting from this year’s event include the Wounded Warriors Rehab Center at Fort Dix, the New Jersey National Guard Readiness Council, New Jersey veterans’ nursing homes, Gold Star Mothers and Camden County Veterans Services.
The Gold Star Mothers, said Kirstein, is a group of local women whose children have been killed in the line of duty while serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world.
When her son, Anthony, was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army for 15 months, Kirstein sought out opportunities to lend a hand. She soon began “Treats for Troops” to help collect and send everyday items to men and women overseas.
“[Anthony] was in a remote location with only about 200 guys and they were lacking all kinds of things,” she said. “They put together a wishlist, we got in touch with other units and within weeks, we had sent over 700 boxes.”
Simple items — ChapStick, hand sanitizer, Slim Jims, etc. — made all the difference, the Voorhees mother added.
“They would e-mail and send photos of them opening the boxes,” she said. “They were so grateful for the silliest things, like socks and Tic Tacs.”
Anthony Kirstein, 23, returned home safely in January, and his mother said meeting some of his fellow soldiers was a rewarding experience.
“When they got off the plane, they thanked me over and over again,” she said. “We sent hundreds of pillows donated from IKEA, and one guy told me it wasn’t until he got that that he finally got a good night’s sleep out there. It was just so nice.”
Last year, Treats for Troops raised more than $30,000 through an event at the Battleship New Jersey, she added.
Though Kirstein’s son is serving on U.S. soil at Fort Stewart, Ga., she wants to remain involved in efforts supporting all troops, such as the Veterans Day Dinner Dance.
“Working with these organizations, I’ve met so many wonderful people on the same page as me,” she said. “I want to continue to do whatever I can.”
Kirstein added that Eric Spevik, an attorney in Cherry Hill who works with the Readiness Council, has been instrumental in supporting the military. This month, the organization will hold a Thanksgiving dinner for 250 soldiers stationed at Fort Dix.
Those interested in attending the Veterans Day Dinner Dance can order tickets using PayPal at www.jwv-post126.org, or purchase them at Skewers Restaurant on Route 73 in Marlton.
For more information, visit the Jewish War Veterans Web site or call 856-354-2172.
The 8th annual Veterans Dinner Dance honoring active military and veterans will be held Nov. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Coastline Restaurant in Cherry Hill.
For $10, guests can enjoy an open bar, buffet and Chinese auction, said Lisa Kirstein, a volunteer working with the Jewish War Veterans Post 126 of Cherry Hill on the event. Items up for auction include autographed Philadelphia Flyers hockey sticks, a Dell laptop, club box seats to a Philadelphia 76ers game, golf for four at Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Golf Club in Blackwood and more.
Chatter Party Band and special guest Joe Piscopo, a former Saturday Night Live performer who lives in the area, will provide live entertainment. Former Miss New Jersey Jill Horner will emcee and ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio will be in attendance, said Kirstein.
Organizations benefiting from this year’s event include the Wounded Warriors Rehab Center at Fort Dix, the New Jersey National Guard Readiness Council, New Jersey veterans’ nursing homes, Gold Star Mothers and Camden County Veterans Services.
The Gold Star Mothers, said Kirstein, is a group of local women whose children have been killed in the line of duty while serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world.
When her son, Anthony, was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army for 15 months, Kirstein sought out opportunities to lend a hand. She soon began “Treats for Troops” to help collect and send everyday items to men and women overseas.
“[Anthony] was in a remote location with only about 200 guys and they were lacking all kinds of things,” she said. “They put together a wishlist, we got in touch with other units and within weeks, we had sent over 700 boxes.”
Simple items — ChapStick, hand sanitizer, Slim Jims, etc. — made all the difference, the Voorhees mother added.
“They would e-mail and send photos of them opening the boxes,” she said. “They were so grateful for the silliest things, like socks and Tic Tacs.”
Anthony Kirstein, 23, returned home safely in January, and his mother said meeting some of his fellow soldiers was a rewarding experience.
“When they got off the plane, they thanked me over and over again,” she said. “We sent hundreds of pillows donated from IKEA, and one guy told me it wasn’t until he got that that he finally got a good night’s sleep out there. It was just so nice.”
Last year, Treats for Troops raised more than $30,000 through an event at the Battleship New Jersey, she added.
Though Kirstein’s son is serving on U.S. soil at Fort Stewart, Ga., she wants to remain involved in efforts supporting all troops, such as the Veterans Day Dinner Dance.
“Working with these organizations, I’ve met so many wonderful people on the same page as me,” she said. “I want to continue to do whatever I can.”
Kirstein added that Eric Spevik, an attorney in Cherry Hill who works with the Readiness Council, has been instrumental in supporting the military. This month, the organization will hold a Thanksgiving dinner for 250 soldiers stationed at Fort Dix.
Those interested in attending the Veterans Day Dinner Dance can order tickets using PayPal at www.jwv-post126.org, or purchase them at Skewers Restaurant on Route 73 in Marlton.
For more information, visit the Jewish War Veterans Web site or call 856-354-2172.
