Donnellan with mother, MaryEllen and Day
NEW CITY – Rockland County Executive Edwin Day presented the Key to the County to Cole Donnellan, founder of the not-for-profit group Pegleg22.
The Key is presented to a person who makes a tangible, positive impact on the county as a while and its residents.
Cole started Pegleg22 in honor of his great uncle Jerry Donnellan. The mission of the organization is to raise awareness about the 22 veterans who succumb to suicide every day in the country and raise money to perform service projects that benefit combat veterans in the county and the region.
Day said Cole started a GoFundMe page to raise money for service projects that directly help veterans in need of a hand up. His first project is underway where he is helping a female Marine who lives in a rundown home in Nyack. “Cole is putting up a fence donated by Beckerle Lumber and cleaning up the yard and exterior of her home,” said Day.
Jerry Donnellan is credited with creating the annual Memorial Day “Watchfires,” which are built at four permanent locations in Rockland County – Clausland Mountain, Piermont Pier, Bowline Park and Gene Levy Park.
Those fires are lit at midnight and burn for 24 hours, with veterans standing watch and changing shifts as they did generations ago. Donnellan often brought his great nephew Cole to the watchfire on Piermont Pier.
The first Key to the County recipient was Grace Vanderwaal, the Suffern ten who won the America’s Got Talent contest. The second was presented to Millicent “Ivey” Mackle of Pomona, who took a stand against hate in her community. The third was presented to William Harris IV, known as Billy, who helped apprehend a suspected terrorist in New York City.
“As we begin Memorial Day weekend, I can think of no better time than to honor someone like Cole who is stepping up to take care of our veterans; men and women who have given so much of themselves and now need a helping hand.”
