POUGHKEEPSIE – A high school teacher and some of his musician friends spent the last 11 weeks holding mini-concerts to benefit the MHA Dutchess Vet2Vet program. The concert series culminated Saturday and netted a total of $5,000 that will be used to assist local veterans.
Poughkeepsie High School teacher David Laffin, with substantial motivation from his partner and fellow educator Steph Green, embarked on the fundraiser, held weekly at the Shamrock Association building in Poughkeepsie, to raise money for veteran programming.
Laffin said the idea came after hearing from his former students who served in the armed forces. “I was moved by the stories that my former students were sharing on social media and with me directly about their time in the military and how they felt confused amongst other things this past August with the unfolding of events in Afghanistan. I never served in the military but I felt I needed to do something. I wanted to do something not just for them but for the veterans who created the Shamrock club as well as the veterans who are current members and so many other veterans that I’m friends with,” said the teacher and musician.”
The Shamrock Association, of which Laffin is a former president, provided the venue each week, and a few dedicated club members prepared food that was sold to the attendees. Current president Marty Fralick set up a Venmo account that collected donations from contributors that were unable to attend the energetic shows.
MHA Dutchess CEO Andrew O’Grady told Mid-Hudson News of the importance of fundraisers such as Laffin’s undertaking. “We typically run over our budget that we are funded for. Our veterans program reaches far more people than expected and there is a cost for reaching so many people. Social events, housing veterans, readying veterans for entering the workforce costs money. The money raised will be used to house and feed and bring social events to veterans and their families. Without the fundraising events like the one the Shamrock Association did for us, there would be people we would have no way of helping.”
Dutchess County Veterans Services is under the leadership of Adam Roche, a battle-tested Marine, who previously worked at Vet2Vet. Roche is also a member of the Shamrock Association.
“The Shamrock was founded by veterans in 1947 and has continued to help veterans and other charities during its entire existence. What Dave Laffin and the Shamrock have done with this event will provide much-needed assistance to the men and women who risked their lives and now need our help,” he said.
“I will never know exactly what their experience was while they served protecting this country and I shouldn’t be privy to that because quite frankly I don’t deserve to,” Laffin said. “I can’t thank them enough and doing an 11-week residency of me playing my guitar with my friends to raise money and awareness to help a veteran pay the rent, get medical help, get a ride to the doctors, anything, was the very least I could do.”
Laffin, referred to as Iron Man by students, co-workers, and friends, enlisted the help of several well-known local musicians for the weekly performances. Steve Gonzales, Michael LaFalce, Brian McCaffrey, Michael Charter, John Larotunda, and Jeffrey Sherban, showed up regularly and Shamrock members Charlie McReynolds, Ryan Michael, and Dan McRitchie joined in occasionally to provide vocals during a few performances.
