POUGHKEEPSIE – David Laffin, a teacher at Poughkeepsie High School, has been raising money through a series of concerts to support the MHA Dutchess Vet2Vet program. Laffin is a talented musician and has been enlisting the help of many of the Hudson Valley’s notable musicians in performing fundraising concerts at various venues in and around Poughkeepsie.
All of the donations collected are going to the MHA Dutchess Vet2Vet program which provides peer counseling and a host of other services that help veterans return to civilian life.
Laffin, a past president of the Shamrock Association, started his concert series last year, with all of the shows taking place at the Shamrock Association facility in Poughkeepsie. He developed the schedule to culminate with the final show taking place around Veterans Day in November. Laffin and his talented friends are performing at the VFW Post 170 in Poughkeepsie on October 22 and the year’s remaining shows at the Shamrock will take place on October 27, and November 4, with the final Shamrock show on November 12.
Laffin did note that this year was different in that some of the shows took place at venues including Juan Murphy’s in the Town of Poughkeepsie and has been overwhelmed by the support of the community. “I don’t judge or measure the success of this based on how much we raise,” he said. “The economy seems to be pretty shot and there are also so many important causes out there that even the kindest and most charitable of hearts struggle to “spread the wealth” so to speak.”
Fellow Shamrock Association member Todd Bender decided to contribute to Laffin’s fundraiser by sitting in a dunking booth at the recent San Gennaro festival that took place at the MJN Convention Center. Attendees made a donation to the Laffin Vet2Vet fundraiser and then proceeded to dunk Bender. “I spent 90 minutes in 45-degree water to help Dave help veterans – it’s what we do at the Shamrock.”
Donations from the dunking booth resulted in $100 in donations. Bender was relieved from his role in the tank by Franco Giangrasso, who also took several dunks. MJN Convention Center President Zeidan Nesheiwat decided to match the donations and gave a $100 donation to the cause. “The MJN Convention Center is honored to help this important cause. We strive to help our community and the Vet2Vet program does exactly that,” he said.
A video of Todd Bender being dunked by a child at the MJN Convention Center can be viewed here:
