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A helping hand for local veterans

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VIENNA, Ohio - Members of the community are raising money to help meet the needs of wounded soldiers and disabled veterans locally. The first annual Freedom Warrior Golf Outing drew hundreds of people together for the cause Friday.

After serving our country, some veterans fall through the cracks when it comes to government aid.

"We've had people over at Mahoning County Veterans Services that may have been $25 or $30 above the line and legally we cannot help them because we're restricted as to what we can do," said the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission commissioner Leo Connelly, Jr.


That's where the Disabled American Veterans come in. Connelly is also Commander of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2 in Youngstown.

The volunteers provide food, transportation, wheelchairs and much more.

"I had a situation where a guy needed some steel toed shoes. So we went ahead and raised the money, got them for him. He got a job, got back on his feet," Connelly said.

That story was the inspiration behind the first annual Freedom Warrior Golf Outing.

The Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council (YARBCC) and Avalon Lakes and Country Club set a goal to raise $250,000 to help the Disabled American Veterans local chapters and YSU scholarships for families of the employees of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.


"We wanted to keep the money here. Some of the organizations you donate to sometimes it doesn't stay here," said Attorney Renee DiSalvo, YARBCC Chair and Vice President.

The local Disabled American Veterans chapters are in Mahoning, Trumbull and Mercer counties.

Many veterans organizations have helped veteran James Skok and his family with their house through Habitat for Humanity.  His Marine unit brought down Saddam Hussein's statue in Iraq in 2003.  He was injured while serving but does what he can to give back through these veterans organizations.

"These gentleman that are still in their mature age, they're still giving and you could see it today at the golf course that they're up here they're tired but they're willing to do something for a fellow veteran and I have never been so blessed in my life especially with the veterans I met," said Skok.

Organizers plan to have this event over the same weekend next year.


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