America has long prided itself on its values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We must never forget that these rights are sacred, earned at the hands of thousands of veterans. We have them to thank for our daily freedoms, big and small, and they deserve our support.
Sunday evening, the Northwest Indiana Veterans Action Council (NWIVAC) hosted its 2nd annual concert fundraiser at VIP Lounge in Griffith. The event raised money to fund NWIVAC’s yearly luncheon, which has grown from around 500 veterans in its inaugural year to a crowd of 750 last year.
“The luncheon is a great event for our veterans,” said NWIVAC board member Lisa Medellin. “We give them a four-course meal, have bagpipes playing, do a whole ceremony for them, and everything is free of charge.”
Sunday’s concert included raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, and a spread of delicious food donated by the Highland Strack and Van Til, one of many generous partners who supported the event.
“We love doing things for the veterans,” Medellin said. “The community really pitched in and came together to put this on, too, which makes it even better.”
Throughout the night, a lively crowd rocked out to performances by five local bands, including Black Sabbath, MisfitToys, Gypsy, Believer, and The Jays.
“We’ve been in different bands through the years, but we’ve been with MisfitToys for about a year now,” said bass player Ken Mooney. “We love making music together, especially for a cause like tonight; anything for the vets!”
Although each band had their own unique style, they were all united by their commitment to the cause as well as their passion for rock and roll.
“We wouldn’t be able to be here playing music and doing what we love if it weren’t for the veterans,” said Andrew Moskalick of The Jays. “It’s a privilege for us to be here tonight.”
“I think our veterans deserve a lot more recognition,” added Nicholas Blackstone, also of The Jays. “We don’t see enough people giving their attention to those who have risked their lives for our country, so it’s cool to be a part of something that benefits them directly tonight.”
Many of the participating band members either had close family and friends that are vets or, like Trista Mount of the band Gypsy, were veterans themselves.
“This means a lot to me,” Mount said. “I always wear my army veteran hat. I’m very proud to be a veteran—it’s the best thing that’s happened in my life.”
“My brother and nephews are veterans,” said Dave Ramirez of Black Sabbath. “If they were not here making the sacrifices they do, we couldn’t do what we do now. I’m proud to be here for that.”
“I’ve always had the urge to play music in front of people, that’s something that’s never left me,” said Rico Vara of Black Sabbath. “I’m a veteran of 13 years myself, so this is very much worth it for a good cause.”
Plenty of fans filled the seats of the bar, including army veteran Ken Pollick.
“It’s very exciting and entertaining,” Pollick said. “We appreciate everybody’s contributions to this.”
The building was filled with rock and roll energy all evening. David Hertaus, who ran the sound system for the night, was more than thrilled to participate.
“This is one of the most meaningful causes I can think of,” Hertaus said. “I would love to see more people get involved in things like this. It’s so important for people to be aware of the sacrifices our veterans make and how vital our support for them is.”
Hertaus was not alone in yearning for a stronger call to action for our veterans.
“So many of our veterans are homeless,” Mount said. “We need more people to contribute and do what they can to help our veterans because they need it the most.”
To learn more about the NWIVAC and how you can help support our veterans, visit www.nwiveterans.com