New Club to Aid Wounded Veterans

It started as an idea to help local veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq, and now, the newly created Wounded Warriors club at the boasts about 20 members and a plan in the works for fundraising.

“I have friends and family who are veterans, and a lot of families have people overseas,” said Matt Apel, history teacher at the school and a co-advisor of the club with history teacher Ed Knapp. “You don’t have to support the war to support who’s in the war.”

Apel spearheaded the club, which started recruiting members at the end of last year, and is now busy planning its first big fundraising event.

The club is a loose spin-off of a national charity, called Wounded Warriors, which aids current veterans who were hurt overseas and are returning home.

“[Being associated with the national organization] puts a face on the club so you can see where the money is going,” Apel said.

But the club at the high school, Apel said, operates mostly on its own to fundraise for veterans.

The group began with a t-shirt drive to raise money, selling shirts with the Wounded Warriors symbol on it. Apel said they sold the shirts at a lacrosse tournament over the summer, and did the same at the football game against Immaculata High School a few weeks ago.

At the latter game, Apel said, they raised about $900, with some having to go for expenses.

But not all of that money was given because people wanted to buy a t-shirt—some, Apel said, just wanted to donate.

“The response has been very good, with some people just throwing money at us for this,” he said. “Once they find out where the money is going to, they are willing to give. This is about people who have gone to war and now they’re hurt.”

The club, Apel said, will be trying to get in contact with local veterans who are back from war and suffering from wounds endured overseas. He said the students are contacting the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and other organizations to recommend those who might need assistance.

“We are trying to see what they need to help ease the transition to being back home,” he said.

Such assistance includes paying for prosthetic limbs, medical costs, ramps or other needs.

“We are looking for one veteran for right now,” he said. “We could continue working with that one person or change over the months.”

“We are trying to work with someone year to year, but it’s a limited population because of local people,” he added, saying that the club will have to decide whether it wants to work with only county people or branch out.

For now, Knapp said, the preference is to focus on veterans in Somerset County.

“We are hoping that as we get more awareness for the club, we will get more people,” he said.

But Apel said he wants to leave it up to the students themselves to find veterans to help.

“We are trying to give the kids as much ownership as possible for this club,” he said. “It is a good learning experience.”

Aside from the t-shirts and just accepting donations, Apel said, the group is planning to organize a Madden video game tournament. He said students will pay to participate, with maybe $40 for a two-person team.

The tournament is still being arranged as the students plan the date and figure out timing and how it will be handled.

“We discussed a 5K at one point, but that was too ambitious,” Apel said. “We seem to do well with donations.”

And Knapp said that of the money that comes in, some is used to keep the club going with expenses, and the rest goes to the charity.

“We are operating on a low level,” he said.

Apel said the club is made up of mostly students who are just interested in helping out, with one student who actually has expressed interest in joining the service one day.

“And a couple other people joined because of friends in the service,” he said. “We knew this would be important to the kids.”

Club president, and 11th grader, Tyler Konen, said he joined the club because of family friends who lost a son on Seal Team 3 of the Navy, as well as another neighbor who is currently serving as a captain in the Army.

“[Capt. Geoff Shraga] has told us stories of his comrades that have come home broken, and some that have lost their lives,” Konen said. “I decided the least I could do for these brave men was join this club and raise money to help them upon their return. They fought for my freedom and this is a way I can say thank you."

For more information, to donate or to get involved in the club, e-mail Apel at mapel@brrsd.k12.nj.us.