‘Toast to Dennis – A Night of Remembrance” Raises $250,000 to Support Wounded Warriors

A quarter of a million dollars was raised at the ninth annual Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski Memorial Fund gala titled, “A Toast to Dennis – A Night of Remembrance” held on September 8 at the Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club in Farmingdale.

The event celebrated the life and memory of Zilinski, as well as honor those from Monmouth County who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. The evening featured dinner, dancing with music by The Infernos and a reverse auction to assist the Fund in sponsoring service dogs for warriors suffering from PTSD and/or traumatic brain injuries.

Two-hundred ninety guests attended the affair. Tom and Marie Dolan of Avon-by-the-Sea and Ron and Kim Jaeger of Rumson were this year’s distinguished honorees for their belief in and support of the cause.

In addition, wounded warriors from as far as California and Maine attended with their service dogs and families. The Zilinski Memorial Fund also received a check for $45,000 from Senior Vice Commander George Karatzia of AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) Chapter 517 in Holmdel for the sponsorship of three service dogs and already have selected two names – Penelope and George. The third one will be named shortly. Added to their donation, were three additional dogs that were sponsored by other supporters prior to this evening’s festivities. A check for $90,000 for these six dogs was presented to K9s for Warriors.

Also, during the event, the Toast accepted donations from other supporters for another 10 dogs! These dogs will also be named and then trained to support our wounded warriors. With the additional donations, the total number of service dogs supported by this fund is up to 64. Each of these dogs is sponsored for $15,000 each for a grand total of this event of $240,000

“We cannot thank everyone who attended and support this cause enough,” said Marion Zilinski, mother of Dennis and co-founder of The Zilinski Memorial Fund. “More and more of our veterans are returning from combat and suffer from mental and physical health. The Zilinski Fund wants to provide these men and women in uniform so that they can live as close to a normal life as possible.”

About the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund

The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial was created and founded in 2006 in order to honor Lt. Zilinski’s memory and spirit for life. The Fund sponsors programs for injured soldiers and scholarships to Lt. Zilinski’s alma mater, Christian Brothers Academy. The Fund provides support to improve the morale and welfare of members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Additionally, by providing scholarships, the Fund invests in the future of high school students who embody the leadership qualities and community spirit of Lt. Zilinski.