Veterans Offered A Night At The BlueClaws By Advocacy Group

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you know a veteran who loves baseball or who would enjoy an evening out at the ballpark, a local nonprofit wants to hear from you.

Ma Deuce Deuce, Ma22, has launched a program to that provides tickets to see the Lakewood BlueClaws at First Energy Park in Lakewood, as a way to foster camaraderie and counter the isolation many veterans feel.

Ma22 — the 22 represents the 22 veterans who take their lives each day, a statistic from the Veterans Administration — was founded in September 2016 and focuses on veterans' advocacy and raising awareness of the epidemic of suicides among veterans. It also works to provide veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder access to therapeutic programs at no cost to the veteran.

"Making connections and fostering a sense of community is what we are all about," said Dennis Addesso, the president and co-founder of Ma Deuce Deuce, said of the night at the ballpark initiative. "So many veterans feel isolated and have no outlet and are grappling with PTSD and other issues. We feel a night at the park can break the ice and allow us to gauge where we can help them, in a setting that they can enjoy some family entertainment."

Local businesses provided sponsorships to pay for the tickets, including The Serenity Cafe, Toms River; MJM Tree Service & Maintenance, Forked River; Gerard J. Petrocelli & Gillen Realty Inc., Toms River, and Kimberly Barfuss, Brick.

"We have been overwhelmed with the support our community has provided in the past and the hits just keep coming," said Tom Kiselow, another founding member of MA22 and its chief operating officer. "Anything that can be used to get a veteran out of the house and on a path to recovery and restoration is what we are all about."

Last year Ma22 was instrumental in raising funds for several other nonprofits, including Operation Restored Warrior, a free 5-day faith-based program that has helped a majority of the Ma22 team.

Ma22 joined with Warhorse SCUBA, another nonprofit that assists veterans, to co-host Operation: Ruck It. The event consisted of 185 participants and 35 volunteers rucking — the military term for hiking — 22 kilometers (13.6 miles) down the Jersey Shore.

Ma22 also hosted a benefit for the family of Marine Gary Bell of Brick, a Purple Heart recipient who succumbed to the perils PTSD in March 2017, years after his tours of duty in Iraq. The event was a huge success creating a trust fund for Gary’s sons, Riley and Parker, who were 11 and 7 at the time of his passing.

"Ma22 was a blessing to our family in a time where it was really needed," said Rande Bell Martinez, Gary's sister. “They are truly a group that our community and our veterans need.”

Ma22 is based in Ocean County and IRS-501(c)(3) approved charity. For more information or to contact the group, email dennis@ma22.org, call 732-684-1314 or visit its Facebook page (click here). A website is currently under construction with expectations for launch in the next few weeks, the organization said.

Ma Deuce Deuce President Dennis Addesso (left) welcomes two fellow veterans to enjoy seats at First Energy Park for a recent Blue Claws minor league baseball game, as part of a night out the nonprofit provides. Photo credit: Ma Deuce Deuce.