Friendly Sons Of Shillelagh Essex Division Honor Armed Forces Day

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On Saturday, May 18, 2019 the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh, Essex Division in West Orange honored Armed Forces Day by partnering with US Hockey Players Support Our Troops to create 62 memorial care packages to be sent to troops currently serving abroad. Each package is dedicated to a veteran who died in service to their country. Each gold star family is notified of the troop package donated to an active serviceman or woman on their behalf.

Requested donated items to fill each care package were collected or donated by the Friendly Sons of Shillelagh and friends. Additional funding to mail the packages abroad was obtained from generous FSOS benefactors. Past President of the FSOS Kevin Kinney coordinated these efforts along with current board member and veteran Patrick Smith. Many other Shillelaghs contributed to the effort.

The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh is an Irish- American social and charitable organization dedicated to the purpose of promoting and enhancing the fraternity and good fellowship of its membership. The organization is non-sectarian and non-political. The FSOS has four chapters in New Jersey; Old Bridge, Essex/West Orange, Belmar and Manahawkin. FSOS Essex, a (501(c)(3) organization, has hosted many charitable events including Save our Shore (Sandy Fundraiser), Francis Schott Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Blood drive, Luck of the Pup pet adoption and St. Baldrick’s Foundation to find a cure for childhood cancer, Annual Toy Drive, Community Food Drive, and more.

US Hockey Players Support Our Troops is a registered charity in NY State. They are a family sponsored program (Gili Family of Brooklyn, NY). The program has been in existence since the Fall of 2007. Their primary mission is honoring and remembering our fallen military, post 911. They do this by making donations to honor and remember individual fallen heroes, their families, affiliated charities and making memorial care packages sent to troops currently serving.

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