Blue Star Families Walk So Disabled Vets Can Compete

Under bright blue skies, they walked. They walked five miles through Avenel, raising money to purchase equipment so soldiers who could no longer walk might be able to compete in marathons and other events with able-bodied athletes, or maybe just join in on events like this one.

The American Legion T. Nulty Post 471 Blue Star Families Support Group of Woodbridge held the Walk-a-Thon Sunday morning, starting at Avenel Park before heading down West Park Street and Avenel Street before looping back, with walkers making the trip three times to complete the course.

“We decided to donate $500,” said Jenny Rosetti of the Blue Star Families, who also serves as Women Veterans Coordinator with Readjusting Counciling Services at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. “But we also wanted to raise the remaining about towards getting a bike” through Achilles International, which provides handcrank wheelchairs for disabled veterans to use in mainstream marathons and other competitions.

The handcrank wheelchairs run $3,500.

“The group started at the Support the Troops Rally in Woodbridge in 2007,” said Ron Davie, co-founder, along with Ed Gorman and Mike Senak, of Blue Star Families. “There were a couple of speakers who felt they were not getting enough information about where their sons were in Iraq. We gave them our hall once a month for a meeting place,” and the group grew from there.

Blue Star Families came together with Achilles International through Carol Palmer, a member of Blue Star and friend-of-a-friend with Elza Jacobowitz, a board member with Achilles. “We decided, let's walk on this day and raise money so they can get just one extra chair,” said Palmer, whose son, Bryan, is currently serving his third tour of duty, this time in Afghanistan. “The chairs are handcrank so [the recipients] can compete and get around. It's something that we can do that's hands-on. It's an honor to do that.”

“I got involved around the time my brother was deployed, in April of '07,” said Jacobowitz, who began working with Achilles to give back to the military community following her brother's deployment. “My brother was killed about six months later, and I was motivated to make a difference in his honor, to keep his memory alive.”

In the four years since, the group has donated more than 25 handcrank wheelchairs and raised over $100,000 in honor of fallen veterans.

“We appreciate everything our service men and women do and we wanted to show our support, which is why we're throwing this appreciate barbeque,” added Eric Griffith, secretary of the Middlesex County Young Democrats, who hosted the post-walk fest.

George Friedman took part in the walk with his family. “[Jacobowitz] was telling me about [Achilles International] and I signed right up, whatever I can do,” said George Friedman. His son, Sgt. Robert Colon of Iselin, is about to deploy for his third tour of duty and is currently scheduled to head to Afghanistan.

“It's a fabulous organization.”