chaptersinaction Many Ways to Serve
MOAA chapters continue to find new and creative ways to support the veterans, servicemembers, and military families in their communities, whether hosting bluegrass jams or mentoring students.
O
n Armed Forces Day, May 20, the New River (N.C.) Chapter (
www.ne
wrivermoaa.org) will host its second annual Ashe County Marathon Jam, a unique event held at the local arts center that brings together musicians, veterans, and members of the public to raise donations for the Fisher Hous- es at Fort Bragg and at Camp Lejeune. Marathon Jam is a nonprofit orga- nization that “seeks to unite a diverse group of creative people and mobi- lize them to use their talents to raise money and perform outreach to im- prove the lives of those who have sac- rificed so much for us: veterans and first responders and their families,” according to
www.marathonjam.org. The organization garners this support through individual fundraisers, orga- nized gatherings of musicians and art- ists who perform for 12 hours straight, with musicians generating donations by securing sponsors for each hour they participate. Since 2009, the re- cipient of these donations has been the Fisher House Foundation. Mara- thon Jams have generated more than $500,000 in donations and have been held in 20 states and three countries. According to Capt. Doug Ehrhardt,
USN (Ret), immediate past president of the New River Chapter and current president of the North Carolina Coun- cil of Chapters, when a friend of the
chapter introduced the idea of a Mara- thon Jam, the chapter decided to run with it. With an abundance of musi- cians in the area, they decided “it was a great opportunity for the community to enjoy bluegrass while supporting a good cause,” he says. To spread the word, chapter mem-
bers have made posters and distrib- uted them to local restaurants and businesses and have reached out to the Chamber of Commerce and local pa- pers asking them to publicize the jam. Last year, the Ashe County Mara-
thon Jam had more than a dozen musicians participate and raised about $4,000.
[students] in the right direction.
“
Our goal is to help point the
— Gen. Michael Akey,
USAF (Ret), Lowcountry (S.C.) Chapter
”
Ehrhardt says he really appreciates the musicians, many of whom are vet- erans, who come out and participate. “It’s a neat thing in the sense that I’m sure they have lives and other things they can be doing, but they spend the day with us playing music.” Also during the jam, in between songs, New River Chapter members
introduce veterans in attendance and share their service story, give them an event T-shirt, and wrap them in a healing quilt; the quilts are made and donated by various organizations. Ehrhardt says he encourages other
MOAA chapters to consider hosting Marathon Jams in their communities. “The event is timeless,” he says. “No matter your age or music tastes, you can go to something like this and be totally entertained. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to support a great cause like Fisher House.” For more informa- tion, visit
www.marathonjam.org.
Mentoring students Members of the Lowcountry (S.C.) Chapter (
www.lcmoaa.com) give back to their community by mentoring stu- dent veterans at the nearby Technical College of the Lowcountry through a partnership with the college’s Student Veterans of America (SVA). The pro- gram, which began in fall 2016, pairs Lowcountry Chapter members and their spouses with student veterans who are looking for educational ad- vice, career guidance, and life lessons. “[The SVA was] looking for men- tors to take on an older population,” in their 20s and early 30s, says Maj. Gen. Michael Akey, USAF (Ret), president of the Lowcountry Chap- ter. “[These students have] done their service, and they get into the
MAY 2017 MILITARY OFFICER 41
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