An annual Venison for Veterans drive has delivered thousands of pounds of meat to homebound and disabled veterans throughout the Capital Region.
It’s the 17th year in a row where regional sheriff’s and fire departments join with local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters and other nonprofits to deliver loins, steaks, and ground venison to vets in need of a little protein.
Dozens of volunteers have formed a human conveyor belt in the parking lot of Fulton Montgomery Community College. They pack handfuls of frozen meat into paper bags tp be grouped and sent to VFWs, firehouses, and community freezers throughout the region.
“Two burgers, two steaks, one loin. All the organizations, the VFWs, the whatevers, you guys are going to be last,” said Thomas Georgia.
Tribes Hill resident Thomas Georgia is yelling commands over the constantly moving line of volunteers. He began the now-annual event nearly two decades ago with help from former state legislator George Amedore.
“We’ve got about 20 different counties involved in it this year, so that’s a wonderful thing. Our goal is to do all 62 counties in New York state, hopefully over time. You’re looking at about 4,000 pounds of venison right here that’s going to be distributed throughout the counties. So, we have about 30 veteran organizations here to help with the program and a lot of that is going to be a lot of healthy food that is going to be distributed,” said Georgia.
More than 80% of the distributed meat has been donated by hunters. The rest comes from viable roadkill, picked up by local police and sheriff deputies.
Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino.
“We have a little friendly competition with Montgomery County, which you saw first-hand. That’s important. But just be sure when you do the story you put last year I got the big buck. I got a trophy for participating but that’s how we do things nowadays in New York. I just geta a trophy because I showed up. But I said next year we’ll be in it for the top line,” said Giardino.
It was the first year the drive had expanded into Saratoga County. Republican state Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, whose district encompasses portions of Saratoga, Schenectady, and Fulton counties, was on hand to celebrate.
“I think a lot of the veterans also are or were hunters but maybe they’ve reached an age where they can’t themselves go out. But, it’s still that camaraderie. It’s not just about the food, the food is part of it, but it’s also feeling that they’re not forgotten and it’s that feeling that it’s another way to honor service. I think it’s great,” said Walsh.
Harold Patchen is the District 3 Commander for VFW New York. It’s his first time at the donation drive. He’s in awe at the collaboration.
“I’m amazed. I’m a deer hunter myself and I’ve never seen so many people doing so much good work for veterans and the homebound. It’s just amazing, it’s the only words you can describe it by,” said Patchen.
He says the support means a lot.
“A lot of our veterans are homebound, a lot of them don’t get three squares a day. Some are too proud to ask and for something like this they can go to a veteran’s post, somebody can say ‘hey, we ‘ve got this extra venison why don’t you take it home and eat it?’ And I know if I was homebound or homeless, I would,” said Patchen.
Jimmy Lais is at the end of the table handing out venison loins.
“Good stories? It hasn’t rained!” said Lais.
It’s his sixth year helping out, and he wouldn’t dream of missing it.
“We do the banner program in Tribes Hill New York, and people are so grateful when you do something like that. We’ve got people who will call us up, ‘when are you gonna have the venison program?’ And this one lady I said, ‘why are you getting ready to cook supper or something?’ You gotta laugh every day,” said Lais.
