By Daisy Melamed, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation Junior Board Member
The newly-formed, New York-based Junior Board of the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation hosted its inaugural event on April 17 at the beautiful Lighthouse in Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers. The night included cocktails, a lovely dinner and dancing into the wee hours of the night.
At the event, which combined an entertaining atmosphere and impactful moments, more than 300 New Yorkers, including many active and veteran military members, mingled and toasted the incredible efforts of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. Catering was provided by Abigail Kirsch and music was played by local cult-favorite DJ Wilki. The event raised over $150,000, thanks to ticket sales, branded merchandise purchases and, of course, generous donations. Active giving at the event was made simple thanks to an on-screen Text-to-Pledge system, with which guests could make a contribution and send a message to large LCD screens positioned around the event space. (What fun!)
The dinner included speeches from Junior Board co-founders and brother-sister duo Remy and Jordan Sanders and Fallen Patriots founder David Kim. Children of Fallen Patriots scholarship recipients Henry Irizarry, whose father was killed in Iraq in 2004, and brothers Evan and Drew Kleppe shared their stories. A touching video about the Foundation and the immeasurably beneficial support it provides to the children of the fallen was also shown to the emotional crowd.
Going forward from the successful evening, the Junior Board will continue to raise awareness amongst the next generation of givers in New York City and across the country. The feedback from our attendees was overwhelmingly positive, The Junior Board is inspired to continue giving back to those who gave the most for their country and their families.
