Tennis, dolphins, and kitchen kits — they are all helping combat veterans make their way in civilian life. Matt McCarville put together a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project at the Salt Creek Grill on Wednesday. The Wounded Warrior Project provides basic comfort items for wounded soldiers, stages adaptive sporting events and clinics to foster independence among those with severe injuries, transports soldiers and their families between homes and hospitals, and offers peer-mentoring programs.
Along with sumptuous food, and a silent auction replete with many treasures, guests learned about how recovering veterans get help from the United States Tennis Association and, locally, the National Junior Tennis and Learning of Trenton which introduces skills and love for tennis in both the vets and their families. Dolphins? the Florida-based Dolphin Research Center offers swimming with dolphins as a therapeutic pleasure.
One of the stars of the evening (other than the food!) was John Fernandez, a West Point graduate (U.S. Army First Lieutenant, retired) whose lost his feet in Iraq. He considers himself the lucky one, because those with him — his gunner, his driver, his first sergeant — lost their lives. In the photo at top, McCarville (far right) speaks with the three Wounded Warriors at the event. From left; U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (Retired) Nancy Schiliro, Fernandez, and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant John Gierke.
As for the kitchen kits, they are provided by Daniel Griffin, a Vietnam veteran, who told of Basecamp Westchester, which helps homeless veterans in Westchester County, New York. This subgroup of the Vietnam Veterans of America provides security deposits, computer training, and other services for previously homeless veterans. The kitchen kits? Plates, knives, forks, spoons — and a microwave — they recently helped a family of four that had been living in a car. All donations go directly to the cause. With the motto ‘never again will one generation abandon another,’ all the workers at Basecamp Westchester are volunteers.
Extra note: The third annual Patriot Salute raised $30,000, as announced by Matthew McCarville in the comment below. He also notes: A closing THANK YOU to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant John Gierke, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (Retired) Nancy Schiliro, and U.S. Army First Lieutenant (Retired) John Fernandez, our three wounded veterans who attended the event last night. We are all grateful for your service, and hope to honor your sacrifice as we try to live each day to the fullest under the safety and freedom that you helped to provide us.
Princeton Comment 
Thanks to the donors and sponsors:Americana Diner, 359 US Hwy 130, East Windsor, N.J. (609) 448-4477Ameripack, Inc, Manufacturer of Custom Cases, 107 North Gold Drive, Robbinsville, N.J. (609) 259-7004Charmed By Claire, 33 North Main Street, Cranbury, N.J. (609) 409-6077Cranbury Golf Club, 49 Southfield Rd, West Windsor, N.J. (609) 799-0341Crossing Vineyards & Winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing, PA (215) 493-6500Bill Dredge, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, 1200 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, N.J. (609) 844-7919Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, Fl (305) 289-1121The Drumthwacket FoundationEastern Mountain Sports at Market Fair, 3535 US Hwy 1, Princeton, N.J. (609) 520-8310Elegant Rochees Hong Kong Tailor, Kishore Daswani, 5243 Duke St, Alexandria, Va (703) 866-0231Goldman SachsHGK Asset ManagementThe HartfordInvesco, Powershares Capital ManagementIt’s A Grind Coffee House, 7 Schalk’s Crossing Road #311, Plainsboro, N.J. (609) 275-2919Ivy FundsJanus Capital GroupJay’s Cycles, 249 Nassau Street, Princeton, N.J. 08540 (609) 924-7233Randall Jones, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, 1200 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, N.J. (609) 844-7916JP Morgan Asset ManagementKC Prime Restaurant Steakhouse, 4160 Quakerbridge Road, Trenton, N.J. (609) 275-5418La Jolie Salon & Spa (ask for Sandra), 4 Hulfish Street, Palmer Square, Princeton, N.J. (609) 924-1188Longchamp USA, 4 Applegate Drive, Robbinsville, N.J.Marriott Hotels and Resorts, 1535 Broadway, New York, N.Y.McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J. (609) 258-2787Matt McCarville, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, 1200 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, N.J. (609) 844-7984New York Sports Club, Princeton, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton, N.J. (609) 921-6985Pioneer InvestmentsPrinceton Salt Creek Grille, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton, N.J. (609) 419-4200PrudentialRuth’s Chris Steak House, 2 Village Blvd, Princeton, N.J. (609) 452-0041Salt Creek Grille, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton, N.J. (609) 419-4200Matthew Sheridan, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, 1200 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, N.J. (609) 620-7122Trenton Country Club, 2012 Sullivan Way, West Trenton, N.J. (609) 883-3800Vanguard Financial Advisor ServicesWashington Crossing Inn, Rte 32, Washington Crossing, PA (877) 882-1776Westin Princeton, at Forrestal Village, 201 Village Blvd, Princeton, N.J. (609) 452-7900West Branch Angler ResortWork Out World (WOW!), 1140 US Hwy 130, Robbinsville, N.J. (609) 208-1999
Just one correction: we do not run a food pantry, we do donate to the veterans food pantry at the VA Hospital in Montrose, NY.About that family of four that was living in their car: the husband did two tours in Iraq and his wife was in the Army also but she was not deployed.They met in the Army and they have a baby and a five year old.The kitchen kits are a set of four dishes, glasses and silverware. Also pots, pans, bowls,etc.We average eight kits a month, four or five security deposits a year and other donations such as paying transportation to a training program like tractor tralor driving school.Dan GriffinExecutive Director Base Camp Westchester914-682-4949chapter49@aol.com
What a tremendous show of support last night for our wounded veterans! It is said that “The greatest casualty is being forgotten.” I am so thankful to all of you who stepped up last night to make a statement that our wounded will not be forgotten. What a community of patriots! THANK YOU. I hope you all had the opportunity to engage with our wounded veterans in attendance, and that you will share those experiences with as many others as will listen to you. I want to offer a special THANK YOU to Claire Shelvin and Rob Howland of NJTLT for their dedicated efforts in the preparation and execution of this event – it could not have happened without them. To our volunteer photographer for the evening, Judith Arnold: THANK YOU, and I look forward to sharing your photos soon. THANK YOU to our many generous sponsors, donors, and silent auction winners, who made the evening not only enjoyable and enlightening, but also productive as a fundraiser to benefit our wounded veterans. Linda Munson of the Charles Evans Foundation directed additional generous donations. As you all witnessed, Peter Martin of Ameripack, true to form, continued on his path of generous giving on behalf of wounded veterans. My colleagues at Morgan Stanley (Bob Beylickjian, Bill Dredge, Randy Jones, and Matt Sheridan) stepped up with major donations to support the Silent Auction. Please see the attached document for a list of local business sponsors who committed to the patriotic cause. And Barbara Figge Fox has already extended her personal “salute” in her blog this morning: http://princetoncomment.blogspot.com/2012/10/tennis-dolphins-and-kitchen-kits.html . I am happy to announce that the 3rd Annual Patriot Salute raised in excess of $30,000 to benefit the wounded warrior and family programs at WWP, NJTLT, and the Dolphin Research Center. (I will be contacting silent auction winners within the next 48 hours to arrange payment and delivery. Thank you for your patience.) A closing THANK YOU to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant John Gierke, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (Retired) Nancy Schiliro, and U.S. Army First Lieutenant (Retired) John Fernandez, our three wounded veterans who attended the event last night. We are all grateful for your service, and hope to honor your sacrifice as we try to live each day to the fullest under the safety and freedom that you helped to provide us. I salute you all. Matt Matthew K.H. McCarville, CRPCAssociate Vice President –Wealth AdvisorFinancial AdvisorMorgan Stanley Wealth Management 1200 Lenox Drive, Suite 300Lawrenceville, NJ 08648609-844-7984 – Direct609-482-4878 – Fax800-659-0650 – Toll Freematthew.mccarville@morganstanley.com