Music in Service
Concert spotlights local organizations whose work benefits veterans and military families
Music has the power to raise spirits—and awareness. In May 2024, Buffalo musician Bob James and the Buffalo Blues4Vets treated Rich Products associates to a free lunchtime concert in the Atrium @ Rich’s to raise awareness about Blues4Vets’ efforts to support the Western New York Chapter of Gold Star Mothers.
The second annual concert was organized by Rich’s Veterans Group and featured remarks from members of both organizations about their work to support active military and veteran communities in Western New York.
“One of our pillars in the Rich’s Veterans Group is to partner with local organizations to support our veterans within our communities, whether they work for Rich’s or not. By partnering with organizations such as Buffalo Blues4Vets and WNY Gold Star Mothers, we can understand how to support veterans in our local communities more effectively and drive an even bigger impact for the veteran community here in Western New York.”
-Alex Koss, Rich’s Veterans Associate Resource Group Leader
Raising awareness for local and national veterans’ programs
In 2024, Rich’s Veterans ARG took on a third community partner with the goal of expanding their efforts to a national level by spotlighting the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps veterans transition into civilian life after active duty. Driven by their mission to improve the lives of veterans and their families, Wounded Warrior Project has offered mental health, career counseling, long-term rehabilitative care and advocacy programs and services to millions of veterans since its inception in 2003.
WNY Gold Star Mothers is a veterans’ service organization composed of mothers who have lost a child in military service. These mothers provide support and comfort to hospitalized veterans while they recuperate, partner with Veterans Affairs Volunteer Services to offer companionship and rides to veterans receiving medical care through the VA, and run a food pantry and other resources for veterans and their families.
“We are grateful that we have received the support we have from Rich’s. We really enjoyed meeting Rich’s associates and getting a chance to share our story.”
-Sandra Krege, Chapter Treasurer, WNY Gold Star Mothers
The first annual concert organized by Rich’s Veterans ARG, held in April 2023, also raised support and awareness for the K.I.A. Memorial Roadmarch™ (KMR), which was founded by SGM Jason Jaskula, who wanted to find a way to honor the memory of his battle buddy, Christopher Dill. Dill was a Staff Sgt. in the United States Army Reserves and Buffalo Firefighter who was Killed In Action (K.I.A.) while deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 4, 2005 in Diyala, Iraq.
When Jaskula returned from Iraq, he volunteered wherever he could to help local veterans. But in trying to find a way to honor Chris’ memory, he realized that there was no single public event in Western New York to honor service members K.I.A.
The first K.I.A. Memorial Roadmarch™ was a solo effort by Jaskula, who walked 22K (13.67 miles) in November 2012 carrying 60 pounds of Memorial Rocks, each bearing the name of a service member from Western New York who was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). The march took him three hours and 20 minutes and raised $4,000.
Since then, the Roadmarch has opened to the public. In the last 10 years, the march has collected over 350,000 pounds of food for pantries run by four local organizations: The Gold Star Mothers’ Pantry, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 77 Pantry, Resurrection Life Food Pantry, and Milligan’s pantry at SUNY Buffalo State. This year’s March was held on August 17, 2024.
If you or someone you know in the WNY area are in need of Veteran-related services, please visit WNY Vets.
