NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007

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Coin Can Donation Program Update

BY KEITH KING, PRESIDENT, VVAF
There are many firsts to report this month. Let’s start by thanking the Nam Knights of Brooklyn, New York, and its president, Bobby “Bullet” Brandon, for being the first organization to recognize the need for supporting VVA and VVAF through our Coin Can Donation Program initiative. STF coordinator Cheryl Krebs delivered to their meeting place in Brooklyn some 240 donation coin cans. The Nam Knights will be distributing them throughout all of Brooklyn.

Their tough exterior belies their caring hearts. On a dark street in Brooklyn you will find 21 motorcycles parked on the sidewalk outside of a building with just a single light bulb illuminating a grey metal door with no windows. Inside you will see a serious meeting going on as the Nam Knights discuss business. What you won’t see is what club Vice President Ray “Hard Drive” Ortiz carries with him all the time in his jacket pocket. It’s the yarmulke from the funeral of his Vietnam War buddy Richard Gilckman, a friend he will never forget. Richard, Cheryl’s brother, died from complications from exposure to Agent Orange.

A second first is that VVA’s Georgia State Council is now in first place in the nation with the most cans to distribute for the Coin Can Donation Program. Cheryl Krebs met Georgia State Council President Allen Harvey at the VVA congressional reception in Washington, D.C. Harvey and the Georgia State Council have received 35 cases of cans, or approximately 3,000 cans, for distribution throughout the state. Thanks, guys, for being No. 1.

The West Coast division President of STF, Amy Mosebach, attended the June 9 Regions 8 and 9 VVA Pre-convention Conference in Fresno, California, and presented the Coin Can Donation Program. The result was the distribution of test cans to individuals from California and the surrounding states to help them get started with and to promote the program. In addition to Commerce Bank, we now have Bank of America as a repository for the monies raised from the Coin Can Donation Program.

Mosebach and STF have found a friend in Howard Rutman, a long-time Hollywood agent with over 30 movies to his credit. He is championing the Coin Can Donation Program and is connecting agents of celebrities interested in working with VVAF to develop a VVAF golf tournament and fundraiser.

For Coin Can info, contact:
Adrian Guglielmo (East Coast) 917-968-1357 or
Amy Mosebach (West Coast) 415-317-2789