The Veteran Club organized a fundraising event to provide support for veterans, featuring a barbecue, games and music on Thursday, May 29, on the Pierce College Mall.
Veterans Club Vice President Katie Hirahoka discussed the importance of hosting this event around Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day, for a lot of veterans, is pretty hard,” Hirahoka said. “I’ve lost many friends. We wanted to plan the event around something that held meaning for us, which was recognizing veteran students and honoring those who have passed.”
Veterans Club President Julissa Gomez spoke about her experience as a veteran who served in the Marine Corps for four years in Hawaii.
“I’m a Marine Corps veteran myself who served four years in Hawaii,” Gomez said. “When veterans come out of the military, they have a hard time adjusting. This event conveys the sense that we can be ordinary civilians and lead our everyday lives.”
Psychology and Statistics Professor Maria Percer expressed her support at the veterans’ fundraising barbecue event.
“I feel very strongly about supporting our veterans,” Percer said. “My son is currently serving in the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, Virginia. It’s not easy being in the military. We want to ensure that veterans feel supported on our campus and that they know we care.”
Secretary for the Sciences Sharen Jacobs stated that it is essential to support fundraising efforts that benefit veterans.
“They protect our rights to attend school, and showing people that you care is vital for their well-being and a way to show support, even on our campus, even in a non-war zone,” Jacobs said. “Just be grateful and appreciate them, and if you can afford to buy them lunch, buy it.”
Hirahoka said that the primary goal of the event is to help the veteran community.
“We’re trying to network, bring people together and provide them with resources and other forms of support,” Hirahoka said. “The event is pretty good because it provides us with tools and resources, which will help our club grow by bringing new opportunities and connecting us with other colleges and similar organizations.”
Oscar Rodriguez, a student veteran, spoke about what this event means to veterans and the Pierce community.
“It is super important, and we honor the dead, but these veterans, they’re here now,” Rodriguez said. “It’s great that the community and the school support them, as they are part of the community. We appreciate it when students, teachers, and faculty come out and are nice to us and help us.”
