Annual Fundraising Operation: A Way to Give Back to Area Vets

A SALESMAN AND A VETERAN WALK INTO A BAR…

No, it’s not a setup for a joke, but rather the origin of an ever-growing fundraiser, known as Operation Give Back, that is making life a little bit better for a number of veterans in and around the South Glens Falls area.

The salesman in question is Jacque Ecuyer, a well-known figure in and around his hometown of Hudson Falls who had stopped into Slickfin Brewing Co. in Fort Edward one night about two years ago with his wife’s brother in tow. According to Heather March, who runs the brewery along with her husband, Ecuyer told her of his dream. “We were just talking one day, and he said, ‘I would really love to start a fundraiser for veterans,’” said March, who, along with husband Kris and Ecuyer’s brother-in-law, is a Marine Corps veteran. “So I said we would love to partner up with you.”

The Marches did just that in what became, in 2022, the inaugural event. On Saturday, May 11, the third annual Operation Give Back/Military Appreciation Day will be held at Slickfin’s location at 147-149 Broadway from noon to 10 p.m. And Ecuyer has high hopes for it. That first year, he said, “we (raised) $3500 in about three hours. Last year, we raised $7500. This year, our goal is $10,000.” And, he added, at this event, “one hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to local veteran organizations.”

Like the first two years of the benefit, Allen LaPell, owner of the Vested Veteran Grill in Corinth, will be providing plenty of food. When he got wind of the venture in 2022, LaPell, a U.S. Army vet, was all in. “He wanted to be a part of it, to be the food source,” said Ecuyer, who was more than happy to accommodate his wish.

This year, in addition to LaPell’s enterprise, Carnivore Brothers BBQ and Catering of Hadley will be the primary food vendors at the event, at which a large turnout is expected. Although the number of people who patronized the inaugural fundraiser is not known, Ecuyer estimated that between 500 and 700 people showed up throughout the day for it last year.

“It’s growing every year, and we get more and more people wanting to be involved,” said Ecuyer. The event will include a silent auction, raffles for numerous donated items, two food trucks (both veteran owned), and seven musical acts (four solo artists and three bands). Two of the musicians, according to Ecuyer, are veterans. “If you do things for veterans, you try to keep everything, as much as you can, veteran based,” Ecuyer said. “That’s what brings the whole thing together. When you’re bringing military families in, they want to support veteran-owned businesses. When you have a veteran-owned brewery, you have veteran-owned food trucks, you have veteran musical artists, it really solidifies the entire event.”

The first year, the beneficiaries were American Legion Post 574 of Hudson Falls and Adirondack Vets House of Glens Falls. Last year, in addition to the vets house, the local American Gold Star Mothers organization received funding. According to Heather Marsh, at this year’s fundraiser, “if we raise more (money), we’d be able to choose more than two organizations,” as beneficiaries.

Though Ecuyer, a route salesman for Freihofer’s, did not serve in the armed forces, he shares a kinship with vets. Helping them, he said, is “a passion of mine because so many of my friends are veterans, and they just weren’t able to (make it) on their own, so I decided to step in and try to do my part.”

Veterans, he added, “are sort of a forgotten group as we have moved on through the years. They can’t always get the help they need, not only with mental health, but with housing, and so on and so forth. If we can give local organizations a little bump rather than waiting on grants and such, that definitely helps their bottom line to be able to help more and more veterans each year.” His organization, 4s4life, is sponsoring the event (the four “S’s” stand for strength, struggle, sacrifice, and survival).

“I started this organization because I have lived through what I consider the mental health minefield,” said Ecuyer. “I was bullied as a kid, I’m 30 years in recovery from drug addiction, I’ve battled depression, PTSD, and survived multiple suicide attempts. So I decided to turn my pain into my purpose, and that’s why I do what I do.”

For further information, look for Operation Giveback on Facebook. Ecuyer can be reached on social media or by phone at 518-926-9018. Heather Marsh can be reached at 518-223-0264.