Some of Long Island’s most powerful government officials chose to spend Labor Day, honoring our Country’s Veterans over the weekend. Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, Legislator Leslie Kennedy, Comptroller John M. Kennedy and Gene Nally for Congressman Lee Zeldin, were just a few of the Suffolk County’s officials who sacrificed a day of relaxing to support one of the most noble causes this reporter has come across in some time. The Operation Jake team, hosted a free bike ride around Smithtown in an effort to bring last minute funding, support and awareness to the country-to-coast bike ride beginning September 15th, from Atlanta Georgia to Manhattan. The objective of this journey: to interview veterans and document their stories with the hope of improving on research and treatment for PTSD.
“The purpose of this bike ride is to raise awareness for the PTSD Victims. Jake was not one of the 22 Veterans who we lose to suicide a day. He was on the side of PTSD, where reckless behavior takes these soldiers lives… speeding, fighting and things like that. That is the part of PTSD research we intend to help study.
So we’ll begin in Atlanta, where Jake left this world too soon and come up the coast to New York. The documentary will include interviewing as many veterans as we can. The raw footage is going to Dr. Mitchell Schare, the director of PDD programs in Clinical Psychology at Hofstra University. It’s going to get in the right hands and we’re going to make a change.” – Ronald Perrone of Operation Jake
The community bike ride for Operation Jake was orchestrated by Town Clerk Vinny Puleo, along with Councilmen Bob Creighton and Ed Wehrheim. Prior to the event, Mr. Puleo spoke of the impact of PTSD, thanking all 5900 Veterans in Smithtown for their service and adding that Long Island most likely has the most Veterans living here than anywhere else in the United States. Both Councilmen Bob Creighton and Ed Wehrheim shared personal experiences as Veterans and advocated for the work done by the organizations who came out to help support Operation Jake, including The Smithtown Sunrise Rotary Club, who originally introduced them to local officials. In addition to government officials, members of the local VFW, the American Legion, US Military Personnel, The Blue Star Moms and Smithtown Sunrise Rotary Club were present at the Smithtown Veterans Park to help kick off the bike ride around Smithtown.
Operation Jake’s bicycle wheels begin rolling on September 15th in Atlanta Georgia. Smithtown Today will be streaming live footage of Ron and Shannon’s voyage up the coast for our readers.
Those wishing to help fund Operation Jake may do so online at OperationJake.org or via Paypal