BLUES BROTHERS HORNS BACKED BY CLUB PHRED LIVE IN CONCERT TO SUPPORT 22IN22 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR VETERANS
Tom “Bones” Malone and “Blue Lou” Marini of Blues Brothers Horns fame along with Frank Greene of Count Basie Orchestra will be performing at Vet Fest on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at the Town of Whitehall, 801 Mapleton Avenue, Middletown, DE 19709. Local award-winning band Club Phred will be backing the musical icons.
Event website: www.whitehallde.com/events/vet-fest
22IN22 proceeds support the non-profit Stop-Solider-Suicide: www.stopsoldiersuicide.org
According to event organizer Brian DiSabatino (CEO of EDiS Company), approximately 22 veterans and one active-duty military member succumbs to their hidden wounds and become a victim of suicide, every day. That is 50% higher than their civilian counterparts. In 2015, Delaware experienced 11 veteran suicides according to the VA’s most updated statistics. That is down from 24 in 2014. The 22in22 initiative began in 2015 as a response to this issue.
Brian DiSabatino’s son, Jacob DiSabatino created 22in22 in 2015, when he was a junior at St. Mark’s High School, as a service project to raise awareness about the fact that 8,000 veterans die each year from suicide. The initiative blossomed and has gained national attention. The younger DiSabatino, now a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army graduated from the Citadel in South Carolina and is stationed in Anchorage, AK. Actor Gary Sinise and musician Charlie Daniels have been part of the program. Local figures and institutions joining the cause have included, U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper, the Delaware State Legislature, and former First Lady Carla Markell. Delaware Technical Community College dedicates September to build awareness throughout its campuses and the University of Nebraska Marching Band has demonstrated its support by marching 22 miles in 22 days. Vet Fest is an outcropping of the 22in22 program.
Proceeds go to bring the veteran and civilian communities together and to support the non-profit, StopSoldierSuicide.org. In addition to Delaware, events are happening around the country as a result of the Delaware inspiration.