NJ Veterans group gets support from Pearl Jam

by: Jason Springer

Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 09:45:00 AM EDT

Now this is pretty cool. The Yellow Ribbon Club is a non-partisan organization that was started in South Jersey and works to support our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan through shipping care packages, promoting and fostering welcome home events for local veterans and providing monetary assistance to us military hospitals and care facilities. Here is an audio interview with the founder of the organization Leslie Drummond from WPHT, who explained how she started the club in September of 2005 when her son was in Iraq and she began organizing the delivery of care packages. The group has grown from Leslie's efforts.

Last week, Eddie Vedder performed at the Tower in Philadelphia and during the show, he gave the Yellow Ribbon club and their efforts a shout out:

At one point during the encore, Vedder mentioned a letter he got from a fan that really moved him, in which the writer of the letter talked about the impact Pearl Jam's music had on his life and how he was inspired by Eddie Vedder to begin volunteering for an organization called the Yellow Ribbon Club that raises money to support US troops. As he told the story, he noticed a visibly emotional couple in the front row and discovered that it was the same couple that had written the letter. It was a very touching moment as he hugged them and thanked them for the letter, and announced that he and Pearl Jam would be contributing to the organization. It is moments like this that make you realize the ability music has to bring people together and impact their lives in a powerful way.

The organization has received over 60,000 hits on their website since the concert and article. In full disclosure, I have volunteered with the club for many events including their recent car washes, which were organized by David J. Sliver, the writer of the letter which inspired Vedder's support. They are a fantastic organization that does wondeful work and the families are so dedicated to supporting their own. Below the fold, i'll put a video of a recent welcome home they organized for a soldier coming home from his fifth tour of duty in Iraq. You can learn more about their efforts.

Jason Springer :: NJ Veterans group gets support from Pearl Jam