15th Annual Council 4 Veterans Picnic Set for May 26

New Britain, CT – This Saturday, May 26, marks the 15th anniversary of the Council 4 AFSCME Veterans Picnic – an annual event that provides union members an opportunity to thank Connecticut military veterans while supporting statewide veterans’ causes and organizations.

The festivities will take place, rain or shine, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the State Veterans Home, 287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT.

“Connecticut AFSCME members have made a special commitment to the men and women who serve our country," said Council 4 Executive Jody Barr. “This picnic is a way for us to thank military veterans and to renew our pledge to make a difference in their lives.”

The picnic – which has union volunteers preparing and serving a huge barbeque for the veterans – serves as the linchpin of Council 4’s efforts to raise funds needed for improving the quality of residential life at the Rocky Hill home and other facilities throughout the state with a similar mission.

According to Council 4 Veterans Committee Chairman Steve Curran, the union has raised nearly $200,000 since the picnic’s inception in 2003. Those funds have enabled the donation of a new gymnasium with aerobic flooring, flat screen televisions for the lounge, computers and work stations, and picnic tables and rocking chairs, as well the renovation of the baseball field at the Veterans Home.

“Many of our union members have served in the military,” said Curran, a retired state correctional officer who now works as a field representative for Council 4. “The picnic is a great bonding opportunity. The veterans look forward to us coming every year.”

Council 4’s veterans outreach initiative has enabled the union to make significant contributions to other veterans’ advocacy organizations, including Homes for the Braves in Bridgeport, Disabled American Veterans – Chapter 2 (New Haven), the CT Run for the Fallen, the Oasis Center at Central Connecticut State University and Torrington Veterans Services.

Several unions, state agencies and companies provide valuable support to the picnic, including the Connecticut AFL-CIO, the United Food & Commercial Workers, Stop & Shop, Bozzuto’s, the state Department of Correction and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
Click here for a photo gallery from the 2017 Council 4 Veterans Picnic.