TENAFLY, N.J.—On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 19, several dozen people and pets could be seen walking around the complex of St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tenafly—but it was much more than your everyday dog-walking outing.
The AHEPA Fifth District was holding a Dog-A-Thon Walk to raise money to provide service dogs for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Participants had two courses to choose from—0.35 miles around the church complex once or 0.77 miles around the church complex and then up the path of the JCC and around their parking lot once, and back down the path to the finish area.
“AHEPA” stands for American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, a Greek fraternal organization that goes all the way back to 1922. This global organization is dedicated to bringing awareness to Hellenic values and Greek culture and to supporting numerous charities.
AHEPA has districts throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada, Europe, Australia and Africa. The AHEPA Fifth District encompasses New Jersey and Delaware and has over 2,000 members.
The Fifth District Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1998. To date, their annual Car and Cycle Show events have raised close to $30,000 toward cancer research.
This year, they decided to do two Dog-A-Thons: one in June and another in October. The money raised will be used to benefit K9s For Warriors, an organization that trains rescue dogs to pair with veterans who suffer with PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
Peter Hilaris, vice president of the AHEPA Bergen Knights Fifth District, served as chair of the Oct. 19 Dog-A-Thon with assistance from Past President Stephen Ferranti and Treasurer Constantine Mikelis.
“We are doing this because so many veterans are in need of the comfort and company of these well-trained service dogs that can help them deal with the PTSD that they acquired in the service of our country,” Hilaris said. “Service dogs are so comforting and helpful, but they are expensive to raise and train, so we host events to make it possible. This year, our chapter will help sponsor one of these dogs.”
AHEPA’s involvement in the K9s for Warriors effort was started by Garden State Chapter 517 in partnership with the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund in 2016, when they sponsored the first service dog, a black lab named AHEPA.
At this year’s event, in addition to the entry fees and donations, money was also raised from the 50/50 raffle, the sale of commemorative T-shirts and lemonade sold at Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity that supports childhood cancer research.
There were also games and a raffle with prizes of large gift baskets with dog treats and accessories. On site, dog groomer Alexandra Martinez gave haircuts to several of the dogs.
Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin came with his two dogs and praised the event.
“Brave men and women put their lives on the line for us, and then they come home, and they’re not given the services that they are entitled to and deserve. That’s why I’m here today,” he said.
As the group gathered to begin the walk, Hilaris thanked everyone for coming and made brief remarks.
“PTSD is prevalent amongst veterans and a national crisis. Soldiers who served in wars suffer from the sights, sounds, memories of horrors that haunt them long after their service is over,” Hilaris said. “According to the U.S. Department of Defense, one in five veterans suffer from PTSD and one in six will attempt suicide or have suicidal tendencies. Twenty-two veterans die every day from suicide as a result of PTSD.”
To put that in perspective, more veterans die from suicide than the number of those killed in military action during the entire Vietnam War or killed in action during the war in Afghanistan since 2001. Studies also reported that suicide among female veterans is 2.5 times the rate of non-veteran woman who die by suicide.
Surprisingly, younger veterans have a higher rate of suicide than those 50 years and older.
Although there is no easy solution to veteran suicide, PTSD service dogs have alleviated and prevented many incidents by reducing stress and providing comfort and companionship. Specially trained PTSD dogs can also provide a sense of security, and physical exercise that can make a positive difference in the life of those that suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Besides the Service Dog Program, this AHEPA district has hosted several Car and Cycle Shows for cancer research and participates in several other national programs, including a program for research of Cooley’s anemia, also called thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects people of Mediterranean and Asian heritage. Nationally, AHEPA has raised $1.5 million.
According to Hilaris, in the past year, “District 5 has provided scholarships to high school seniors, helped youth from our church, and we participated in a Hellenic Historic Tournament where they won prize money. We have a brunch to help raise more funds for service dogs. We have donated money to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (for childhood cancer) and the AHEPA Fifth District Cancer Fund.”
