Charity Concert Benefits Local Veterans

by, Andrew Blanton

The concert, Saturday, April 23 at 7pm, is being held at the local VFW at 1701 Hunter Rd. Tickets are given in exchange for a $10 donation.

“All of the proceeds from the Quad and all of the proceeds from the benefit concert go to local veterans,” Theta Chi philanthropy chair Jesse Denier said.

Mark “Turbo” Reinhardt, a Navy veteran and Theta Chi member, said that many veterans struggle to adjust to society following their military service.

Reinhardt also works for the Hays County Veterans Assistance office.

“I get a lot of veterans coming in that need assistance,” Reinhardt said. “I understand them, and I know more of what the veterans need. We get a lot of veterans that are getting kicked out, or they’re having financial troubles, or psychological troubles.”

The local VFW helps people facing eviction, struggling to pay their bills, and with finding employment, Reinhardt said.

“When I got out of the Navy, I needed to make connections,” Reinhardt said. “I needed a social life. I needed to make connections. I needed to be around people. I got involved with this fraternity because of their involvement with veterans.”

Reinhardt said that military service is very demanding psychologically and physically. “It was a very hard transition,” Reinhardt said. “It was a totally different life, going back into the college life. I was just used to a very fast and hard paced, dangerous job.”

Leading up to the concert Saturday, Theta Chi is hosting several events on campus. These include ‘pie a Chi,’ where students throw pies at chapter members in exchange for donations, and ‘paint a Theta,’ where students can paint chapter members nails.

Denier said that Theta Chi has worked with the USO and the Wounded Warrior Project in the past, but is working with the local VFW this year to see a greater percentage of the donations going directly to local veterans.

“With the VFW, it’s literally all volunteer work,” Denier said. “$0.99 for every dollar is going to helping a veteran in Hays County.”

Last year Theta Chi raised $400 for veteran groups, and they expect to triple the amount of donations this year, Denier said.

Local country group Two Hoots and a Holler will headline the event, following alternative group La Vie and hip hop artist Jay Neezy.

“Last year we had a lot of alternative-indie bands from the Austin/San Marcos area,” Nicholas Raul Garcia, Theta Chi Chaplin said. “This year we’re trying a little bit more variety.”

Garcia said that last years’ experience has helped them find a better plan to raise money for veterans. Theta Chi hopes that the event will grow more community awareness for the troubles veterans face.

“There are veterans that have served in Vietnam, in Afghanistan, the Gulf Wars,” Garcia said, “and are just getting home from Iraq, you know, and they need our help.”