By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
SOMERS POINT — Prevented from holding its annual Veterans Day breakfast at the school, the Mainland Regional High School Support Our Troops Club put its meals on wheels.
Linwood resident Jo Carney, an MRHS English teacher and adviser to the club, said the coronavirus pandemic prevented them from hosting the 11th annual event.
“Instead we took the breakfast on the road,” Carney said.
The club, which started in 2008 to send care packages to troops serving overseas, began its delivery service at Meadowview Nursing Home, where members delivered 23 meals consisting of a bacon, egg and cheese bagel, a fruit cup, danish, coffee and juice.
Carney said everything but the Danish is made at the school by the food service vendor as part of its contract, but this year instead of catering the event they prepared the meals and packaged them individually.
“They were thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” Carney said, noting that the club did not have contact with the veterans but that she was told later how much the veterans enjoyed the breakfast and how they were not forgotten.
After Meadowview, the club stopped at Harvey D. Johnson American Legion Post 295 in Northfield. Carney said only two veterans were present but most of the post’s members planned to eat their meal after the day’s services.
“By the time we got to Somers Point VFW, they had 20 people there already and they were thrilled,” Carney said.
The club wrapped up their effort at Clark-Eliason American Legion Post 352 in Somers Point before attending the Veterans Day ceremony at Patriots Park.
Carney said the club followed all CDC guidelines when delivering the food.
“I was really thrilled how good the kids were with keeping their masks on and staying socially distant,” Carney said. “They were just incredibly good about staying socially distant and being very respectful.”
She said they wore gloves and changed them after every stop “even though all of the food was independently wrapped.”
Calling it her favorite event — Carney is a huge supporter of veterans at many events throughout the year, as is her son, Pat, who is a benefits specialist with the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs — she said the breakfast began the first year that Mainland started having school on Veterans Day.
Junior Calvin Donohue, a candidate for West Point Military Academy from Northfield who is president of the club, said he has been supporting veterans causes for years.
“I have a lot of experience dealing with veterans in Atlantic City — we have a lot of homeless veterans — and to see them struggle it makes me want to help them,” he said.
Donohue also had an opportunity to speak during the ceremony.
Robert Frolow, commander of American Legion Post 352 and Atlantic County Veterans Service officer, introduced Carney during the city’s ceremony.
“I don’t know if you know Jo Carney — every year she has us over for breakfast for the veterans and they do a great job,” Frolow said. “With the virus, they couldn’t do that this year so we got phone calls from Jo that they were going to deliver breakfast to the various veterans posts.”
Donohue talked about the importance of honoring veterans for their service.
“We all know how much COVID-19 has affected us this past year. Everyone has lost, canceled and had to put so much of their lives on hold because of the virus. However, we could not let something as important as Veterans Day go without commemorating the brave men and women who bravely served our county,” he said.
“We are happy to end our morning with all of you at Patriots Park. Coming from a family of Army officers, I can somewhat understand how underappreciated veterans are, even though they risked everything for us. Hopefully this breakfast is a small token of our appreciation.”