A quarter of a million dollars was raised at the ninth annual Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski Memorial Fund gala, “A Toast to Dennis – A Night of Remembrance” held on Sept. 8 at the Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club, Howell.
The event celebrated the life and memory of Zilinski and honored the individuals from Monmouth County who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to a press release.
The memorial fund is named for Dennis Zilinski II, who grew up in Middletown. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 2004.
Zilinski deployed with the 101st Airborne Division on Sept. 17, 2005, and died in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005 as a result of a roadside bombing near Bayji, 155 miles north of Baghdad.
The gala featured dinner, dancing with music by The Infernos and a reverse auction to assist the fund in sponsoring service dogs for warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injuries.
Organizers said 290 guests attended the affair. Tom and Marie Dolan of Avon-by-the-Sea and Ron and Kim Jaeger of Rumson were this year’s distinguished honorees for their belief in and support of the cause, according to the press release.
Wounded warriors from as far away as California and Maine attended with their service dogs and families.
The memorial fund received a check for $45,000 from Senior Vice Commander George Karatzia of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, Chapter 517, Holmdel, for the sponsorship of three service dogs.
Two dogs have already been named – Penelope and George – and the third dog will be named shortly, according to the press release.
Added to their donation were three additional dogs that were sponsored by other supporters prior to the evening’s festivities. A check for $90,000 for the six dogs was presented to K9s for Warriors.
Also during the event, donations were accepted from other supporters for another 10 dogs. These dogs will be named and trained to support wounded warriors, according to the press release.
With the additional donations, the total number of service dogs supported by the fund is up to 64. Each dog is sponsored for $15,000, for a grand total from the Sept. 8 event of $240,000
“We cannot thank everyone who attended and supported this cause enough,” said Marion Zilinski, mother of Dennis and co-founder of the memorial fund. “More and more of our veterans are returning from combat and suffer from mental and physical health (issues). The Zilinski fund wants to provide these men and women in uniform so they can live as close to a normal life as possible.”
