On Wednesday, May 14, Elmo Kearsing, vice commander of the Albany County American Legion and Commander of the Joseph E. Zaloga Post, and Bob Morisseau, commander of Fort Orange Post, presented a check for $1,000 to college President Drew Matonak to support the SSG Derek J. Farley Memorial Veterans Support Fund.
This fund provides our veteran students with money to purchase the tools and equipment necessary to be successful in their classes and for the future. We know that the Albany County American Legion’s generosity will have a lasting impact on the students we serve who have done so much to serve our country.
About the SSG Derek J. Farley Fund
Initially established through contributions from the New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc., the Altamont Program, Inc., and the Rensselaer County Veterans Support Fund, the SSG Derek J. Farley Memorial Veterans Support Fund was created to enhance the experience of student veterans at Hudson Valley Community College. Ongoing donations to the SSG Derek J. Farley Memorial Veterans Support Fund will help the college continue to educate the many veterans returning from service to the Capital Region. All gifts help, regardless of size, so please make a gift online at www.hvcc.edu/giving and remember to put the fund name in the memo section.
Because of generous gifts to the fund, the college has been able to provide our vets with:
- Scholarships
- Armed Forces Study Room
- Armed Forces Club
- Educational benefits liaisons
About Derek J. Farley
Staff Sergeant Derek J. Farley of Nassau, New York, enlisted in the Army upon graduating from Columbia High School in 2004. He became an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007. While serving in Iraq, SSG Farley received a Purple Heart after losing his hearing in one ear, following an explosion of an improvised explosive device. He deployed to Afghanistan as a Team Leader for the 702nd EOD Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. He bravely lost his life at the age of 24 in Bala Boluk, Farah, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when an IED detonated as he was attempting to disarm it. Derek’s mother, Carrie Farley, is an employee at the college and continues his legacy as a strong advocate for veterans here on campus and in our community.
- Left to Right: President Drew Matonak, Bob Morisseau, Elmo Kearsing, Brian Drost ’15, Zach De Joseph ’15, and Carrie Farley outside the Armed Forces Study Room in the Dwight Marvin Library Photo by Anthony Salamone
Published: Fri, 16 May 2014 10:43:14 +0000 by g.miller