Disabled veterans to visit Malverne

The American Legion Malverne Post 44 and Ladies Axiliary Unit 44 have collaborated in order to put on a program for disabled veterans.

“We just think it’s going to be fun,” said Carol Hassett, president of the Ladies Auxiliary Malverne Unit. “We’re just doing it to give them a nice day for all they did for us. It’s kind of to pay back in a small kind of a way.”

Hassett said her first vice president, Susan Sayers, heard about other veterans groups hosting holiday luncheons and afternoons of games for disabled vets and decided the auxiliary should take on a similar project this year.

After arranging the join project with Post Commander John Hassett, Carol’s husband, the two groups reached out to hospital in St. Albans, Queens, where disabled vets live.

“Those guys are pretty much locked in the hospital all year long,” Commander Hassett said. “They run the gamut — World War II, Korea, Afghanistan. The hospital will send those who are able to travel.”

According to the commander, 17 disabled vets will visit the legion hall this weekend for lunch, bingo, card games and various giveaways, including hats, gloves, socks and decks of cards.

“It gets the fellows out, let’s them interact with other people other than just the patients in the hospital and usually lifts their spirits,” John Hassett said. “[It] gives them a little bit better attitude and outlook on life to interact with other people.”

Although this is the first time the Malverne post and auxiliary unit are bringing disabled vets to their headquarters, they’re not new to the process of giving. Every year, usually in December, both groups visit the Northport VA Medical Center in Virginia — and they’re never empty-handed.

“A lot of people do things for the veterans from Northport Hospital, who certainly need a lot of help,” Carol Hassett said, “but a lot of the units and the posts do for them and not as many people do for the St. Albans [center] because it’s a much smaller contingent and sometimes they get forgotten. So we felt that it would be nice to do it for a group that’s closer to home for us.”

The event will run from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the American Legion Hall, located at 240 Franklin Ave. in Malverne.