Thursday, October 1, 2026
“This is the simplest thing we can do — put a smile on a soldier’s face,” said James Lynch, an event coordinator for the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors, during the organization’s fundraiser at Lola’s Café on Monday. “People still find a way to give. It’s nice to know they respect our soldiers.”
This year, Lola’s Café and the Waterfront Warriors teamed up to hold a fundraiser to bring a group of wounded, ill and injured soldiers and their families to Long Beach this summer from July 23-29. More than 50 attended the fundraiser, which maintained an upbeat and festive atmosphere throughout the night, where, for $50 at the door, guests were provided with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres and laughed the night away, all for a good cause.
Lynch explained that the proceeds from the event support the costs for transportation, entertainment and accommodations for the third annual family-visit. What’s more, Lynch noted, part of the proceeds will go toward shipping packages to soldiers overseas during the holidays, to transport parents of wounded soldiers recuperating at Walter Reed Medical Center and for funding emergency medical help and other services to support the soldiers’ needs.
Mark McCarthy, co-owner of Lola’s, said that he was honored to help the cause of the Waterfront Warriors, and to be able to support the country’s soldiers in any way possible.
“Anyone that goes out and lays their life out on the line—that lets me have this restaurant—you have to provide them with support,” he said.
The Long Beach Waterfront Warriors is a group of local volunteers who formed in 2009 with the purpose of giving soldiers and their families a vacation on the barrier island. Since then, Lynch said, over 65 families have come to Long Beach. Lynch said he expects a total of 35 soldiers this summer.
While many came out to support the cause, many were also celebrating over President Obama’s announcement late Sunday that Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, was killed in Pakistan.
“If you looked on the TV [Sunday] night, flags were flying again,” McCarthy said. “We’re always proud to be Americans. But when developments like this happen, it takes it to the next level.”
