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Why the DAV 5K Means So Much to Veterans · The Financial Exchange Show

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining us now is Dan Stack from the Disabled American
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Veterans Department of mass Chusetts talk to us about the
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: upcoming race and other events. Dan, thanks for coming on,
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  Speaker 1: appreciate it.
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  Speaker 2: Mike as always really appreciate your having me. Thank you
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  Speaker 2: very much.
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  Speaker 1: So first things first, Dan, I have to check my calendar.
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  Speaker 1: It's mid August, and yet you managed to sell out
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  Speaker 1: the race for the DAV five k in November. We
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  Speaker 1: are months away here and it is filled. What makes
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  Speaker 1: this race so special to people because clearly you know
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  Speaker 1: it's gathering us enough attention to sell out months ahead
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  Speaker 1: of time.
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  Speaker 2: I think if you have attended any of the past events,
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  Speaker 2: and this is our sixth consecutive sello, you feel that
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  Speaker 2: euphoria that the public gives in regards to their appreciation
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  Speaker 2: for what veterans have done, and especially this year the
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  Speaker 2: two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. I think that helped sell
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  Speaker 2: this out more than anything else. It really. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: fifty four percent of everyone who has basically coming to
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  Speaker 2: this race is someone who has been there before. We
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  Speaker 2: have three hundred and seventy five veterans that are coming.
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  Speaker 2: It's just an amazing event where I know myself, my
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  Speaker 2: entire family, and you know, it's very proudful that they
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  Speaker 2: have pride in what their father has done in his
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  Speaker 2: service to the country, and they're kind of like fulfilling
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  Speaker 2: the fact that, hey, we want to show appreciation not
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  Speaker 2: only to our fathers, but to all veterans that have
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  Speaker 2: served this country over these two hundred and fifty years
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  Speaker 2: that we have been in existence. So it's an amazing,
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  Speaker 2: amazing event and we were really proud to say that,
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  Speaker 2: you know, it sold out eighty two days in advance,
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  Speaker 2: and that eighty two days is because everyone clicked that
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  Speaker 2: button when they got the invitation and said, yes, I
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  Speaker 2: want to participate in the DAB five Day on November
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  Speaker 2: seventh at Castle Island.
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  Speaker 1: So Dan, I know it sold out. I know people
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  Speaker 1: cannot still register to race on November seventh, but I
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  Speaker 1: do still want to talk about the event because you're
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  Speaker 1: going to continue to do it for years to come,
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  Speaker 1: and it is just an awesome event to even come
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  Speaker 1: spectate down in Boston at Castle Island. For those who
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  Speaker 1: have not been to this specific space, you know, Ford
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  Speaker 1: Independence at Castle Island a pretty special spot right in
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  Speaker 1: the Boston Harbor. But talk to me about the event itself.
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  Speaker 1: What goes on there, I could, I could do it,
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  Speaker 1: but I'd rather you tell me about the you know,
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  Speaker 1: the howitzer cannons and the fireboats that are out there.
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  Speaker 1: Pretty special stuff that happens.
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  Speaker 2: Well, you know, last year, unfortunately the howitzers weren't able
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  Speaker 2: to be there because of the quote budget deficiencies that
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  Speaker 2: were going on. You know, actually they happened to be
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  Speaker 2: There was no money in the government at that time.
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  Speaker 2: There was a shutdown, so we were very thankful that
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  Speaker 2: the conquer mind came down, you know, and they actually
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  Speaker 2: started us off and shot and they're going to be
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  Speaker 2: back this year. Along with the howartzers. We out in
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  Speaker 2: the bay. We have the Boston fireboat that comes out
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  Speaker 2: the Boston Fire Department hangs the huge flag at the
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  Speaker 2: end of the causeway that everybody runs under, you know.
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  Speaker 2: Not only that, one of the nicest part about our
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  Speaker 2: five day is all of the food vendors that come out.
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  Speaker 2: We have, you know, Wahlbergers, the sausage guy. I can't
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  Speaker 2: even name everybody that's there by me. We have all
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  Speaker 2: of these individuals that come out and participate and provide
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  Speaker 2: free food to all of the participates and their guests
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  Speaker 2: that are there. It really is a family event. We
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  Speaker 2: see more and more families coming to it. I'd love
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  Speaker 2: to see how they all take their pictures after they
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  Speaker 2: run with their families by, you know, with the Dad
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  Speaker 2: sign behind it. You know. I love the solemn part
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  Speaker 2: of everyone. You can see the veterans as they are passing,
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  Speaker 2: the heroes on the hill, the Liu Pasqually heroes on
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  Speaker 2: the hill, how they stop and salute all of the
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  Speaker 2: flags representing all of the past veterans that have passed
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  Speaker 2: over the last years. So, I mean, yeah, it's an
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  Speaker 2: amazing event. There's something to do the whole time you
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  Speaker 2: were there, plenty of food to provide it. So we're
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  Speaker 2: really excited about what's going to be happening this year.
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  Speaker 1: On November seventh, it is DRE a run to honor veterans.
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  Speaker 1: Obviously a lot of non veterans, non military, are running
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  Speaker 1: in the event every year, but I saw that you
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  Speaker 1: had some four hundred veterans that are actually registered to
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  Speaker 1: race that this year. It does really speak to something.
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  Speaker 1: I know you've seen growth from run clubs and universities
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  Speaker 1: who have their cross country teams going, But yeah, four
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  Speaker 1: hundred veterans actually registered and really seems to show the
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  Speaker 1: commitment that your team has to supporting this specific group
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  Speaker 1: here in Massachusetts. It's quite a thing.
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  Speaker 2: One of the things about veterans period is when they
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  Speaker 2: believe in the cause, they will support it. And to
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  Speaker 2: have that have almost one third of everybody that is
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  Speaker 2: going to be running to be veterans with their families,
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  Speaker 2: that says an awful lot. And the DAV is a
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  Speaker 2: very proud organization. We've been in existence over one hundred years.
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  Speaker 2: We work very hard to make sure that the veterans
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  Speaker 2: that we service are well taken care of, whether it
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: be their complaints that have to go before the Veterans
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  Speaker 2: Administration to make sure that they are properly adjudicated and
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  Speaker 2: they receive the exact compensation they're entitled to, or to
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  Speaker 2: the twenty three and a half trips around the Earth
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  Speaker 2: we have done with our transportation program to make sure
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  Speaker 2: veterans get to and from their VA medical appointment, or
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  Speaker 2: or the mere fact that we have over in massitude
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  Speaker 2: two hundred ballun two hundred and fifty BALLUIN piers at
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  Speaker 2: all of our VA medical centers that have given over
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  Speaker 2: twenty five thousand powers of volunteerism. This really has saved
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  Speaker 2: the Veterans Administration over a million dollars by us helping
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  Speaker 2: them make sure that the veterans in our healthcare system
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  Speaker 2: are well taken care of. So I am very proud
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  Speaker 2: to be the chief executive Officer of the DAD Department
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  Speaker 2: of Massachusetts. I know all that we do. Our volunteers
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  Speaker 2: and our staff are out there every single day trying
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  Speaker 2: to help a veteran and make sure that their life
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  Speaker 2: and their family's life are a little easier in the future.
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  Speaker 1: Dan, I know our focus is and should and should
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  Speaker 1: be on the DAV five K. You also have another
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  Speaker 1: event going on pretty soon. The golf tournament is coming
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  Speaker 1: up here. What can you tell me about that upcoming event.
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  Speaker 2: We are very fortunate to have the Applied Underwriters basically Invitational,
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  Speaker 2: which benefits the disabled American Veterans as are corporate golf tournament.
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  Speaker 2: It's held at Granted Links Golf Club. It's going to
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  Speaker 2: be this year. It's going to be August the thirty first.
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  Speaker 2: It's up. It's a couple of weeks away, but I
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  Speaker 2: do have them still. I still have about five or
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  Speaker 2: six openings for teams if they want to join us
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  Speaker 2: and they can basically go on to DAVMA dot org
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  Speaker 2: and click on the link and that'll bring them up
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  Speaker 2: to what they need in order to register sign up.
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  Speaker 2: We are very grateful to all of those that are
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  Speaker 2: are silver sponsors for the dav Golf Tournament. Our silver sponsors,
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  Speaker 2: it's a five thousand dollars contribution. But not only do
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  Speaker 2: they get a team in the corporate event, their name
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  Speaker 2: and logo was also placed on the DAB five K
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  Speaker 2: roads here, so you know it's a lasting memory and
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  Speaker 2: they help benefit both the dav Golf Tournament the five K.
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  Speaker 2: So if you got if anybody is out there that
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  Speaker 2: loves golf and loves supporting veterans and you know you
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  Speaker 2: can get your corporation to put a team in, we
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  Speaker 2: would love to have you again that EAVMA dot org
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  Speaker 2: click on a link Corporate Golf Tournament for the Applied
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  Speaker 2: Underwriters Invitational.
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  Speaker 1: Dan Stack from the Disabled American Veterans Department Masters. Dan,
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  Speaker 1: thanks so much for being here, everybody here at the
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  Speaker 1: Financial Exchange. Just so proud of the work that you
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  Speaker 1: get guys do and just so happy to partner with
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  Speaker 1: you year after year. So thank you for being here.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for filling us in and we will talk again soon.
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  Speaker 2: It Mike, just my last little thank you to you personally,
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  Speaker 2: but more than anything, the money matters to the Armstrong
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  Speaker 2: Group and the Financial Exchange. We wouldn't have sold out
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: if you hadn't been able to constantly put our PSA
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  Speaker 2: up on your radio stations letting everybody know what we do.
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  Speaker 2: So again, thank you so much for everything that you
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  Speaker 2: have done in helping us make sure that we can
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  Speaker 2: assure that the ournal lives are going to be a
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  Speaker 2: little leasing in the state of Massachusetts because of what
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  Speaker 2: we do. Thanks again, Mike, Thanks Dan,