Mayor's Ball Beneficiaries Awarded $20K in Conversation Highlighting PTSD

The philanthropic vision of Middletown's community was spotlighted Thursday as Mayor Dan Drew presented a combined $20,000, the proceeds from his June 1 fundraising ball, to the Greater Middletown Chorale and the Amazing Grace food pantry.

The chorale presented Drew and Mayor's Ball Chair and retiring longtime town clerk Sandra Russo-Driska with a book of poetry from Letter From Italy, 1944, including a compact disc sampler of songs from the musical drama as a thanks for the donation.

A record number of people (298 — 60 more than last year) attended the gala affair and five-course dinner on June 1, at which 75 percent of the proceeds benefits a primary group — this year, the Chorale — and 25 percent going annually to St. Vincent De Paul.

Poet Nancy Meneely, Letter from Italy, 1944, artistic director Joseph D'Eugenio; Chorale board member Joyce Kirkpatrick and President Lorie Martin accepted a $15,000 check from Drew to benefit the world-premiere of the dramatic oratorio performed April 28.

Drew awarded Executive Director of the St. Vincent dePaul soup kitchen and Amazing Grace food pantry Ron Krom with a $5,000 check as the mayor's ball beneficiary for the second year — a tradition he said would continue annually.

During the summer, Drew told those gathered, food pantry donations often dry up, leaving the city's and Middlesex County's hungry with few resources for food.

So the news that the funds would allow SVD to purchase a massive 10,000 meals at 50 cents each because of bulk buying power, Krom told those gathered, was remarkable.

Letter From Italy, 1944, a "soldier's story told through music" is an original work commissioned by the Greater Middletown Chorale written by Connecticut composer Sarah Meneely-Kyder and Nancy Meneely, who collaborated on the true story of their father, young medical student Dr. John Meneely, who served in the 10th Mountain Division in WWII and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, eventually taking his own life.

Drew spoke of his maternal grandfather, Bill Sanders, who served in the 105th engineers combat battalion during WWII, fighting in the European campaign in Belgium and France.

"I never understood until I got older and local veterans explained to me that a lot of men who came home didn't want to talk about the war, not only because of the horrors of war, but even more so, some of those that haven't been there will never understand," Drew said.

American Legion Post 75 Commander Phil Cacciola, Deputy Mayor Bob Santangelo and others, Drew said, explained to him how post-traumatic stress disorder, up until recently something war vets suffered with privately, so affects veterans once they are back home.

"Your morality shifts when you're in a war zone," Drew said. "Everything is about survival, so what you consider acceptable and do to survive is radically different than what is considered acceptable in the civilian world."

Kirkpatrick drew a common thread through both the chorale's work and the efforts of the SVD soup kitchen and food pantry.

"Many of your clients are veterans and affected by the challenges of PTSD," she said.

Cacciola said there is a fund in Middletown through the American Legion that can offer funds to veterans who may have trouble paying the rent or light bill one month.

Those interested can stop by the American Legion Post 75 hall on Bernie O'Rourke Drive on Mondays at 9 a.m. "We have given more than $40,000 to veterans already," he said.

"I'm so impressed by the administration of this town who do it from some depth of feeling," said Meneely. "I'm moved every day when I think about the ball."

"We do it because we care," Cacciola said. "We do it from the heart."

D'Eugenio said he was hopeful the Chorale's artistic vision could spread the story of Dr. Meneely and PTSD throughout the state.

"It's the start of something we want to make the whole state aware of," he said, adding the 60-minute documentary film based on the three-year-long process of bringing the oratorio to fruition will be complete in February and expected to air on CPTV. Each viewing, he said, is typically 50,000 people.

"With this comes great responsibility," D'Eugenio said, asking, "how do we bring the entire state to Middletown? It's amazing how the state of Connecticut supports art in this place-making way. It's how art becomes relevant in a community, especially about something that's never been aired or spoken about."

Drew said he'd be happy to host conversations with the Chorale about a large Middletown viewing of the documentary and he'd pass along the idea of even a Kennedy Center performance to Sen. Chris Murphy.

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