Page 19 - Work Force May 2019

Serving those who served us: Nassau County member gives back to veterans
CONCORD, MASS. — Our nation’s military veterans have long been close to the hearts of our union’s members, many of whom are veterans themselves.
In addition to working on behalf of our veterans through CSEA veterans’ committees, our members also spend personal time fighting for those who fought for us.
One of those members is Sean O’Brien, a residential supervisor at the Nassau County Assessment Review Commission, who walked more than 26 miles in the Tough Ruck marathon.
Tough Ruck is a group of both military members and civilians who ruck (hiking over rugged terrain in
full military gear or hiking with gear in a backpack) in honor of our fallen service members, police, firefighters and other emergency first reponders, raising money for families in need, while carrying the names of the fallen.
Tough Ruck has an official partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, the same group that organizes the Boston Marathon.
This is O’Brien’s first year participating in Tough Ruck, and he’s off to an excellent start.
“I was able to more than quadruple my initial goal of $450 by raising about $1,875,” O’Brien said. “As a whole, the event brought in over $800,000.”
O’Brien was able to raise donations by sending emails, posting on social media, starting a crowdrise (a for-profit crowdfunding platform used to raise charitable donations) and word of mouth.
Tough Ruck participants used to walk in the Boston Marathon, but the location was changed due to new safety precautions regarding backpacks and large bags that were put in place after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
A U.S. Marine Corps. veteran, O’Brien belongs to several veterans’ organizations, one of which is Team RWB (Red White and Blue), that he marched with in Tough Ruck.
RWB’s mission is to connect veterans with their community through physical and social activities.
O’Brien also works with Mission 22, which raises money to support the mental health of veterans.
To round out his healthy list of contributions, O’Brien teaches yoga to veterans through the Veterans Yoga Project, an organization that teaches yoga to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or in other psychological
Sean O’Brien begins the 26.2 mile Tough Ruck walk. Photos provided by Sean O’Brien.
distress.
It’s the values he learned in the
Marine Corps. that keeps O’Brien dedicated to veterans’ organizations.
“The Marine Corps’ motto is ‘Semper Fidelis,’ which means ‘always faithful’ and I don’t think that stops once active duty ends,” said O’Brien. “I want to do everything that I can to help veterans in need.”
— Wendi Bowie
Sean O’Brien and his wife, Laurie O’Brien, on check-in day.
Region gives back to honor Scarsciotti
EAST SYRACUSE — Former CSEA activist Eugene “Gino” Scarsciotti may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
Scarsciotti, 56, died Jan. 26,
2019, after battling cancer. He had recently retired from the New York State Department of Transportation in Camillus, as well as president of our union’s Syracuse Department of Transportation Local.
In memory of Scarsciotti, CSEA Central Region President Kenny Greenleaf held a moment of silence at the start of the Central Region’s recent Spring Executive Board Meeting.
The region also sponsored a 50/50 raffle, with the proceeds going to his family’s charity of choice, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Our union leaders and activists raised $508 from the raffle. The raffle’s winner, Oneida-Herkimer- Tri-County Retirees Local President Cathy Barretta, generously donated back her winnings so that the entire
total will be donated to St. Jude’s in Scarsciotti’s memory.
“Gino was dedicated to our union family, and he is greatly missed,” Greenleaf said. “This was a nice tribute to our union brother on behalf of the caring activists in our region.”
— Mark M. Kotzin
In this 2009 file photo, Eugene “Gino” Scarsciotti stands up for the rights of working people.
May 2019
The Work Force 19