Jeepin’4Vets fundraiser sets course for Lakes Region, with celebration held at Easterseals campus Sept. 19

FRANKLIN — The 9th annual Jeepin’4Vets, a patriotic Jeep caravan and fundraiser, is happening at the Easterseals NH Military and Veterans Campus, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 19. The event is presented by Bonneville and Son, of Manchester, and all proceeds benefit Veterans Count.

The Veterans Count program has chapters in the Lakes Region, Nashua, Manchester, and the Seacoast. The event is hosted by the Seacoast chapter, with the caravan typically driving from Portsmouth, to Ossipee. This year, the event is again organized by the Seacoast chapter, and will center on the Easterseals campus.

The caravan will gather at the Easterseals campus, and drive through downtown Franklin to the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton. Residents will come outside and watch the Jeeps as they take a couple laps around the Veterans Home. Drivers will hand out rubber ducks, an iconic Jeep tradition, as well as fly American and military branch flags.

The caravan will then head back to the Easterseals campus. There will be food trucks including Kreative Cones, with sweet and savory treats for purchase. Live music by Rust & Pine, an acoustic trio from Southern New Hampshire, will also be onsite, as well as family-friendly games such as cornhole, raffle ticket sales, and a "Best Dressed Jeep" contest.

Courtney Riviere, events manager of Easterseals NH and VT, said last year, they had around 100 jeeps participate, and are expecting a similar turnout this weekend.

Registration for a driver and a passenger includes an event T-shirt. VIP registration includes exclusive parking and check-in, placement at the front of the caravan, coffee and pastries, and the opportunity to fly a military flag. Hopeful participants can register online at vetscount.org. Riviere said registration is not required to drive in the caravan and partake in the afternoon festivities at the Easterseals campus.

Proceeds raised through registration and raffles benefit Veterans Count, a confidential program founded in 2007, aiming to provide critical support to service members, veterans, and their families.

“So, really identifying the true needs of the clients that they serve, and then helping them to identify the true cause of their needs, and then assisting them either through direct support, whether that be gas cards or grocery cards, paying a bill, getting them a new roof, getting them a new water heater, paying a car payment. That's the whole purpose,” said Mike Leary, senior vice president of development at Easterseals.

Since its founding, Veterans Count has served over 25,000 people and distributed over $6 million in emergency financial assistance. Leary said the program acts as a “hand-up, not a hand-out” model.

Veterans Count also connects service members, veterans, and families with vital supports they may need, such as Veterans Affairs benefits or assistance navigating community services and systems.

“This is a lot of the impacts of this program, there are huge impacts, and all of the fundraising from events like Jeepin' and the other Veterans Count events, their chapters’ support drives this program and allows them to continue,” Leary said.

Riviere said it looks like the rain will hold off Saturday for a sunny, energetic event, to support veterans and their loved ones.

“It's just going to be a fun day for folks to come out with their families, whether or not you're participating in the drive and own a Jeep, you can still stop by, hang out, and listen to the band,” Riviere said.