PA Hero Walk in 13th year helping veterans holds event in Mt. Pleasant

Bad legs kept 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran Martin Majercak Jr. from taking part in the PA Hero Walk on Saturday through downtown Mt. Pleasant to Veterans Memorial Park, but he “made darn sure” he came out to VFW Post 3368 to support the organization.

While most benefactors of the 13-year-old organization’s efforts choose to remain anonymous, the Marine Corps veteran from Mt. Pleasant wanted his story to be known to help out the group.

“They really helped me out, so I wanted to come out here this morning to support them,” Majercak said, clutching a pair of T-shirts and eating a hamburger sold at a vendors fair inside the VFW community room to support the group.

Majercak, who served in Vietnam in 1970-71, said he was exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the war.

“One of my symptoms was I got bad teeth, and I had to have them all pulled about seven years ago,” Majercak said.

“They pulled them, but I couldn’t get anyone to pay for dentures to replace my teeth. I applied for help, and they came through for me,” Majercak said.

Last year, Majercak said the PA Hero Walk organization paid the entire bill.

“I’m really grateful to them,” he said. “They do great work as far as I’m concerned.”

About 20 supporters took part in Saturday’s walk that included a brief ceremony on the memorial plaza.

VFW Post 3368 Commander Joe Zelenak said the local post has supported the organization for several years and Saturday was the second fundraising walk. He expected the walk and vendor sale to raise “a couple thousand dollars.”

“The money raised all goes to help veterans who need help right here in Pennsylvania,” Zelenak said.

PA Hero Walk president Dave Rapacchietta of Allegheny Township said since it was founded 2009 in Armstrong County, the organization has raised $3 million to benefit state veterans from any era of service.

“Money raised from the walks helps veterans with needs such as housing, food, transportation, home repairs, utility payment and many other issues. Veterans from any of the state’s 67 counties are eligible,” Rapacchietta said.

To qualify, Rapacchietta said veterans must be a Pennsylvania resident, must have been honorably discharged and register with the Veterans Administration.

Rapacchietta noted the organization often gets referrals from county Veterans Administration directors and VA hospitals.

Rapacchietta, who was named president in 2019, said recipients also are vetted by the organization and must have exhausted other potential avenues of funding.

He said the need remains great.

The organization’s website, paherowalk.com, said in 2019, the organization provided assistance to 44 veterans statewide after receiving $90,000 in donations. In 2020, it assisted 40 veterans and received $92,000 in donations.

In 2021, the organization reported assisting five veterans and received donations of about $10,000.

Rapacchietta noted veterans are helped in “all kinds of situations.”

“In 2019, I remember we had a 70-year-old veteran from Tarentum who wanted money to help going to and from sewing machine repair school. … We approved that,” Rapacchietta said.

Rapacchietta said 2020 fundraising efforts were impacted with many cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Greensburg held their hero walk, Mt. Pleasant did one and there was one in Wrightsville, York County, too,” he said.

On Saturday, Rapacchietta said PA Hero Walk officials will depart from the Lower Burrell VFW and drive to Philadelphia, where the statewide, 320-mile walk back west along Route 30 will begin 7 a.m. Sunday, June 13 outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. About six to eight officials will take part in the walk, “walking an average of 18 to 20 miles a day.”

It will conclude June 26 in Lower Burrell, he said.

“We missed seeing all of our friends last year,” Rappacchietta said.