The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Still serving
Ride with Valor volunteer delivers pizza to veterans
Every Wednesday, Kirk Kokal and his wife deliver fresh pizzas to the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center for veterans to enjoy.
Kokal, who served in the U.S. Marines, works with Alesci’s of Shoregate in Willowick and Ride with Valor, a program dedicated to providing veterans with a safe home of their own and other good living conditions.
“We love to help veterans in the hospitals, and we sponsor a floor of the VA every Wednesday night,” said Jeff Faubert, a fellow Ride with Valor volunteer. “We support them and try our best to facilitate as much as we can. Kirk Kokal is a great man and I’m thrilled to have him help us do what we do.”
Kokal has been helping out for more than five years but only joined Ride with Valor about three years ago.
“It’s self-fulfilling really, it was something that I enjoyed doing because I got to help other people and I just never stopped because it’s fun and it’s something that they look forward to,” Kokal said. “When we first started we just called it our own little veterans support group, and then we got together with Ride with Valor and these guys sponsor these pizzas. It costs them a couple hundred dollars a month to do this for these guys to enjoy.”
Kokal said that he and Ride with Valor used to be able to do a lot more for the veterans such as bringing a karaoke machine up to the hospital for them to enjoy. However, because of pandemic restrictions they were no longer allowed entry into the building.
Kokal’s service to the community extends beyond Ride with Valor. He also volunteers through Willow Praise Church in Willowick.
“If we don’t do it who will? It’s a pleasure to help out, these folks deserve it.” Kokal said.