A battle for dominance raged recently at a Heroes vs. Villains Prom hosted by the Next Generation Veterans of Indian River County at Walking Tree Brewery, but it was all for a good cause.
A group of (mostly) caped crusaders, fondly referred to as the 2021 NextGen Prom Court members, valiantly raised funds to support fellow veterans, many of whom struggle with the villainous PTSD acquired after their years in the military in service to our country.
During an evening parading about dressed as their favorite heroes and villains, the costumed attendees danced to the music of Category 5 & the Storm Horns, captured memories in the photo booth, and nibbled on snacks from the SoFlo food truck.
In addition to funds raised during the event, including a 50/50 drawing offered by Walking Tree, the nine Prom Court members had used a creative method to raise money, with every dollar raised equal to one vote.
Toward the end of the evening, it was announced that Dep. Cliff Labbe and Jennifer Trefelner would reign victorious as this year’s Prom King and Queen.
Leydiana Collins, event coordinator, said that they and their fellow contenders had raised more than $34,000 to support the programs of Next Generation Veterans, specifically PTSD Support and Recovery for local veterans.
The evening also featured a costume contest, during which Unique Edden took home first place as a Wakanda warrior and Det. Labbe took second place as Batman, beating out such contenders as Thor, Popeye and Olive Oyl, the Scooby-Doo crew, Superman and Cruella De Vil.
Members of Next Generation Veterans are local veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, or any other active service, reservist or guardsman who served after 1990.
Their mission is “to create a network of Next Generation of Veterans, provide a venue for social support, combat misconceptions about returning veterans, and represent our generation by positively engaging the community.”
Other NextGen programs include Veterans Helping Veterans, the NextGen Honor Guard, providing emergency supply provisions for veterans in post-weather events, and placing and removing hurricane shutters for veterans needing assistance.
Collins said the nonprofit anticipates that their ‘Words From War’ monument at Riverside Park will soon be completed, and hope for a dedication ceremony this summer.
Members meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the American Legion Felix Poppell Post 39 or via Zoom. For more information, visit ngvirc.org.
Photos by Brenda Ahearn
