By Gary Haber

The Sipp Avenue park that includes the Patchogue-Medford youth soccer complex is looking a lot cleaner, thanks to the efforts of members of Staff Sgt. Keith Bishop Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2937 in Medford.

Armed with rakes and large garbage bags, on Saturday morning about 10 members of the post, along with another 10 family, friends and supporters, turned out to spruce up the park, collecting more than 20 bags of leaves, trash and other debris.

The cleanup was part of the VFW’s Day of Service, in which posts across the country take part in service projects during May to improve their communities.

“The community comes together for us, so we’ve got to come together for the community,” said Kevin Sutton, 49, a senior vice commander from Holtsville.

Post 2937 has about 103 members. It was founded 91 years ago and renamed in 2022 in memory of Army Staff Sgt. Keith Bishop, a Green Beret and Special Forces officer from Medford, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

The post is one of 28 VFW chapters in Suffolk County. The county is home to the most veterans of any county in New York State, according to the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency.

“Veterans call Suffolk County home,” said County Legis. Nick Caracappa, who attended Saturday’s event.

So how did Saturday’s park cleanup come about?

The idea came from John Reuter, Post 2937’s quartermaster, who walks his dog in the park.

Reuter, 63, noticed the park needed some sprucing up. He pitched the idea of a cleanup to Post Commander Arthur Kruse, who was all in on the project.

Kruse, who served in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne division, said the outpouring of support Post 2937 receives is far different from the response Kruse and other veterans received when they returned from Vietnam.

“When I came back, they used to spit on me,” Kruse said. “Now, we get donations, which is so great.”

May is a busy month for Post 2937. In addition to Saturday’s cleanup, members will also march in Medford’s Memorial Day parade. They will also be distributing poppies this weekend at Stop & Shop and Lowe’s in Medford.

Saturday’s park cleanup included not only veterans, but supporters like Jodi Moran of Medford and her twin sons, Aidan and Logan, 15, who attend Patchogue-Medford High School.

The family has been volunteering at Post 2937 events since 2021.

“We support the VFW whenever we can,” Jodi Moran said. “Whenever John [Quartermaster John Reuter] calls, we’re there.”

The park cleanup also brought out Jennifer Bruno, a student at Patchogue-Medford High School, and a deputy commander of Pat-Med’s Junior Air Force ROTC program.

Bruno, who recently received two awards for her Junior ROTC leadership, including the Outstanding 2nd Year Cadet Award, sees a growing interest in the Junior ROTC program among her fellow Pat-Med students. She herself plans to join the Army to “serve my country,” she said.