Yorktown Middle-Schooler Raises $1,600 for The Justin Veatch Fund

Jake Cariello, a 13-year-old student at Mildred E. Strang Middle School in Yorktown, has raised $1,600 for The Justin Veatch Fund, a non-profit organization which helps young musicians find their voice.

Cariello appeared with his band, The Monarch, at the monthly First Fridays Open Mic last February. He decided he wanted to organize a fundraising performance for The Justin Veatch Fund as his Bar Mitz Vah community project. 

“I told Jake that I would be glad to mentor him and keep him directed,” said Thom Ianniccari, The Fund’s vice president. “He was expected to follow through on what we agreed he needed to do and he did it.”

Last Saturday night after three hours of performances by local young talent at Temple Beth Am in Yorktown, the young guitarist presented a giant-sized check for $1,600.50 to Ianniccari and Fund president Jeffrey Veatch. Most of the money was cash collected that night from admissions, refreshment sales, donations and raffles of items donated by local businesses and individuals.  

There were also contributions made on-line directly to The Justin Veatch Fund from viewers who watched the performances from The Justin Veatch Fund open mic stream accessed through its website.  

“I was amazed,” Veatch said. “I was expecting perhaps $300 or $400 from Jake’s efforts but was totally surprised when the big check was presented.” 

Cariello will be among those attending The Justin Veatch Fund two-day summer music workshop in Pleasantville on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. In addition to the annual workshop and monthly open mic nights it co-sponsors with the Yorktown Teen Center, The Fund also puts on an annual concert in which local young talent opens for a headline act. 

The Justin Veatch Fund has been formed by the Veatch Family in honor of their son Justin, who tragically died in his sleep as a result of an accidental drug overdose at age 17, in September 2008. He was a talented singer, songwriter and musician.

The Justin Veatch Fund also presents annual scholarships to talented high school seniors planning further study of music. Another service of The Justin Veatch Fund is “A Message from Justin," a 40 minute multi-media presentation by Jeffrey Veatch, Justin’s father.  The talk celebrates Justin’s musical talents, tells Justin’s story and inspires teens to take better care of themselves and their friends.