Three-minute read
Jerry CarinoAsbury Park Press
At age 16, Howell resident Veer Yadav started volunteering at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township. One aspect of the experience troubled him.
“It was depressing and sad to see little kids in the hospital,” he said. “I decided to do something about it."
That something is called “Fun for Fighters,” a toy-drive charity. Yadav launched it as a 17-year-old Freehold Township High School student, and four years later, as he nears a biology degree at Rutgers University, it’s still going.
Unlike many toy drives, Fun for Fighters is not limited to the holiday season. It’s a year-round endeavor, with monthly deliveries to various hospitals throughout New Jersey.
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“When I first started people were like, ‘You’re only 17, there are so many toy drives already, wait until you’re older,’” he said.
His response: “There is no more perfect time to do this. I’m young, I have all this energy, and the world needs it.”
Though he’s lost track of the grand total, it’s fair to estimate Yadav has collected and distributed somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 toys and counting. He’s received letters of commendation from the hospitals he’s delivered to — among them Children’s Specialized Hospital in Toms River, Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick and Cooper Children’s Regional Hospital in Camden.
“So many people want to give, but hospitals don’t allow everything everyone sends, so we’ve created a wish list,” said Sarah Shanahan, senior child life specialist at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital. “Veer was so good in making sure that whatever he was collecting was something we could give out. He took that extra step for us and for the kids. The added tie that he’s coming from Rutgers, in our local community, that’s extra special.”
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Yadav even was asked to speak at a CentraState event about the importance of volunteering.
“He’s a great human being,” said AnneMarie DeDomenico, a registered nurse from Howell. “What he has, that’s something you can’t teach.”
That something is empathy. DeDomenico runs “Always There to Care,” a home-health services company, and she’s donated toys to Fun for Fighters.
“Sometimes you’ll see parents who lose children doing something like this, but not someone his age who has this much drive,” she said.
Most of what Yadav collects is through word of mouth. He uses some social media but mostly he’s done this old-school, through person-to-person networking. He’s got his local gym involved, tapped his friends and his parents’ contacts — anyone and everyone in his orbit knows the deal.
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“That kid has always gone the extra mile to help someone else out,” said Ashley McClung, a friend from Freehold Township High School who pitches in. “When he came to my house to pick up the toys I had available for him, he had a car packed to the ceiling with gifts from people all over Monmouth County.”
The next toy drop-off will take place in mid-December, probably Dec. 16 or 17. Yadav's gym, SETS Hybrid Training of Freehold, is collecting toys for that one from Dec. 9-15. Anyone interested in donating toys — he’ll come pick them up wherever — can email him at funforfighters@gmail.com.
“This whole experience has taught me a lot about gratitude and appreciating what you have, and how it’s so important to give back,” Yadav said. “Volunteering is not just about getting your hours in. It’s much bigger than that. You really can make a difference.”
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After he graduates from Rutgers, Yadav plans to attend medical school. His toy drives are preparing him for his chosen career in ways that no textbook or lecture hall can.
“I think he’ll make an amazing doctor, especially in pediatrics,” McClung said. “He’s great with kids and he knows how to bring a smile to peoples’ faces.”
Anyone interested in donating to Fun for Fighters – toys, money or gift cards for toy purchases – should reach out to funforfighters@gmail.com.
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him atjcarino@gannettnj.com.
