PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh-area veterans enjoyed breakfast at an annual event at Duquesne University that raises money for organizations supporting former service members.
The 28th Annual Pittsburgh Veterans Day Breakfast was held in the Duquesne University Student Union Ballroom Wednesday morning.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Veterans Breakfast Club and the Veterans Leadership Program, two Pittsburgh organizations dedicated to serving veterans and building stronger communities around them.
Organizers say the gathering has grown into the largest Veterans Day event in Pennsylvania, bringing thousands together over the years for camaraderie, recognition and community support.
U.S. Army Col. Krista L. Bartolomucci served as the keynote speaker.
The Greensburg native and Duquesne University graduate is a career Army officer and Judge Advocate with more than 20 years of service. She currently commands the U.S. Army Claims Service at Fort Meade, Md., having previously held leadership assignments across the United States and overseas, including in Afghanistan and Poland.
“This is such an amazing event. It’s such a large event,” Bartolomucci said. “There’s so much support in Pittsburgh and the whole state of Pennsylvania for veterans. It’s so meaningful and it’s a state I can’t wait to return to after active duty.”
The annual tradition began on Veterans Day in 1998 when Vietnam veterans Tony Accamando, T.J. McGarvey, Dan Pulz, George D’Angelo and others with the newly formed Friends of Danang gathered supporters at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center.
Their immediate charitable goal was raising money for humanitarian projects in Vietnam, including efforts benefiting children, schools and communities in and around Danang.
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