Photos by MC Ward Images

This year’s Annual Vets Summer Fest, benefiting homeless veterans and Operation Chillout, was the biggest ever, with its largest crowd and most money raised. Held at Vasa Park in Mount Olive, the family-friendly event included lots of music, kids activities, a motorcycle run, car show, food, wine, and vendors. Among the bands were national recording artist the Dana Fuchs Band, Atlanta Cafe Band (pictured) and the B-Sides. Operation Chillout is an all-volunteer outreach dedicated to ending to the crisis of homelessness for veterans, men and women throughout New Jersey and parts of NE Pennsylvania by promoting awareness of the multi-faceted nature of poverty and homelessness and advocating for sustainable solutions and programs serving the needs of the poor, addicted, abused and homeless to improve the quality of their lives leading to permanent change and independent living. The festival was sponsored by many businesses and organizations; among them Millington Bank, Transwestern, Visions Federal Credit Union, John Johnson Auto Group, Navitend, NeXgen Management, Graphic Image, WRNJ, WXPN, Scottidesign, Schaffer Structural Systems, and Joe Hirsh Productions. Sound for this event was provided by Kennedy Events.