Sunday, August 9, 2009

Chester Resident Works To Help The Families Of Morris County Troops



Full-time veterinarian, owner and director of the American Animal Hospital on Sussex Turnpike in Randolph, and host of the weekly channel 12 News show, “The Pet Stop,” Dr. Brian T. Voynick, is a busy man with a lot on his plate right now. But he still finds time to aid local military and their families through the Morris March for Military families, which is a march hosted by the United Way of Morris County and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Morris Program and takes place on Sunday, September 27th at the County College of Morris from 8AM to 12 PM.

“I’m a graduate of Leadership Morris class of 2008,” Voynick says, “and I got to know about the March for Military from [Leadership Morris Program Leader] Joe Nazzaro.”

Voynick, who has been a veterinarian for 27 years now and has been on News 12 for almost 12 years, didn’t need an incentive like publicity to make him want to do this for the United Way.

“I just wanted to do whatever I could,” Voynick says, who has been working with News 12 on ways to promote the walk on his TV show, “Due to insurance reasons, the County College of Morris was one of the only county colleges in the country where you weren’t allowed to have pets on campus…until two days ago [on August 7th]. I got in contact with [County College of Morris] President, Ed Yaw, and I said, ‘I think it’s really unfortunate that the school doesn’t allow dogs on its campus.’”
That “badgering,” as Voynick calls it, got Dr. Yaw to allow dogs on the campus for that one day on the 27th, as long as the pet owner has their dog on a leash and can bring proof that their dog had a rabies vaccination in the past few years.

“So now, dogs are allowed to participate in the walk,” Voynick says.

The walk is all part of United Way’s, Project Frontline Morris plan, which brings the community together to raise awareness and help for military families.

“Everybody should want to help the troops by any means we can,” Voynick says, “Sometimes, with our busy schedules, we forget that it’s the troops overseas that allow us to live the lives that we have over here.”

Following the Morris March for Families, Voynick will also be doing another walk the following week for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as he works with them as well, being on the board.

“This isn’t much for me to offer,” Voynick says about the work he does for various foundations, “I think it’s our obligation [to help].”

To find out more about the United Way of Morris County, visit their website here: http://www.uwmorris.org/
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