Submitted Photo The Battle Within Foundation has a Bronze bench at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park.

Over the next week, the Forest Masonic Lodge will be hosting several important events that are open to the public. They will be holding their monthly Sunday Family Breakfast on May 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This all-you-can-eat breakfast will consist of eggs made to order, pancakes or French toast, sausages, fruit cocktail, juice, milk, coffee, and tea. Adults and teenagers 13 and up, $10, children, 5-12 $6. Youth under 5 are free.

On Tuesday, May 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., the Chadwick Bay chapter of DeMolay, sponsored by Forest and Dunkirk/Irondequoit Lodges, will be holding a spaghetti dinner to raise money to help fund The Battle Within Foundation, as well as the chapter’s regular and special activities.

The Battle Within Foundation was formed in 2018 by members of Harmonie Lodge 699 in Buffalo, after one of their members, Captain Peter Schank, took his own life at the age of 30, after suffering depression and post traumatic stress after serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan. Sadly this event brought to light the staggering losses of over 20 military men and women a day, that fall to this same battle, many times long after returning home from active duty.

The Battle Within Foundation is a 501c3 organization, run entirely through volunteer efforts, which seeks to raise awareness of this tragedy, and to help to find and fund treatments for PTSD and depression.

A memorial was placed, and was dedicated at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on May 27, 2019. The memorial shows a soldier, carrying the silhouette of another, with the words, “A tribute to those we will always carry, and to those we can no longer hold.”

A Bronze bench sits at the sidewalk in front of the monument, with a plague with the simple words, “Let’s Talk.” It is the goal of the Spaghetti dinner to raise enough to purchase and dedicate a local bench for this cause.

DeMolay is an organization for young men ages 12-21, based on timeless principles, and committed to inspiring leadership, mentorship, team building, and networking, and of course having fun doing it. Young men learn to plan their own activities, as well as community service projects and educational programs, under the guidance of adult mentors. Tickets for the spaghetti dinner will be available at the Forest Lodge breakfast on Sunday, details above. Donations will also be accepted, checks to be made out to Chadwick Bay DeMolay.

Forest Lodge is located at 321 E. Main St., Fredonia. For more information on the Battle Within Foundation, visit thebattlewithinfoundation.com . You may also check out nydemolay.org for more information about DeMolay. For more information on the Masonic Fraternity in New York and your local community, visit Discovermasonry.com, or talk to any of the members at the lodge.