Category: Uncategorized

(BOSTON 1/28/2022) Today, Senator John C. Velis and Representative Bruce J. Ayers hosted the first briefing for the National Guard Legislative Caucus after submitting paperwork to the Senate and House Clerks earlier this week to formally establish the caucus.  Representative Ayers and Senator Velis stated that the aim of the caucus is to help advance the Guard’s legislative priorities and support their members.  

“The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a remarkable increase in activations and deployments for the National Guard. As a result, the Guard is the busiest it has been since World War II,” stated Senator Velis, who is also Chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans & Federal Affairs and a Major in the US Army Reserves. “It is absolutely critical that we—as a Legislature—are doing everything we can to support the Guard as they continue to serve and support us.” 

“I’m honored to be co-chairing the National Guard Caucus alongside my friend Senator Velis,” said Representative Ayers. “In times of challenge, Massachusetts has always been able to rely on the National Guard. They are an integral part of the communities that they serve, and have been involved with countless efforts in their hundreds of years of existence to improve the lives of their fellow residents. When they’re called upon, the Massachusetts National Guard has stepped up to help ensure the smooth operation of important initiatives, providing irreplaceable support during natural disasters, pivotal moments, global pandemics, and everything in between. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature on this bipartisan caucus to support the great work of the Massachusetts National Guard.” 

Activations for the National Guard continue to grow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guardsmen have been deployed to assist state and local officials with COVID-19 testing and vaccines, school transportation, and other public safety efforts. Guardsmen were also activated and deployed to the Capitol in Washington D.C. in January of 2021. In total, the National Guard has activated 8,1888 members since the beginning of the pandemic. 

“We truly appreciate the support to the Massachusetts National Guard from the State Legislature while they have performed missions federally and across the Commonwealth. This has been an unprecedented time for us all, this includes the Massachusetts National Guard,” stated Colonel Jason Oberton, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy in the Office of the Adjutant General. “Since we were first called out in March of 2020, the Massachusetts National Guard has activated over 8,188 Service Members supporting many types of missions. Service Members from across all communities in the Commonwealth have stepped up and volunteered to support their neighbors, their communities, and the Commonwealth. It is what they have signed up to do, and your support through your legislative efforts provides them benefits to support their family, their careers, and their retention in the Nation’s First.”  

“As a first time Representative I am honored to be a part of the Massachusetts Legislative National Guard Caucus,” stated Representative Meghan Kilcoyne. “For the last ten years I had the opportunity to work with the National Guard on a number of issues. The pandemic has called on the National Guard to fill in at local hospitals, vaccine clinics, prisons, and many other efforts to protect the people of the Commonwealth, and it is my hope that this caucus can better assist the men and women of the National Guard.” 

The Legislators noted that Guard faces their own distinct challenges and circumstances and stressed that it is important for the Legislature to take that into account.  

“A lot of times, people conflate the National Guard with active-duty military members or Veterans. There is this idea that when we pass legislation for one of these groups, it applies to the Guard as well, but that isn’t always the case,” stated Senator Velis. “It is my hope that this caucus will help the Legislature better understand the Guard’s unique issues so that we can work to support them.” 

The virtual briefing today focused on the current status and initiatives of the Guard, as well as priority legislation. Over 30 legislative offices joined the briefing and participated. Representative Ayers and Senator Velis stated that all legislators are welcome to join the caucus and they hope to hold similar future briefings in-person at National Guard installations across the Commonwealth.  

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I hope you are doing well and staying warm! We are registering some of the lowest temperatures of the winter, so please bundle up and check in on those in need. In addition, reaching out to those who may be isolating due to COVID-19 concerns is especially important this time of year.

I’d like to provide a few updates on both the personal and professional fronts. On Tuesday, my wife Emily and I welcomed our son, Carson James Velis, to the world. We are very grateful to the staff at Baystate Medical Center who helped deliver a happy and healthy baby. The amount of love and support we’ve received from the community is tremendous, and we cannot thank everyone enough. I join many of you in hoping that we will one day see Carson in a Westfield Bombers uniform!

On Monday I chaired the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs hearing. As always, I appreciated everyone’s participation and thoughts on legislation before the committee. In addition, I attended a legislative briefing from the Holyoke Soldier’s Home Coalition. I look forward to continuing to work towards the reform that we need to make the commonwealth’s Soldiers’ Homes the best they can be.

While the hearing and briefing were taking place, my team held office hours in Chicopee at the RiverMills Center. Keep any eye out for my staff as they make their rounds across the district! Our next office hours are currently scheduled for Monday, Jan. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Southwick Senior Center, and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Westfield Senior Center.

Later in the week, my staff met with colleagues in pursuit of the formation of a National Guard caucus. The Guard has seen an enormous increase in activations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I feel strongly that we must do more to ensure that the Legislature is supporting them. I look forward to chairing the caucus with my good friend Representative Ayers and ensuring that our National Guard servicemembers’ interests and needs are being represented.

This upcoming Monday, Jan. 17, the commonwealth will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed as a federal holiday in the United States 35 years ago. As we honor his memory this weekend, please take time to reflect on his extraordinary contributions to the civil rights movement. His pursuit of a better world for all its citizens is an effort that is still ongoing today, and we can all make a difference throughout our community.

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email, john.velis@masenate.gov, or by phone, 413-572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.

Sincerely,

John C. Velis

Hello Everyone, 

I hope you all had a great week and are still staying strong with your New Year’s resolutions! 

This week the federal government launched a website to order four free COVID-19 test kits per household, (covidtests.gov). They have also established a phone line, 1-800-232-0233, for assistance ordering these tests over the phone. In addition, insurers are now required to pay for 8 at-home tests per person per month. Consumers with private health coverage can buy a test online/in a store and get reimbursed by filing a claim with their insurance. Be sure to save the receipt! Please take advantage of these resources as we continue to combat COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.  

While my son, Carson, now dictates much of my current sleep schedule, it was a still busy week for Team Velis. On Tuesday I met with Dr. John Kelly, Director of the MGH Recovery Research Institute, to discuss challenges faced by individuals in recovery and the new advancements that Dr. Kelly and his team are pursuing. Later on, my staff met with Mayor McCabe and other community members to discuss several topics, including the traffic issue at Mass Pike exit 41. Nobody likes to sit in traffic, including me, and I look forward to working with Mayor McCabe and Westfield City Officials on this issue. 

On Thursday I attended a call with leadership from hospitals across Western Massachusetts. These leaders continue to provide valuable insight into the challenges that our healthcare system face regarding COVID-19. I will continue to communicate with them to ensure that they are receiving the support they need to care for the residents of our communities. Also on Thursday, my staff was in attendance for a meeting between Mayor Joshua Garcia of Holyoke and the Holyoke Taxpayers Association. Mayor Garcia filled us in on his transition to leadership in Holyoke, as well as his vision for the future of the city. He shared some very exciting details on his plans to make sure the city government runs cohesively and efficiently, for his term and beyond.  

This week the Baker-Polito Administration announced grant funding for 306 Massachusetts fire departments from the FY22 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program. I am thrilled to see several departments in the Second Hampden and Hampshire District allocated funds as part of this program. These funds will help keep our firefighters safe, in turn making our communities safer. Our thanks to the Baker-Polito Administration, and our first responders. On the note of firefighting, this Friday my office presented citations to two retirees from the Easthampton Fire Department, David Mottor and Wayne Hennemman. I want to thank both for their commitment to keeping Easthampton and the surrounding communities safe.  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.    

Sincerely,     

John C. Velis

Hello everyone,  

I hope you are all doing well and were able to manage the snow and icy roads we dealt with this past week. I want to give a special shoutout to our municipal Department of Works employees who were busy responding to road conditions.  

As we all know, the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly through our community and Commonwealth. I know how frustrating this pandemic can be, but we will get through this difficult time. Vaccines, and especially boosters, are extremely effective against the variant and I encourage anyone who is not vaccinated to find vaccine locations at vaxfinder.mass.gov. Testing is also critically important if you have symptoms or a known exposure to COVID-19. I have heard from many about the difficulty in finding testing and will continue to push for more resources from the state however I can. You can find testing sites at mass.gov/covid-19-testing and at-home tests at many pharmacies near you.  

I want to congratulate Mayor McCabe, Mayor Garcia, Mayor Sapelli, Mayor Vieau, Mayor LaChapelle, and all our City Councilors and School Committee members who were sworn in this week across our district. While I would’ve loved to attend all the inauguration events taking place, it was great to be able to join the ceremonies in Easthampton and Agawam and I look forward to working alongside all our local officials in the new year.  

Last Tuesday I recorded the second episode of my new local cable TV show, “From Beacon Hill to the 413”. I was glad to have Representative Pease join me on the show to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act, Veteran’s legislation, and the importance of bipartisanship. Keep an eye out on your local cable channels for the show or head to my website to find the recording.  

Legislatively, this week had a strong focus on Veteran’s affairs. On Wednesday I met with the Mass Military Task Force to update them on the status of the SPEED Act, a bill I filed to support military families that was passed this fall by the Senate. On Thursday I met with some of my Western Mass colleagues to discuss legislation related to reforming the governance structure at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. In addition to the new facility being constructed, it’s critical that we implement oversight reforms for the Home that will support our Veterans. This past Friday I chaired the Joint Committee on Veterans & Federal Affairs public hearing. With the deadline for reporting out bills from committees coming up, it’s important that we hold these hearings to hear testimony on the bills left before the committee. We had over sixty residents testify, and it was great to hear their perspective.  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely,   

John C. Velis 

Hello Everyone! 

I hope you are all doing well and will be getting some much-deserved time off to spend the holidays with family and friends.  

Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are back on the rise in our communities and around the community. Vaccines and boosters are widely available, and I encourage you to get vaccinated if you have not done so already. Testing is also critically important if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. You can find vaccine locations at vaxfinder.mass.gov and testing sites at mass.gov/covid-19-testing 

Some of you may have watched the Army-Navy Football game last weekend and know of the friendly wager my good friend Senator Rush and I made on it. Unfortunately, Army lost and as a result I began my Monday morning singing the Navy Fight Song for Senator Rush over zoom. You can head to my social media to see my singing and we will be back again next year! Later on Monday I had a few meetings with constituents in the district to talk about legislation currently being considered for Veterans in the Commonwealth.  

On Tuesday I visited the Mass Fair Housing Center in Holyoke. The Center helps so many families who struggle with housing insecurity and homeownership. In the recent American Rescue Plan Act legislation signed by the Governor, $250,000 was included for the Center to support and expand their efforts. I look forward to seeing these funds put to use! Later, Tuesday I met with Doctors from Prevent Blindness Organization about S.136, An Act Improving Child Eye Care, which would increase vision screening for pre-k children. Speaking of Eye Care, the Holyoke Health Center held the Grand opening of its new Vision Center this week and I was grateful that Team Velis could attend the event! 

On Wednesday I toured VF Auto in Agawam, a family-owned local business that has been operating since 1988. I always love to visit local businesses around the district, and it was great to learn about their operations. Later in the afternoon I met with the TreeHouse Foundation, an incredible organization that works to support foster children, low-income families, and senior residents. I was able to secure $2,000,000 in the American Rescue Plan bill for the foundation to create additional TreeHouse communities across the Commonwealth and this meeting was a strategic planning conversation about those funds.  

On Thursday I met with the Holyoke Taxpayers association to discuss numerous issues facing Holyoke businesses and residents. We had a great conversation and I look forward to being back.  

Always fun to attend holiday events in the district! Friday, I joined Mayor Vieu in Chicopee for his annual Holiday Luncheon and on Saturday I headed over to the American Legion Post 124 in Westfield for their annual holiday party. It was great to see everyone! I wrapped up my Saturday with the Agawam Firefighters Union, IAFF Local 1973, to help celebrate the retirement of Dean DiCarlo, Kenneth Sagendorph, Norman Colburn, Frank Cavallo, and Anthony Albano, from the Agawam Fire Department. Thank you for your service to our community! 

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely,   

John C. Velis 

Happy Holidays Everyone! 

I hope you all are getting into the holiday spirit! I am looking forward to spending Christmas tomorrow with my family and wish you all a happy and healthy holiday as well.  

As we head deeper into the winter months, it is clear that COVID-19 is not going away as the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout Massachusetts and our country. Vaccines and boosters are widely available and have proven to be extremely effective at preventing serious disease. I encourage you to get vaccinated if you have not done so already. Testing is also critically important if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. I know that many are facing challenges in finding tests and I will continue to push for increased testing resources from the state. You can find vaccine locations at vaxfinder.mass.gov and testing sites at mass.gov/covid-19-testing 

This past Monday, Team Velis held office hours at the Holyoke Senior Center to meet with constituents and answer questions. My office is always available to assist, and my next office hours will be on Monday, January 3^rd, from 10:30-11:30AM at the Agawam Senior Center.  

Later that day, I joined some of my Western Mass colleagues at Chicopee City Hall for a funding presentation for the Food Bank of Western Mass. In the American Rescue Plan Act supplemental budget, we were able to secure $5 million for Food Bank of Western Mass’ new building project in Chicopee, which will greatly expand their outreach and capacity. I was glad to help secure these funds and know they will be put to good use! I wrapped up my Monday at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home with Major General Gary W. Keefe, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. We stopped by to visit and help hand out some new winter coats to residents.  

It’s always great to stop by Westfield High School, but especially when it’s to celebrate our students’ achievements. I was thrilled to present Jay Sherpa with a Senate Citation on Tuesday in honor of his best-in-the-nation recognition by the National Association for Music Education. In his senior year, Jay holds the only bass trombone spot in the National Symphony Orchestra but can play SIX other instruments as well. Congratulations on the incredible achievement Jay! While I was at Westfield High, I also stopped in to check out the schools “Community Closet”, a space where students, faculty, and staff can get access to anything they might possibly need, including toiletries, food, clothing, backpacks, and more. Great work WHS! 

During these unprecedented times, our community organizations continue to do great work for residents in our communities. I was glad to help out the Westfield Senior Center on Wednesday for their holiday curbside meal event. With over 200 residents attending, it was great to spend some time volunteering and also get to see some familiar faces. Later on Wednesday I joined the Russell Police Department and Fire Chief to help drop off holiday meals to folks throughout Russell.  

One of my favorite traditions in the Senate is our annual “gift exchange” where we each make a donation to an organization in our colleagues’ names. It’s a great way for us to learn about each other’s districts while supporting great initiatives. This year I picked the Ascentria Care Alliance of West Springfield to support their Refugee and Immigrant Services program. As an Afghanistan Veteran who knows many Afghan citizens who are desperately trying to rebuild their lives here in the United States, this is a cause very near and dear to my heart. As our Commonwealth continues to welcome Afghan refugees, Ascentria is one of the major organizations who has stepped up to support these individuals and their families, from finding housing to assisting with job training. As the holiday season continues, I hope we can all remember the individuals throughout our communities who need our support during these difficult times.  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely,   

John C. Velis 

Happy New Year Everyone! 

As we come to the close of 2021, I am reminded of what our communities and Commonwealth as a whole have faced over the past year. Despite all the isolation and the challenges, we have made it through and accomplished a lot. It has been a truly difficult year, but I am incredibly thankful to be a part of this community and I’m nothing but hopeful for the year ahead. I wish you all the best as we ring in 2022! 

As COVID-19 continues to spread, I encourage you to get vaccinated and boosted if you not done so already. Vaccines and boosters are widely available and have proven to be extremely effective at preventing serious disease. Testing is also critically important if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. You can find vaccine locations at vaxfinder.mass.gov and testing sites at mass.gov/covid-19-testing 

As the Chairman of the Veterans & Federal Affairs Committee, I always make meeting with Veterans in our communities a top priority. We must continue to improve Veterans services our Commonwealth provides and hearing directly from those who have served is the best way to learn what changes we need to make. This week I had a number of those meetings, including a robust discussion with Chicopee Veterans at the Chicopee Senior Center. We discussed the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home project, my work to support military families, and how we can extend outreach to older Veterans in our communities.  

This week I also toured the Alano Club in Agawam, a local 501(c) that supports individuals who struggle with alcohol and substance use. The organization houses and facilitates several programs for our community all of which have been critically important during this pandemic. This is an issue very near and dear to my heart and I look forward to supporting them however I can.  

This week the Mass Cultural Council announced the recipients of their Fiscal Year 2022 Fall/Winter Festivals grant program, and I am thrilled that that three organizations in our district have received funding to support cultural events taking place in our community! The Greater Holyoke chamber Centennial Foundation will be receiving $1,500 for the Paper City Food Festival, the Wistariahurst Museum Association will be receiving $1,500 for their Holidays in Holyoke event, and the Print Shop Inc. will be receiving $1,500 for their annual Brick Race event. I look forward to seeing these events come to fruition and continuing to support arts and culture throughout our region.  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely,   

John C. Velis 

(BOSTON 12/20/2021) Last week the Joint Committee on Veterans & Federal Affairs reported out S2542, An Act to support military families. The legislation, filed by Governor Baker, would permit Massachusetts to participate in several interstate licensure compacts, ultimately allowing qualified practitioners to more easily transition to practicing their profession in the Commonwealth. Senator John C. Velis, Chairman of the Committee, stated that this will be an enormous benefit for military families and Massachusetts military installations.  

“Earlier this fall, the Senate passed the SPEED Act, a bill I filed to support military children and expedite our Commonwealth’s licensure process for military spouses in general. This legislation continues that work by allowing military spouses in these specific professions to seamlessly obtain their licenses upon arrival in Massachusetts,” stated Chairman Velis. “Both of these bills will help ensure that military members and spouses are able to easily continue working in Massachusetts, but they will also ensure a secure future for our Commonwealth’s military installations.” 

“The Department of Defense and the respective military services have all made it explicitly clear that they are now ranking states on how they treat military families when considering mission assignments and military investments.  If we don’t act to meet those standards, there is a very real risk that we will lose out on federal investments to other states and that our military installations will close,” stated Chairman Velis. “Bringing the F-35s to Barnes Air National Guard Base, bringing the new Space Force to Hanscom Air Force base, bringing new investments to Westover Air Reserve Base: these are major investments that will keep our military installations relevant and benefit our entire Commonwealth’s economy.  But we can only secure these investments if we meet these standards for military families that the Department of Defense is looking for.” 

In September of 2019, the Secretary of Defense defined a fourth line of effort to the National Defense Strategy to support the wellbeing of military families. Military spouse licensure was designated as a key initiative in this effort. Section 2883 of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act further emphasizes the role these measures play in the DOD’s strategic basing evaluation. This section requires the department to produce annual basing decision scorecards at the state and installation level considering military family readiness issues, with one of the top criteria being interstate portability of licensure credentials. 

Massachusetts is home to six military installations with more than $13.2 billion in total economic activity and support for more than 57,600 jobs, including Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westover Air Reserve Base, Fort Devens, Hanscom Air Force Base, Joint Base Cape Cod, the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Systems Center. The value of defense spending in the Commonwealth is 2.6% of the entire state’s GDP. 

S2542 was reported out to the House of Representatives, where it could be referred to another committee before being brought to the floor for a vote. The SPEED Act, S2559, passed the Senate on October 21^st, and is now in the House Committee on Ways and Means.  

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Hello Everyone,  

Hope you are all doing well as preparations for the holiday season begin! This week I was busy with events throughout the district, and it was great to see so many residents in person.  

This past Tuesday marked the 80^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was proud to join Westfield community members at the Great River Bridge on Tuesday for a powerful ceremony in remembrance of the more than 2,400 American lives lost in the attack. Last Sunday I also attended Easthampton and South Hadley’s Pearl Harbor Day Ceremony. We will never forget those lives lost and I am grateful to our communities for always honoring the sacrifices and service of our military members.  

On Monday my team held office hours at both the Southwick Senior Center and Agawam Senior Center. My next office hours will be this upcoming Monday at the RiverMills Center in Chicopee from 10AM-11AM. After our office hours, I was thrilled to have Agawam officials join me to present $50,000 in state funding to the Center that was secured in the FY’22 budget. Speaking of Senior Centers, Bingo is back! On Wednesday I went over to the Southampton Senior Center to call some bingo games and spend some time with residents. You’ll be sure to see me calling more bingo games at senior centers throughout the district as games resume.  

Some of you may have heard that this past week I organized and played in a basketball challenge with Holyoke High Schoolers at the Greater Holyoke Boys & Girls Club. When I was first visiting the Boys & Girls Club as a candidate for Senate, I couldn’t keep myself from challenging kids in the gym to some games. Time passed, the trash-talk continued, and finally I called up Eileen Cavanaugh, President of the Club, and said ‘let’s organize this thing. To up the stakes, I pledged to donate $500 to the Boys & Girls Club if my team lost.  

After winning game one, Team Velis came up short in the next two games against the Boys & Girls Club team. In hindsight, we should’ve stopped after game one, those kids were fast! As promised, I handed over my donation on the spot after the series. From my time as a mentor at the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, I know the incredible impact our Clubs have on kids throughout our community, and I will always be a strong supporter. Nothing brings people together like sports and there was something really special about being able to actually engage with the kids on the court and have some fun, even if I was a bit rusty. While they called me on my smack talk this time, plans for a rematch are already in the works and you should expect to see Team Velis on a court near you soon! 

I began Thursday in Westfield for the Chamber of Commerce’s holiday breakfast. It was great to see so many business owners and local residents. Later on in the day I hosted a virtual briefing with the American Red Cross for members of the Veterans Committee. The Red Cross provides so many supports for our veterans, active military members and their families, and I am grateful to them for talking with our committee about their services and how we can help them. 

Special shoutout to Mrs. Ward from Southampton Road Elementary School for letting me borrow my new favorite book “House Mouse, Senate Mouse” to read to Franklin Avenue Elementary School students on Friday morning. The kids loved it! On Friday I also spent some time volunteering as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army at Walmart, a holiday tradition I always love participating in.  

This Saturday was the Army-Navy football game! Last year my colleague Senator Rush, a Navy Reservist, and I made a wager on the game, with the loser having to sing the other’s fight song. We continued that tradition this year, and with Army winning, you can check my social media accounts to see Senator Rush sing!  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely,   

John C. Velis

On Wednesday, December 8^th, Senator John C. Velis organized and played in a basketball game against Holyoke High Schoolers at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke. After months of Senator Velis trash-talking, his team lost 2-1 in the best of three series. As promised, Senator Velis handed over a $500 donation check to the Club upon losing.  

“When I was first visiting the Boys & Girls Club as a candidate for Senate, I couldn’t keep myself from challenging kids in the gym to some games. Time passed, the trash-talk continued, and finally I called up Eileen Cavanaugh, President of the Club, and said ‘let’s organize this thing’”, said Senator Velis. “In my experience, nothing brings people together like sports and it was a phenomenal community event. There’s something really special about going beyond just donating and actually engaging with the kids and having some fun.” 

The hour-long event was a best of three series that brought in a large audience of Club youth and staff. After winning the first game, Team Velis lost the following two games. The Boys & Girls Club Team included Kelvin Medina, Nathaniel Morales, Jayden Rivera, Jeremy Canales, Juan Rivera, Jaden Colon, Astin Chapman, Lexan Fontanez, and Samuel Chea. They are all Holyoke High Schoolers and longtime Club members who frequently play basketball during the Club’s drop-in gym hours. Teddy Morales, a Club staff member, coached the team.  

To round out his team, Senator Velis recruited his Communications Director, Gabe Adams-Keane, as well Holyoke City Councilor-Elect Israel Rivera to play. Unfortunately, they came up short.  

“In hindsight, we should’ve stopped after winning that first game. The age difference only become more apparent as the games continued,” said Senator Velis. “As promised, I handed over my donation on the spot after we lost, but the Club was getting that check regardless of the outcome. From my time as a mentor at the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, I know how dedicated our Clubs are and how many lives they impact throughout our community. They truly do incredible work and I just want to help however I can.”  

“It was a pretty surreal moment for me to be the grown up playing against the teens. I was once the teen in their shoes playing against the adults, the game helped me understand I am no longer that teen,” said Councilor-Elect Rivera. “The club has given so much to me and many of those I grew up with here in Holyoke, now it’s my time to give back.” 

“We can’t thank Senator Velis enough for not only the donation but for coming to the Club to meet and play with our youth. Since taking office, Senator Velis has been a staunch supporter of Boys & Girls Club. He understands what an incredible resource Clubs are to communities. We had a great time and can’t wait to welcome him back to the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club,” said Eileen Cavanaugh, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.  

When asked about a rematch, Senator Velis said plans for future games were already in the works. 

“Events like these are the highlight of my job and you better expect Team Velis will be coming to a Boys & Girls Club near you real soon,” said Senator Velis. “As far as Holyoke goes, a rematch is already planned for the spring. While my smack talk got the best of me last night, I really guarantee victory next time and am beginning my wind-sprints training tomorrow. 

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