Nonprofit Veterans-TV Receives $7.5K Donation To Renovate Mobile-Training Truck

Veterans-TV (VETV), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing U.S. veterans with hands-on professional television production training courses, has received a $7,500 donation from the Dobbins family’s Charis Fund to support completion of its mobile training facility. The funds will aid in the outfitting of Denali Gold, a remote production truck donated by NEP to support training courses for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, law enforcement veterans, and firefighters who have lost their employment due to injury or attrition.

Robert Lefcovich, president and founder of Veteran’s TV with the VETV remote truck. Lefcovich has worked in Remote Trucks for VTE (Video Tape Enterprises), Trans American Video, and ABC Wide World of Sports.

“As a former Grass Valley guy, Lou Dobbins appreciates the value that training and experience in broadcast production can bring to a person on a personal and professional level,” says VETV President Bob Lefcovich. “He kindly guided us in crafting a VETV grant proposal and, along with his family, he very generously contributed funds that will help us see integration on Denali Gold through to completion. This gift from the Charis Fund brings us one step closer to launching our mobile classroom.”

Lefcovich and the VETV advisory board have so far raised more than $2 million in donations of TV production and postproduction equipment, with NEP and Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, offering extensive support in terms of equipment donations and integration. Almost all the equipment being installed in Denali Gold for training purposes has been donated new by broadcasters and manufacturers including AJA Video Systems, Blackmagic Design, Calrec Audio, Ensemble Designs, EVS, Kramer, Plura, Renegade Labs, Riedel, Ross Video, Telestream, and many more.

Integration started at the end of 2018, and VETV is seeking additional financial support to help the organization put the finishing touches on its Denali Gold mobile classroom. More information on donating to VETV is available at www.veterans-tv.org/donate.html.

VETV training courses will be held in cities across the U.S. Led by industry professionals on a volunteer basis, the courses are open to all veterans, their spouses, and dependents over 18, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. As students are certified within the program, the industry professionals working with VETV will put their connections to work in helping trained veterans find employment. Several broadcast stations already have reached out to VETV to express interest in hiring program graduates.