Thousands of golf courses nationwide unite to raise funds to help the families of troops killed or wounded while serving our nation
Tulsa, Oklahoma, (August 30, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — This Labor Day weekend Americans will have a compelling and easy way to pay tribute to the sacrifices of military veterans and their families, through the Fifth Annual Patriot Golf Day, the largest annual grassroots golf event in the country. The idea behind the effort is simple, during Labor Day weekend (September 2-5), golfers across the country are encouraged to add $1 or more to their greens fees.
From that humble ask, more than $8.9 million has been raised over the past four years and more than 2,100 scholarships have been awarded through the Folds of Honor Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and other educational assistance to the children and spouses of fallen and disabled service members.
This year more than 4,000 golf courses across the country will participate in the effort. President George W. Bush will once again serve as Honorary Chairman and kick off Patriot Golf Day during a special event in Dallas, Texas on Thursday September 1. Patriot Golf Day is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association
The needs of military families is great, as there are more than 250,000 dependents of fallen and wounded military service men and women from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts alone, and 87 percent of those dependents do not qualify for federal educational assistance. Patriot Golf Day allows the Folds of Honor Foundation to present an ongoing tribute to our brave service members by ensuring that the families of fallen and wounded warriors have hope for the right educational start to life and best future possible.
“My five children represent the thousands of children who have lost a parent while serving our country,” said Ginger Gilbert Ravella, whose late husband Major Troy Gilbert, an F-16 fighter pilot killed in Iraq in 2006. “The help from Folds of Honor and Patriot Golf Day provides us with hope and healing. We are so very grateful to everyone.”
Four years ago, Major Dan Rooney, a PGA Professional, USGA member and former F-16 military pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard, founded the Folds of Honor Foundation following his second of three tours of duty in Iraq.
“Folds of Honor salutes those we have given life and limb in service to our country. We honor their memories by ensuring the needs of their families are not forgotten,” said Rooney. “It is extraordinary to see tens of thousands of golfers rally to this worthy effort.”
To find out a participating course near you or learn more about how you can help visit PatriotGolfDay.com.
Mission partners of Patriot Golf Day include Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser, Titleist, Pinnacle, AHEAD Inc., Bushnell, Golf Channel, POLO GOLF, Golf Pride, Lifelock and Pima Direct. To find out more information about these products and their support of Patriot Golf Day, visit FoldsofHonor.org.
About the Folds of Honor Foundation:
Founded by Air National Guard F-16 Fighter Pilot and three tours of duty over Iraq, Major Dan Rooney, the Folds of Honor Foundation is a nonprofit organization that salutes the sacrifice of fallen and disabled service members by ensuring their families are not left behind. Through scholarships and other assistance, Folds of Honor provides healing and hope to these families and seeks to rally a nation in support of those who have served and sacrificed for our country.
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