On April 3rd the Tee it up for the Troops national office hosted a reception for our 2011 Flagship Event sponsors. The purpose of the reception was to recognize the invaluable contributions that many businesses and individuals have made to support the Tee it up for the Troops mission and our continued growth. Present at the reception were several active and retired military personnel as well as four Gold Star Families. The Gold Star families received special recognition during the reception as they each shared the name of their fallen soldier. After the brief presentation reception participants had the opportunity to mingle and share their stories with each other regarding how Tee it up for the Troops has made a difference in their lives. Listed below is one of the many poignant stories that was witnessed that evening.
Randy Schumacher and his business partner, James ‘JB’ Ball, of BC&I Wealth Management have been a business sponsor for the Annual TIUFTT Flagship Event since 2005. JB is also the founder of TIUFTT. After the presentation at the Sponsorship Reception, Schumacher approached a couple of the Gold Star Families to extend his thanks for the service and sacrifice of each families’ fallen soldier. He then went on to tell the Gold Star families about how he was first approached about being a sponsor for the first TIUFTT Flagship Event.
Schumacher shared, “JB came up to me one afternoon and said that he would like to put on a golf event to support our troops, and by the way, we will name it Tee it up for the Troops. At the time JB’s son, Tyler, was serving in Iraq. We all recognized that JB, his wife Laurie and other family members needed a positive outlet to channel their nervous energy regarding having a son serving in the Iraq military conflict.”
After a couple of years of many successful TIUFTT events, growth of the organization, and community engagement; Schumacher confessed that his and JB’s business partnership had become strained. Now years later, after having heard and witnessed firsthand the impact that TIUFTT is making in the lives of military veterans and their families, he fully recognizes why JB’s passion was to work nonstop to support the men and women that have given so much to support this great nation.
“We have worked through our differences and have moved forward. In the the grand scheme of things, it is about support for TIUFTT, an organization that is making a difference. There is no hardship compared to the sacrifices that soldiers and their families are making on a daily basis,” Schumacher said. The Gold Star Families have lost a son or daughter, but the memory of each of their fallen soldiers continues to live on through their stories that are shared at TIUFTT events and other programs that recognize and support our military.
How about you? Are you interested in being a sponsor for a Tee it up for the Troops event or provide volunteer support in some way? If yes, please contact our national office and we can provide you with additional opportunities about how you can be more involved with Tee it up for the Troops and contribute to our mission to honor, respect, remember and support our military veterans and their families.
