DALLAS – More than 100 golfers teed off Wednesday morning to support veterans and their families.
Tee It Up for the Troops, which holds golf tournaments around the country to help raise money for veterans, held its first-ever tournament in Texas.
It took place at Bent Tree Country Club in North Dallas. The day began with an emotional ceremony honoring those who have served and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Tournament organizer Jay Cassen knows how important it is to help support those who have served. He’s a Marine Corps veteran.
“We don’t do enough in the U.S. to support these men and women who basically provide our freedoms,” said Jay Cassen, Tee It Up for the Troops’ Dallas organizer. “So many of them don’t come home, many of them do come home but they’re altered forever.”
Many of the people at the tournament had a close connection to the cause. Some were veterans of recent foreign wars who have lost limbs, or parents who have lost their children to war.
Merrilee Carlson lost her son, Sgt. Michael Carlson, when he served with the U.S. Army in Iraq. She has worked with Tee It Up for the Troops since it began in 2005.
“It is so special to know that Michael’s legacy and what he wants to do lives on through what we do with Tee It Up,” said Carlson. “[Service members] are the strength that keeps us together and defends and protects us every day. We need to take that moment and honor and remember them.”
About 160 golfers participated. Cassen plans to hold the event next year.
