June 2016

June 23, 2016

MN Vikings punter Jeff Locke supports the Longest Day of Golf for the Troops

Minnesota Vikings punter Jeff Locke joined 15 others and played a combined total of 190 hours of golf in the Longest Day of Golf for the Troops but the lasting memories won’t be a perfect shot or the numbers on the scorecards for the 1300-hole outing.

IMG_3953 (2) — It was a gorgeous day for the Longest Day of Golf for the Troops!

“The best part of the day for me was being able to switch groups and interact with the veterans,” Locke said. “It was so much fun playing with them and hearing their stories of what “Tee It Up for the Troops” has done for them coming back from overseas or from their service.”

A total of 16 golfers, veterans and veteran supporters, teed off just before 6:45 a.m. and raised more than $12,000 (and counting) for Tee It Up for the Troops!

Participants and volunteers were treated to a wonderful lunch on the go courtesy of participant, Marc Spiros and HoneyBaked Ham. The local HoneyBaked Ham stores in the Minneapolis / St Paul area wanted to give back to the communities by supporting and getting involved in the communities in which they work. We are delighted that they chose Tee it up for the Troops to honor those who have provided the freedom we all enjoy.

This foursome combined for an amazing total of 430 holes!

Tee It Up for the Troops is a cause near and dear to many including Locke, whose father, Bob, was an Air Force pilot for 20-plus years. Jeff Locke was born at a military hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, and has other military ties in his family.

“Jeff (and so many others) understands the service and sacrifice that goes into the military lifestyle,” said Tim Wegscheid, the president of Tee It Up for the Troops. “He’s a great guy and has a big heart for serving our military families,” he added.

“He doesn’t do it for the fame,” SGT Ngo said. “He does it because he knows that if it wasn’t for the men and women that serve this country, we wouldn’t have the freedoms we have.”

FullSizeRender[1] — A team of veterans giving back with support from long-time supporter, D.A.S. Heating and Cooling.

Check out this video highlighting the day.

(Video produced by Eric Smith, MN Vikings Team Reporter.)

Veteran Dan Sullivan chipped in for a birdie from 100 yards out!

It was a LONG day for some and an ENTERTAINING day for others!

June 22, 2016

Tee It Up for the Troops – Alta Vista proudly supports Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station

The Tee It Up for the Troops events at SeaCliff Country Club (Huntington Beach, CA), Vista Valley Country Club (Vista, CA) and Alta Vista Country Club (Placentia, CA) have joined forces to support the Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station located in San Diego, CA. The Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station assists four main groups of warriors: the seriously injured just returning home from war; those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury; those undergoing physical or occupational therapy, and warriors who have been medically retired and remain in our community. To serve this last group in particular, they pioneered a new approach and opened Freedom Station – a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

In particular, the donation of $29,150 from the Alta Valley Country Club event was used to support Freedom Station and the Stand Tall: Modified Combat Boots for Warriors program. As mentioned above, Freedom Station is a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

One of Warrior Foundation’s main program areas is quality-of-life items. They provide supplies to injured warriors that improve quality of life and provide added comfort during recovery. One of the most in-demand items they provide are modified combat boots with special zippers that can accommodate either prosthetic limbs or Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO™) braces. When warriors are recovering from battle injuries, nothing boosts morale like being able to stay in uniform. The uniform is deeply intertwined with the pride, privilege and soul of a warrior. It allows them to keep their military bearing. For amputees, new prosthetic legs and feet do not fit properly into combat boots, forcing them to wear other shoes that do not conform.

In what has become one of their most successful programs to date, Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station devised a way to modify combat boots to accommodate prosthetic limbs and IDEO braces. They custom-measure warriors, purchase boots, and then install zippers down the back of the boots so they can easily accommodate prostheses. This allows warriors to maintain an integral part of their identities by staying in uniform.

June 8, 2016

Tee It Up for the Troops – Vista Valley proudly supports Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station

In particular, the donation of $30,000 from the Vista Valley Country Club event was used to support Freedom Station and the Wheelchairs for Warriors program. As mentioned above, Freedom Station is a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

The Wheelchairs for Warriors program is specifically designed to provide amputees with very lightweight, high quality wheelchairs that are custom-tailored for their specific body measurements. Amputees encounter significant challenges in daily living that most people cannot comprehend. Wheelchairs are the greatest mobility tool that amputees have, whether they are used at home, at work or for therapeutic or recreational activities. The standard-issue wheelchairs provided by the government are bulky, heavy and not easy to maneuver. The ultra light wheelchairs we purchase are custom-made specifically to provide the best fit, form and functionality for each individual warrior. Once a warrior is measured, the wheelchair is built to custom specifications. The “one size fits all” approach does not work for wheelchairs, and that’s why the ultra light wheelchairs are made to measure.

There is also the matter of transporting the wheelchair from place to place, in and out of vehicles. It is not an ideal or particularly safe situation to have amputees struggling to load and unload heavy wheelchairs. These ultra light wheelchairs are exponentially more lightweight, compact, easy to transport when compared to the government-issued wheelchairs. Combined with better handling and significantly more maneuverability, it is easy to see why ultra light wheelchairs significantly improve quality of life for our warriors.