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Bogey is the best thing that ever happened to this soldier!

Thank YOU sponsors, donors and volunteers – it is because of YOU that this healing is happening…

From Drew Brandenburg: “I just wanted to let you all know he (Bogey) is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and you guys couldn’t have blessed me any better than by donating the funds (to K9s For Warriors) for Bogey. He has turned my world around and it’s only been 2 months.

“Without organizations like yours soldiers continue to fall and are never able to get back up. Thank you again for all you do and have done, not only for me but for all veterans you connect with.”

Drew and Bogey 2Drew and Bogey 1

 

 

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Art Therapy For Veterans Funded by Tee It Up for the Troops

Ars Bellum Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Cronin, recalls one recent graduate, a Vietnam veteran who had struck out in several programs, both within and outside the VA. He had attempted suicide three times in recent years and had little hope that art therapy would help.

“By the end of the program he was in tears and said he never would have thought it would have the kind of impact it would have on him,” Cronin said. “It’s given him a way to ‘talk’ about some of the bad traumatic things that happened to him that he had no idea how to otherwise deal with. Just getting that out, getting that weight off his shoulders was a big relief to him.”

Read more of the story here. Ars Bellum Foundation

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Bent Tree Golf Event Raises over $100,000 for Veterans

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.

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Tee It Up for the Troops Donates to Camp Soaring Eagle for Veteran’s Camp

Tee It Up for the Troop has given a $7,500 grant to Camp Soaring Eagle for a portion of their Veteran’s Camp costs for November 2015. The Veteran’s Camp offers a tailored service for the men and women who have served for our nation through recreation and relief. The children of military parents are also able to find relief through this incredible camp. Children from the ages of 6 to 15 benefit from an environment of shared feelings and circumstances during the three-day weekend camp. They enjoy playing sports, fishing, horseback riding, arts and crafts, gaming, and archery among sharing stories and learning how to effectively respond to the needs of their parents.

Read more.

Camp Soaring Eagle 2Camp Soaring Eagle 3

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Tee It Up for the Troops event recognizes service and sacrifice

Hundreds gather to Never Forget the events of 9/11
Hundreds gather to “Never Forget”

ST. PAUL, Minn. –Men and women from the military community gathered for Tee It Up for the Troops’ 11th Annual National Day of Golf at The Meadows at Mystic Lake, Sept. 11, 2015.

The day of golf included a morning round enjoyed by 100 veterans, free of charge, and a paid-sponsorship tournament in the afternoon. In between the two rounds of golf, hundreds of Service members, veterans, military family members and supporters gathered for an hour-long ceremony to remember 9/11, honor the fallen and recognize service.

“This year’s event was something new for us,” said James Ball, Tee It Up for the Troops founder. “We always try to do an event the Friday before 9/11, but this time with it actually being on September 11 it held extra significance in that we had members of the New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York do a wreath laying ceremony with Minnesota Gold Star Families – they were paying tribute to their fallen just as the families were paying respect to the loved ones they had lost.”

Gold Star family
It was a somber conclusion to an inspirational ceremony that began with the arrival of 150 motorcyclists, representing Tribute to the Troops, and included a performance by local music artist Rockie Lynne, presentation of the colors and a traditional rendition of “Amazing Grace” performed by a fully-kilted bagpiper.

“Where else could you find the iron of a golf club mixed with the iron of a Harley Davidson like at today’s event?” said Brig. Gen. Jon Jensen, the Minnesota National Guard’s director of the joint staff, who spoke during the ceremony. “All organizations involved in this event, big and small, have turned hatred into love, heartlessness into compassion, and uncertainty and weakness into commitment and resiliency.”

Brig. Gen Jon Jensen
The fundraising event at Mystic Lake was just one of hundreds of Tee It Up for the Troops fundraisers held at golf courses throughout the country since Ball founded the non-profit organization in 2005. Tee It Up for the Troops uses the funds raised to support veterans organizations and national charities, and 50 percent of funds raised at each event stay in the community which hosted it.

“We are honored that The Meadows at Mystic Lake opened their arms to us,” said Ball. “It’s all about coming together to say, ‘thank you,’ and having them know we appreciate their service.”

The event at Mystic Lake was also unique in that the first-ever “Foam of the Brave” event was also held on Sept. 11. The event included drinks by local craft breweries, live music and performances of songs written and studio-produced by veterans with the help of Creativets, an organization that uses art to overcome service-related trauma.

“I sincerely appreciate the time the energy and the effort it takes to put on such a great event,” said Jensen. “On behalf of the more than 13,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard, and our Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Richard Nash, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone associated with Tee It Up for the Troops.

“But most of all everyone that came out today to be a part of today’s great event – thank you for caring, thank you for being here.”

September 15, 2015
by Staff Sgt. Patrick Loch
Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs

 

 

 

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Tee It Up for the Troops® selects first Operation HeartFirst™ recipients.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski

Tee It Up for the Troops, a national non-profit organization, has selected the first recipients of a grant designed to help military veterans open their own gyms and provide additional employment opportunities for fellow veterans.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski, both of whom served in Iraq, will use a $125,000 grant and an additional $125,000 loan as start-up capital to open an Anytime Fitness gym near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC.  The Ambrozewski’s, who signed a franchise agreement at the Anytime Fitness corporate headquarters in Hastings, MN this morning (August 5th), hope to open their gym in early 2016.

“We’re incredibly excited to help veterans and non-veteran alike in our community learn how to lead healthier lifestyles,” said Hannah Ambrozewski, who served as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2012.

Hannah and Tristan Abrowzewski 2

“We also love the idea of being able to provide jobs to other military veterans,” said Tristan Ambrozewski, who likewise served as an intelligence analyst in the Army, and now performs similar duties as a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor.

Anytime Fitness’ Heartfirst Charitable Foundation provided a grant to Tee It Up for the Troops, which then selected the Ambrozewski’s as recipients from a pool of dozens of outstanding candidates.

“Operation Heartfirst™ is our way of saying thank you to all of the fine service men and women who’ve made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” said Dave Mortensen, President of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “We couldn’t be happier with the selection of the Ambrozewski’s as the first recipients.  They each have a long history of advocating physical fitness and serving not only their countries, but others in their community as well.

SELECTION CRITERIA

“We were looking for candidates with distinguished records of military service, who are eager to help others lead healthier lifestyles and who continue to serve and support the U.S. military and its veterans,” said Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops.  “We also looked for candidates with a passion for fitness and community engagement.  The Ambrozewski’s fit that description exactly.”

Anytime Fitness, LLC has agreed to waive its initial franchise fee and ongoing royalty payments related to this opportunity.

“The unemployment rate for military veterans is significantly higher than the national average,” said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “That’s just not right.  Our hope is that Operation Heartfirst™ will not only help veterans operate their own businesses, but also provide jobs for other vets as club managers and personal trainers – for many years to come.”

Congrats Hannah and Tristan!

Ambrozewski family

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Tee It Up for the Troops® selects first Operation HeartFirst™ recipients.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski

Tee It Up for the Troops, a national non-profit organization, has selected the first recipients of a grant designed to help military veterans open their own gyms and provide additional employment opportunities for fellow veterans.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski, both of whom served in Iraq, will use a $125,000 grant and an additional $125,000 loan as start-up capital to open an Anytime Fitness gym near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC.  The Ambrozewski’s, who signed a franchise agreement at the Anytime Fitness corporate headquarters in Hastings, MN this morning (August 5th), hope to open their gym in early 2016.

“We’re incredibly excited to help veterans and non-veteran alike in our community learn how to lead healthier lifestyles,” said Hannah Ambrozewski, who served as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2012.

Hannah and Tristan Abrowzewski 2

“We also love the idea of being able to provide jobs to other military veterans,” said Tristan Ambrozewski, who likewise served as an intelligence analyst in the Army, and now performs similar duties as a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor.

Anytime Fitness’ Heartfirst Charitable Foundation provided a grant to Tee It Up for the Troops, which then selected the Ambrozewski’s as recipients from a pool of dozens of outstanding candidates.

“Operation Heartfirst™ is our way of saying thank you to all of the fine service men and women who’ve made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” said Dave Mortensen, President of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “We couldn’t be happier with the selection of the Ambrozewski’s as the first recipients.  They each have a long history of advocating physical fitness and serving not only their countries, but others in their community as well.

SELECTION CRITERIA

“We were looking for candidates with distinguished records of military service, who are eager to help others lead healthier lifestyles and who continue to serve and support the U.S. military and its veterans,” said Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops.  “We also looked for candidates with a passion for fitness and community engagement.  The Ambrozewski’s fit that description exactly.”

Anytime Fitness, LLC has agreed to waive its initial franchise fee and ongoing royalty payments related to this opportunity.

“The unemployment rate for military veterans is significantly higher than the national average,” said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “That’s just not right.  Our hope is that Operation Heartfirst™ will not only help veterans operate their own businesses, but also provide jobs for other vets as club managers and personal trainers – for many years to come.”

Congrats Hannah and Tristan!

Ambrozewski family

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Tee It Up for the Troops® selects first Operation HeartFirst™ recipients.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski

Tee It Up for the Troops, a national non-profit organization, has selected the first recipients of a grant designed to help military veterans open their own gyms and provide additional employment opportunities for fellow veterans.

Hannah and Tristan Ambrozewski, both of whom served in Iraq, will use a $125,000 grant and an additional $125,000 loan as start-up capital to open an Anytime Fitness gym near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC.  The Ambrozewski’s, who signed a franchise agreement at the Anytime Fitness corporate headquarters in Hastings, MN this morning (August 5th), hope to open their gym in early 2016.

“We’re incredibly excited to help veterans and non-veteran alike in our community learn how to lead healthier lifestyles,” said Hannah Ambrozewski, who served as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2012.

Hannah and Tristan Abrowzewski 2

“We also love the idea of being able to provide jobs to other military veterans,” said Tristan Ambrozewski, who likewise served as an intelligence analyst in the Army, and now performs similar duties as a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor.

Anytime Fitness’ Heartfirst Charitable Foundation provided a grant to Tee It Up for the Troops, which then selected the Ambrozewski’s as recipients from a pool of dozens of outstanding candidates.

“Operation Heartfirst™ is our way of saying thank you to all of the fine service men and women who’ve made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” said Dave Mortensen, President of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “We couldn’t be happier with the selection of the Ambrozewski’s as the first recipients.  They each have a long history of advocating physical fitness and serving not only their countries, but others in their community as well.

SELECTION CRITERIA

“We were looking for candidates with distinguished records of military service, who are eager to help others lead healthier lifestyles and who continue to serve and support the U.S. military and its veterans,” said Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops.  “We also looked for candidates with a passion for fitness and community engagement.  The Ambrozewski’s fit that description exactly.”

Anytime Fitness, LLC has agreed to waive its initial franchise fee and ongoing royalty payments related to this opportunity.

“The unemployment rate for military veterans is significantly higher than the national average,” said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness, LLC.  “That’s just not right.  Our hope is that Operation Heartfirst™ will not only help veterans operate their own businesses, but also provide jobs for other vets as club managers and personal trainers – for many years to come.”

Congrats Hannah and Tristan!

Ambrozewski family

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Veterans Heritage Project thanks Tee It Up for the Troops – Pinnacle Peak Country Club

Veterans Heritage Project thanks Tee It Up for the Troops – Pinnacle Peak Country Club [sponsors] for their support of our “Since You Asked” after-school program.

Your support helped 275 middle and high school students interview 210 Arizona veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Afghanistan and Iraq. The students wrote & published the oral histories in the 11th volume of our hardbound book, Since You Asked, for preservation in the military archives at the Library of Congress.

Your support helped youth to develop patriotism, civic-mindedness, and respect for service, and helped the veterans to feel appreciated, knowing that their service and sacrifice is respected enough to be documented, preserved and celebrated.

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Anytime Fitness partners with Tee It Up for the Troops to assist veterans.

Anytime Fitness partners with Tee It Up for the Troops to assist veterans.

Operation Heartfirst™ will help military vets own and operate their own franchised gyms.

Anytime Fitness is partnering with Tee It Up for the Troops, a national non-profit organization, in a first-of-its-kind effort to help military veterans open their own gyms and provide additional employment opportunities for fellow veterans. Dubbed “Operation Heartfirst™,” Tee It Up For the Troops will offer a $125,000 grant and a $125,000 loan to a select number of honorably discharged veterans for the purpose of assisting with initial start-up capital to be used for the development of an Anytime Fitness franchise. Anytime Fitness’ Heartfirst Charitable Foundation™ will provide a grant to Tee It Up for the Troops, which will then offer this opportunity to approved veterans, National Guard members, or reservists, as well as oversee the selection process and management of logistics.

“Operation Heartfirst™ is our way of saying thank you to all of the fine service men and women who’ve made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” said Dave Mortensen, President of Anytime Fitness, LLC. “Currently, about 10% of our franchisees are military veterans. We’d like to see that number grow even higher. Veterans are some of our best and most successful club operators.”

APPLICATIONS

Tee It Up for the Troops is no longer accepting applications.

The review of current applicants is now underway. The winning applicant will be announced in June.

“We are looking for candidates who are eager to help others lead healthier lifestyles and who continue to serve and support the U.S. military and its veterans,” said Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops. “This first opportunity involves an Anytime Fitness gym to be located in Fayetteville, NC, near Fort Bragg. The selected franchisee will determine the precise location of the gym.”

Anytime Fitness, LLC has also agreed to waive its initial franchise fee and ongoing royalty payments related to this opportunity. Consideration will be given by the selection committee to veterans with service-related disabilities.

“The unemployment rate for military veterans is significantly higher than the national average,” said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness, LLC. “That’s just not right. Our hope is that Operation Heartfirst™ will not only help veterans operate their own businesses, but also provide jobs for other vets as club managers and personal trainers – for many years to come.”

The first Operation Heartfirst recipient will be selected by June 1st with a club opening date expected by the end of 2015.

OTHER RECENT ANYTIME FITNESS NEWS: http://anytimefitness.com/press

About Anytime Fitness

Ranked #2 on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500® list, Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world, with nearly 3,000 gyms serving more than 2,000,000 members on five continents. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient fitness options and friendly, personal service in well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment. Gyms are now open in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Grand Cayman, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, India, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.  All franchised gyms are individually owned and operated. Join one gym and use them all. Members also enjoy free access to AnytimeHealth.com, the most comprehensive wellness website available.

About Tee It Up for the Troops

Tee It Up for the Troops, Inc, is a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves U.S. military veterans and their families.  Based in Minnesota, Tee it Up for the Troops inspires communities across the country to organize golf events to raise funds for partnering veterans service organizations who deliver critically needed services to military families.  These locally-supported events greatly assist returning service members to successfully reintegrate into their communities.  Established in 2005, Tee It Up for the Troops has hosted over 300 events in more than 30 states and has donated over $5 million to more than 200 various organizations serving veterans across the country.  In addition, through their REUNION initiative, Tee It Up for the Troops has reunited more than 125 combat altered veterans who were separated due to battlefield injuries or changes in rehabilitation status.  Through these reunions, participating veterans enhance their transition process into productive and fulfilling civilian lifestyles.

Media Contacts:

Mark Daly, National Media Director for Anytime Fitness: mark.daly@anytimefitness.com

Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops: tim@teeitupforthetroops.org