Golf tourney to aid families of fallen soldiers

The first "Patriot Challenge" golf tournament will be held October 8 at Aspen Lakes Golf Club in support of Patriot Golf Day and the Folds of Honor Foundation.

The Folds of Honor Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity, providing educational benefits to children of service members who were killed or severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. To date they have awarded more than 2,000 scholarships across all 50 states.

"As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom myself, the Folds of Honor Foundation is a cause that is close to my heart," said Josh McKinley, head golf pro at Aspen Lakes. "As a golf professional, it is my responsibility to use my position to the best of my ability to support a cause this worthy. As an American, I feel it is my duty to support the families who have paid the highest sacrifice for our country. This is an emotional thing for me."

There have been over 5,000 soldiers killed and more than 34,000 wounded in the ongoing military operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The average age of the fallen soldiers is 26, and roughly half of these service members are married, with an average of 2.5 dependents. The average age of each dependent is eight years old, and the average veteran income is $28,000 per year. Surprisingly, 85% of wounded service members' families do not qualify for Veterans Administration federal educational benefits.

"I want people to know there is a big gap between what is needed as far as education, and what is available directly from the government. I've had friends myself who were killed in Iraq, and left family members and young kids. Those kids are growing up and just going to school, and they are spending most of their life with a single income," said McKinley.

Both McKinley and Aspen Lakes owner Matt Cyrus express the hope that this tournament will grow, drawing in other courses in the area over the next few years, and providing an end-of-the-season balance for the popular Central Oregon Shootout that kicks off the season.

Toyota, Nike, Ray's Food Place, The Nugget, Round Butte Seed and a number of other sponsors have signed up to support the tournament. Sponsorships are still available, ranging from $75 to $7,000.

A little over one-half of the team slots are currently filled.

"We will accept teams up until about 3 p.m. on Friday, October 7," McKinley said.

Nike is working with Aspen Lakes to provide Nike golf shirts with the Patriot Challenge logo to all that enter the tournament ($200 team entry fee). Nike will also be hosting a demonstration of their new golf clubs at the driving range throughout the day.

For more information call 541-549-GOLF or email [email protected]

Additional information on the programs offered by the Folds of Honor is available at http://www.foldsofhonor.org. Those interested can make a quick $5 direct contribution by texting "hero" to 80888, and $5 will be added to your next cell phone bill.