Folds of Honor Foundation

Other

June 20, 2014

Each month in this section the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different charity that benefits military veterans and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day and to back that up, our parent company – OpenSystems Media – will make a donation to each charity we showcase on this page.

In the June issue we focused on the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to spouses and children of fallen or wounded soldiers from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the organization’s website, as of January 1, 2014, more than 1.4 million dependents of deceased or disabled military personnel require aid.

The foundation was born seven years ago, when its founder, Maj. Dan Rooney, a retired F-16 pilot turned PGA golf professional and golf course owner, witnessed a U.S. soldier’s funeral procession while onboard a flight home from his second tour. When the aircraft landed, its pilot announced the flight carried a hero’s remains and requested all passengers remain seated while the casket deboarded. As he watched, Rooney was especially moved by the presence of a young boy, who was the deceased’s, Cpl. Brock Bucklin’s, son.

Rooney kept Bucklin’s son and family in mind and used his resources to organize a benefit golf tournament, which then led to a partnership with PGA and the USGA to create Patriot Golf Day, which is now held every year over Labor Day weekend. Rooney asked all golf participants to simply add one dollar to their greens fees for the charity. In its inaugural year, more than $1.1 million was raised, and in the last six years that number has climbed to more than $17.1 million. This has resulted in more than 5,000 scholarship recipients, according to the organization’s website. The Folds of Honor Foundation has now grown to include the Patriot Cup tournament, Patriot Range Days, and Patriot Boating and Bowling Days. The first scholarship ever raised by Folds of Honor was awarded to Jacob Bucklin, who inspired Rooney back in 2007.

For more information on the charity and how to donate or participate in its events, visit www.foldsofhonor.org.