FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. — Hundreds of volunteers and golfers gathered in Fuquay-Varina during Veterans Appreciation Month for the 18th annual Military Missions in Action, Tee Off for the Troops Golf Classic.
The two-day tournament raises money for the nonprofit that serves active-duty military members, veterans and their families.
North Carolina has one of the largest military footprints in the country, and according to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, more than 615,000 veterans call North Carolina home.
Spectrum News 1 morning news anchor Caroline Blair was master of ceremonies for the event that honored veterans through a wreath-laying ceremony, motorcycle ride, bagpipes and comments from veterans.
MMIA’s executive director, Zak Keisler, says this tournament is its single largest fundraising event. He says this year, the nonprofit has helped nearly 5,200 veterans and their family members, and is on track to help even more next year.
But with costs going up, he says it’s getting harder to meet the growing need, especially for services like the Warrior Wagon transportation program.
“It’s extremely tough. Our gas bill for just our vehicles for the Homes for Healing and the Warrior Wagon has doubled since January,” Keisler said. “So yes, everything’s more expensive.
“And you know, everybody’s feeling it, and being an organization that depends on people’s extra money, and there’s not a lot of extra money right now, so it’s important for us to do the fundraisers when we can and be responsible with the money we get, and try to make it go as far as it can is something we’re very cognizant of every day,” he said.
Keisler says they have turned away people because they simply don’t have the funding or vehicles to meet all the needs. He says they need donations and vehicles to help get veterans to doctor’s appointments, job interviews, the grocery store, and important meetings and appointments.
It’s not just the Warrior Wagon program that is helping veterans across the state. Since 2008, MMIA has helped provide homeless veterans toiletries and other essential items, placed furniture in homes for homeless vets just getting into permanent housing, build ramps for veterans, widows and their family members, send care packages to those serving overseas, and collect Christmas presents for low-income children of veterans and active-duty service members.
And of course, the tournament helps. Keisler says they hope to raise over $150,000. But that’s only a drop in the bucket to meet the need in North Carolina.
To learn how you can help these Everyday Heroes, visit their website.
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