Golfers honor veterans, support their families through July 4 tournament

The price of freedom is heavy for military families, whose loved ones return injured or don’t return at all. To show support for the spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans, dozens of golfers teed off this Fourth of July in Naples and the 2nd annual Folds of Honor Classic at Treviso Bay.

“Once you get involved with Folds of Honor and see the good work that it does for the children or our service people, you just get hooked, said Ed Kelly, Treviso Bay Golf Club president.

Kelly said the Independence Day tradition is already showing great growth.

“Last year we had about 64 players, and we raised just shy of $25,000,” Kelly said. “This year, we have 96 players so about 40 percent more, So it’s grown very nicely in just the second year, and hopefully we’ll get around $40 to $45,000, today.”

Money raised by the golf tournament goes to Folds of Honor scholarships that are given to the children of disabled or deceased veterans.

“We’re trying to make sure that they have advantages they should have for their family making the ultimate sacrifice of either losing their life or coming back severely disabled,” said U.S. Marine Michael Cox, a Vietnam veteran.

Cox said volunteering with Folds of Honor and events like the tournament is a way for him to give back.

“I lost my best friend in Vietnam,” Cox said. “The idea is to make sure that moms have the same opportunity that they would have had if their husband had come home. We need to make sure that happens.”

These acts of kindness are performed to honor the sacrifices of veterans on American Independence Day.

For more information about Folds of Honor and the scholarship, visit the organization’s website.

MORE: Folds of Honor – scholarship page