This article originally appeared in the November issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
Impacting Lives Through Golf | NCGA Foundation Grant
The Northern California PGA (NCPGA) section has one of the nation’s premier programs when it comes to supporting veterans in our region.
The NCGA Foundation, which supports programs that build a stronger future for the game--including youth, underserved communities and other golf organizations united around shared goals, recently made a grant support to this wonderful program.
What is PGA HOPE?
For starters, HOPE is an acronym for Help Our Patriots Everywhere. HOPE is not like many golf programs, whose primary aim is to make players perform better on the course.
Instead, it also devotes time to mitigating the psychological and permanent physical damage veterans have to deal with as a result of their battlefield experiences—using golf as the primary tool for healing.
In a nutshell, HOPE is literally saving lives.
In one example, there was a case where a veteran, before joining PGA HOPE, had not left his home for two years.
“He had poor short-term memory problems and told me that the next step for him was suicide,” recalled Bob Epperly, a golf professional based in the PGA of America’s Vacaville section office who helped introduce the program to Northern California. “The fellow got into the HOPE program, and it turned his life around...entirely.”
Another case is Ramsey Raher, a vet who miraculously survived a rocket blast in Baghdad that killed Sgt. Bradley Marshall, 37, of Little Rock, Ark., and Army Spc. Daniel Reyes, 24, of San Diego, both of whom were standing next to Raher at the time of the explosion. Today, following a long road to recovery, Raher is an instructor at three NorCal HOPE facilities.
Those are just two examples of many, many such stories.
There are 28 courses in Northern California with a spring and fall PGA HOPE program, and all of them are literally saving lives.
“Thank you to the NCGA for your generous grant support, which allows us to present our PGA HOPE Veterans with a meaningful graduation hat they can wear with pride,” said Northern California PGA Executive Director Caitlyn Doyle. “Your partnership helps us honor their commitment and service in a truly impactful way. We are deeply grateful and look forward to continuing this important work together.”
HOPE was initiated in the Bay Area 10 years ago at the Cypress Lakes GC in Vacaville, where the PGA’s sectional office is located.
“We greatly value our partnership with the NCPGA on many fronts, and now we are honored to support PGA HOPE,” said NCGA CEO Joe Huston. “This program provides meaningful support to the veterans who have given so much to all of us, and we’re honored to play even a small role in helping the NCPGA expand its impact.”
You Too Can Help! Make a Donation to the NCGA Foundation! Just go to ncga.org/about/ncgafoundation
You can also learn more and make a donation to PGA HOPE by going to ncpgafoundation.org/hope
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Have a question about the NCGA Foundation? |
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Please send any queries to smerfeld@ncga.org About the NCGA Foundation |
The NCGA established its original foundation more than 35 years ago to support and grow the game of golf, including launching and expanding Youth on Course. This year, the NCGA created a new NCGA Foundation dedicated to using golf as a unifying force for good—enriching society through the game’s unique values. The Foundation champions programs that strengthen the future of golf by engaging youth and other deserving communities, while bringing Northern California golf organizations together around shared goals. For donations or more information about the NCGA Foundation (New EIN XXXX XXX XXX), please visit ncga.org/ncgafoundation.