This all started when a fellow coworkers was sent to Iraq at the end of 2004. I talked to all the guys in the shop and we all chipped in to put a few care packages together for him. We sent the packages and it was later in my garage that I was thinking about what we sent him. We sent cigarettes, gloves, socks and just necessity items, nothing that he could have some fun with. So I started scrounging around my garage looking for something that I could send that he and some of his buddies could have some fun with. I came across an old driver that I had replaced from my set years ago and a bag of 2 or 3 dozen golf balls that my Dad had found on courses that he played over the years. My first thought was that this was it and I thought that if I could get a few more drivers and golf balls to send then he and his buddies would be able to have some fun with them. The next day after work I took some money out of my savings and set out to find a few cheap driver and some range balls that I could buy. I went to a number of places with no luck, keep in mind that I hadn't explained what I was going to do with these items. It was starting to get late and I was getting discouraged so I decided to try one more spot which was Braemar Golf Course. I went there and got the same result, they weren't going to sell me anything. Then I explained what I wanted to do and the guy that wouldn't sell me anything (Larry) said well why didn't you say that to begin with. He invited me behind the counter and let me fill my bag with golf balls (aprox.300) and drove up to the clubhouse and got 4 more drivers that he gave me. As I was leaving he asked “your not scamming me are you” and I said absolutely not! I left there feeling pretty surprised and grateful! I went home and looked up the nearest FedEx and called them to see how late they were open and they told me that they close in a half an hour so I rushed over there. The guy behind the counter was a Vietnam Vet and I explained what I was trying to do and he went a got the manager and they helped me package it all up and said that they would ship it for free. Wow, I was stunned and I didn't spend a penny but I was willing to pay for it all.

It was about a month later I received a post card from my coworker and it said that “you wouldn't believe how a few clubs and balls cheered up the guys”. I took that post card back to Braemar to show Larry that I did what I said and this was no scam. He wasn't there but Tom Anderson the driving range manager was so I explained the story to him, he liked what I was doing and he offered me 6,000 more golf balls and about 80 clubs. Once again I was stunned! I felt that I couldn't turn this down and it all kept going from there. 

Since then many more people have gotten involved or contributed in one way or another. The support for our soldiers all over our great country has been amazing! Lets keep it going!