On Sunday, February 18, 2024, the Michigan PGA Golf Professionals teamed up with the Detroit Red Wings Alumni for the 2nd annual Patriot Classic hockey game and raised $65,000 (net) for three Veterans’ organizations targeting Michigan Veterans, PGA HOPE Michigan (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), Folds of Honor, and Spikes K9 Fund.
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Michigan PGA, Detroit Red Wings Faceoff, Raise $65,000 for Veterans
EAST LANSING – The golfers of the Michigan Section PGA with the help of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association (DRWAA) raised $65,000 for armed service veterans in the second Michigan PGA vs. Red Wings Alumni Game last Sunday at Michigan State University’s Munn Ice Arena.
The Michigan PGA and Red Wing Alumni partnership distributed the funds to a trio of veteran’s service organizations including PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), Folds of Honor and Spike’s K9 Unit.
As for the game, the PGA team showcasing golfers on skates, held its own for a while before falling to the Red Wings Alums 9-7. Red Berenson, Dino Ciccarelli, Mike Knuble, Jiri Fischer, John Ogrodnick, Danny DeKeyser, Kevin Miller and Jason Woolley were among the former Red Wings who played. Former Boston Bruin Kraig Nienhuis also played with the Red Wings and performed the National Anthem.
The game was open to fans for free and Echo, a Spikes K9 Fund dog, performed the ceremonial puck drop. The PGA players and their coaches in the game each raised funds through pledges for the veterans groups, and several sponsors were brought on board to support the cause.
George Bowman, the head PGA golf professional at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club in Oakhurst, is also the secretary for the DRWAA and led partnership effort for the game.
Bowman served as a goalie for both teams for parts of the game, too. The PGA team included 23 golf professionals, including Dean Kolstad, a former NHL player who is the director of golf at Gull Lake View Golf & Resort near Kalamazoo, Doug Kreis of Battle Creek Country Club, Ian Ziska of American Dunes Golf Club, Jordan Young of Jordan Young Academy and Justin McPhail of Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
“I thought it was another great event and fun to see our PGA professionals perform in another game where they are skilled,” Kevin Helm, executive director of the Michigan Section said. “Golf and hockey have worked together very well the last two years to help our veterans.”
John Lindert, the current president of the PGA of America and the PGA director of golf at Country Club of Lansing, served as one of the coaches for the Michigan PGA team along with Helm, Kevin Muir of The Wyndgate Golf Club and Doug Bell of American Dunes.
TO HELP VETERANS: Contact George Bowman, PGA Professional and Secretary of the DRWAA at 248-343-2589. https://www.nhl.com/redwings/team/alumni-association
ABOUT PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere): The flagship military program of the PGA of America introduces golf to veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Golf Professionals across Michigan volunteer and the program is free for Veterans. Visit www.pgahope.com
ABOUT FOLDS OF HONOR: Folds of Honor provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military as well as America’s first responders. On our watch, those who protect our freedoms and our families know they are not forgotten. Visit www.foldsofhonor.org
ABOUT SPIKESK9: Spikes K9 Fund was founded by James Hatch, a retired Special Warfare Operator. As a K9 handler on several deployments, James’ life was regularly spared by the work of K9s – one of the most memorable was Spike. Visit www.spikesk9fund.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Johnson of the Michigan PGA 616-560-8995. Learn more about the Michigan PGA at michiganpga.com.
PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The program introduces the game of golf through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum, led by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA Section Foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Twitter and find us on Facebook.
Spikes K9 Fund: Spikes K9 Fund was founded by James Hatch, a retired Special Warfare Operator. As a K9 handler on several deployments, James’ life was regularly spared by the work of K9s – one of the most memorable was Spike. And on James’ final deployment, the night he was critically wounded, a K9 Remco spared James’ life while losing his own. From that evening on, James oriented his life around the training, care and preservation of working dogs. In addition to working as the founder and president of the fund, he works with local law enforcement to fine tune their work.
Folds of Honor: Folds of Honor provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military as well as America’s first responders. On our watch, those who protect our freedoms and families know they are not forgotten.