On August 1, 2024, members of the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes were at TPC Sawgrass to present Birdies for the Brave with our 2024 donation of $300,000. This was the largest, single donation to B4B since its inception.
The LFWMH team was joined by representatives from B4B, many of the charities receiving a portion of this donation, and by several of the K9s for Warrior dogs that we've sponsored and are currently in training.
We are so excited to share this wonderful news!
This year's Birdies for the Brave donation totaled $250,000.00, the largest single donation by LFWMH to date!
This amazing result brings the LFWMH's total donation to BFB at $1,950,000.00. That, along with additional donations to support post 9/11 combat wounded servicemen and servicewomen in the South Carolina Lowcountry and Coastal Georgia geographical region, brings the Foundation's total donations disbursed to $1,989,000.00.
This year's donation will provide four (4) service dogs for K9’s for Warriors, one (1) scholarship for Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and provide sponsorship for a combat wounded military serviceman/servicewoman to receive a mortgage free home. Total donations now include twenty-eight (28) service dogs through K9’s, six (6) scholarships through SOWF, and eleven (11) home sponsorships through MWSF.
It was our honor and pleasure to host 62 combat wounded servicemen and servicewomen for a day of fellowship and camaraderie at Wexford Golf Club and Oldfield Golf Club, along with a Volunteer Appreciation Event hosted at Hampton Hall.
None of this would be possible without the incredible dedication, energy, leadership, and passion of many, including our seven (7) board members, eighteen (18) committee leaders, over two hundred (200) event volunteers, and YOU, our donors and supporters.
We want to also send our deepest thanks to the service men and women who have and continue to sacrifice much in service to their country.
We invite you all to stay tuned and check back often as we work on the dates for next year's events!
On July 25th, the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes (LFWMH) Board Members and Committee Leaders traveled to Ponte Vedra Beach, where they gathered with representatives from Birdies for the Brave (B4B), the PGA’s philanthropic organization, to present them with a check for $190,000. Additional guests included representatives from this year’s recipient charities.
The donation represents the cumulative efforts of this year’s numerous fundraising initiatives, which included the Wounded Heroes Golf Classic, Auctions, Raffle, Sponsored Events, Donations, and a Grant.
This year’s donation will be allocated to the selected charities in the following way:
$ 125,000 Special Operations Warrior Foundation
(This will complete funding for a 5th scholarship and fund 50% of a 6th scholarship for a surviving child of a Special Operations service member who perished while serving our country.)
$ 35,000 Military Warrior Support Foundation
(This will fund Home #8 through the Home Sponsorship Program.)
$ 25,000 K9’s for Warriors
(With this donation, LFWMH will have funded 24 dogs; 18 are currently “active” and 6 are to be identified, trained, and paired with their Wounded Hero.)
$ 2,500 Navy Seal Foundation
$ 2,500 Green Beret Foundation
$190,000 Total
With this gift, the LFWMH’s twelve-year total funding to the charities that provide essential services to our Lowcountry Wounded Heroes amounts to $1,725,500. LFWMH CEO Russ Spicer notes, “Our mission is twofold: the LFWMH is committed to ensuring that the sacrifices of our service men and women are never forgotten, and that we always give our Wounded Heroes a thank you for both their service and sacrifice. To aid in that promise is the commitment to raise funds that are tremendously impactful through the B4B charities that we support each year.”
Our annual Golf Classic is one of the ways we honor our Lowcountry Wounded Heroes. Mr. Spicer further shared, “We thank them for both their service and sacrifice while providing them with a day to enjoy themselves. This year over sixty service men and women participated, making it our largest Heroes turnout ever!”
We hope you will mark your calendars and join us on May 22nd, for our 2023 Wounded Heroes Golf Classic at Hampton Hall and Oldfield Golf Clubs. We also look forward to hosting the 2023 Operation Shower(Baby Shower) @ RBC Heritage.
This extraordinary level of accomplishment continues to be possible because of the legions of volunteers, sponsors, donors, and attendees who give their time, expertise, and generosity to help make a difference in the lives of our combat wounded service men and women.
The LFWMH recognizes and applauds the depth of commitment of everyone involved and, on behalf of the Wounded Heroes we are honored to support, we extend our deepest gratitude and thanks.
Congratulations to our own Russ Spicer, CEO and Founder of the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, for being selected by the Emily Geiger Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to receive their 2022 Community Service Award.
Joined by several LFWMH Board/Committee Members and his proud wife, Karen, Russ was presented with the service award by Krista Taracuk, Regent NCDAR on November 10th, at the Palmetto Electric Company.
Designed to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community, especially in support of our local military personnel, we couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor. Russ’ contributions have impacted not only those in the Bluffton community, but soldiers and their families who have a connection with the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia’s Coastal Empire.
On behalf of everyone involved with our Foundation, especially those who have and will benefit from your initiative and support, we “SALUTE” you and thank you for all you have done. You have touched more lives than you can ever imagine.
On Tuesday, November 10th, 2020, Hallmark Golf hosted 111 players for the Lowcountry Veteran’s Day Golf Tournament. The tournament was the restart of a Crescent tradition honoring and recognizing Veterans at The Crescent and in our local community. For many years, the Crescent tournament was organized and ran by three Crescent residents who are Vietnam Veterans. The tournament took a hiatus for several years and now new Crescent volunteers have brought it back to life and plan to make it an annual event.
This year’s tournament collected $5,725 from corporate and individual donors, and cash donations on the day of the tournament, which was presented to The Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes (LFWMH), this year's recipient.
We are deeply honored to be a part of this special event and extend our gratitude to the committee and its donors .
Pictured, left to right are Mike Siegel, one of the three founding members of the Crescent Veteran’s Day Golf Tournament; Connie Poland, wife of a second founding member and co-organizer of this year’s tournament; Bill Anderson, Crescent Veteran and tournament organizer; Alan Prenoveau, Treasurer of LFWMH, and
Russ Spicer, CEO of LFWMH.
When we think back to when the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes first began, we are reminded of the goal that was foremost in our minds and hearts - to find ways to help and support both combat wounded veterans and active duty combat wounded servicemen and servicewomen in the Lowcountry. The founding group of dedicated volunteers was small but has steadily grown over the years as the number of people that have given their time, expertise and financial support expands. Russ Spicer, LFWMH Chairman, says it best, “We have truly evolved into a Lowcountry foundation, supported by most local communities, stretching from the South Carolina Lowcountry to Coastal Georgia geographical areas.”
Now into our eleventh year, the goal remains strong as has the support of so many, allowing the LFWMH to expand and extend the outreach vital to the combat wounded servicemen and servicewomen who have given so very much to secure the freedoms we all enjoy.
One of the ways we show our gratitude is by hosting combat wounded veterans and active duty combat wounded servicemen and servicewomen at our annual Golf Classic. This year we were privileged to spend the day with 60+ Heroes; to hear their stories, the journeys they have taken, the challenges they face, is to understand the profound sacrifices they have made.
The other way we show our gratitude is through dedicated fundraising that allows us to support programs that can make a lasting difference in their lives. So, it is with humble hearts and no small measure of gratitude that we thank you all for your support and share the results of this year’s LFWMH fundraising initiatives with you.
On Monday, August 2nd, LFWMH’s Board and many Committee Members traveled to
Ponte Vedra, Florida, to deliver a check to Birdies for The Brave, the PGA Tour Charity, in the amount of $185,000.
PGA Tour Manager, Justin Johns, shared that “These funds will be invaluable, particularly during such a challenging year, in helping these outstanding military charities achieve their shared mission of giving back to those who selflessly serve our country.” He continued, “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the Lowcountry Foundation and continue to be amazed by the passion and dedication of all those involved.”
This year’s donation will be allocated in the following way:
$ 75,000 K9’s for Warriors
(Will sponsor 3 service canines)
$ 65,000 Special Operations Warrior Foundation
(This will be the 5th scholarship LFWMH has sponsored for a child who has lost a parent in the line of duty)
$ 25,000 Military Warrior Support Foundation
(Home sponsorship program)
$ 15,000 Operation Shower
(We continued our support of Baby Showers for Service Members
with a $500 gift earlier this year);
This additional gift will be used at the 2022 Baby Shower @ RBC Heritage)
$ 2,500 Navy Seal Foundation
$ 2,500 Green Beret Foundation
$185,000
This year’s cumulative income brings the LFWMH’s eleven-year gift total to $1,535,500; a number that has been made possible because of the dedication and generosity of many. The life altering injuries these men and women receive while in service to our country are reminders that freedom has a very real price. We are honored that you have joined us in making sure that their sacrifice is not forgotten, and that they can rely on us to support their difficult journey.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
The Board and Committee Chairs of the
Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes
LFWMH scholarship recipient, John J. Eggers, has graduated Cum Laude from The Citadel. JJ was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate for ROTC, along with earning a degree in Business Administration. He has been commissioned to join the Army and will head to Fort Benning in July.
John is the son of Army CPT Daniel Eggers, who was Killed in Action in Afghanistan on 5/29/2004. John is the third recipient to be awarded a scholarship through the LFWMH's partnership with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
We congratulate him on a job well done and wish him every success!
General Ann Dunwoody was the featured speaker at our 9th Annual Golf Classic Event. Ann is the former commanding general of one of the Army’s largest commands, the US Army Materiel Command. She is the first woman in US military history to achieve a four-star officer rank. She led many divisions at home and abroad and commanded at every level. She also supported the largest deployment and redeployment of US forces since WWII. She is the author of the book, A Higher Standard: Leadership Strategies from America’s First Female Four-Star General, where she shares nearly four decades of military experiences and shares her effective leadership skills , revealing the principles that guided her to her historic appointment.
TIME magazine interview on how she made it.
Hundreds of people turned out for an evening of River Dog craft beer, Murican Border Tacos and fundraising for a good cause. The highlight of the event was the gracious donation of $15,000 by The Rotary Club of Okatie raised from their 25th Annual Polo for Charity event held in October at the Rose Hill Equestrian Center.
“We are honored that The Rotary Club of Okatie has chosen us for the 2018 Polo for Charity Event” said Russ Spicer the founder of the LFWMH. “This donation will go toward our 17th sponsored service dog from K9s for Warriors -- the nation's largest provider of service canines for disabled vets suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury as a result of their post-9/11 military service. In honor of this event, this dog will be named ‘Okatie’ and will be paired with a deserving wounded warrior from our area.”
Special thanks to the Team at River Dog Brewery for hosting the event– you guys are awesome!
Link to photos from the event:
River Dog Brewery hosted the Heroes Brew Fest Honoring Lowcountry’s Wounded Military Veterans
Pictured above is Russ Spicer (Center), Chairman of the LFWMH, accepting the donation from members of the Rotary Club of Okatie (pictured from left to right) - Carl Jones, Linda Palmer, Julie Leister, Tony Leister and John Mosca.
November 9th, 2018 -- In celebration of Veterans Day and the anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes (LFWMH) presented an award of gratitude to the ROTC students attending the Whale Branch Early College High School for their participation in the Foundation’s activities honoring local wounded veterans.
Accepting the award were Major Marvin D. Goodwin, Senior Marine Instructor and Ms. Mona Lise Dickson, Principal at the Whale Branch Early College High School. Attending the ceremony were 90 Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MC-JROTC) students along with invited military veterans and their families. The program included a salute to our nation’s military veterans with a Posting of Colors performed by the high school students along with a traditional cake-cutting ceremony in honor of the day November 10th, 1775 when the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines in Philadelphia. The Continental Marines served the American Colonies during the American Revolutionary War and would later become the United States Marine Corps.
Foundation Military Liaison Sal Zingales, LTC. U.S. Army (Ret.) commented, “We honor the students of the Whale Branch MC-JROTC program for their service to our Foundation. And, to the Whale Branch High School teachers and staff, we thank you for your dedication to developing informed students with strength of character and an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship. Your work is playing an important role in preparing future leaders for our military and the nation.”
July 26, 2018. LFWMH' s CEO , Russ Spicer and CFO, Doug Myers presented this year's $155,000 check to Justin Johns of the PGA Tour's Birdies for the Brave (B4B) at a ceremony at TPC Sawgrass (near the headquarters for the B4B) in Ponte Vedre, FL.
This check put LFWMH's donations to B4B over the $1M mark.
From the Birdies for the Brave press release....
Hundreds of lowcountry golfers gathered together with community leaders and sponsors in May to raise funds for the military through the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes’ Eighth Annual Wounded Heroes Golf Classic at Hampton Hall Club and Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton.
Thanks to the outpouring of support from the local community, the event raised $155,000, bringing the total amount raised during the past eight years to $1,065,000. Proceeds will once again benefit six Birdies for the Brave military homefront charities including Military Warriors Support Foundation; Operation Shower; Special Operations Warrior Foundation; Green Beret Foundation; Navy Seal Foundation; and K9s For Warriors. The donation check was presented this week to Birdies for the Brave during a ceremony at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday, July 26, following a golf outing with members from the Lowcountry Foundation and Birdies for the Brave on the Stadium Course. During the round, Birdies for the Brave player supporter Fred Funk stopped by to show his appreciation and offer putting tips.
“We are grateful to the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes for doing such a tremendous job supporting wounded veterans from the greater lowcountry area through this fantastic event,” said the PGA TOUR’s Justin Johns, who spearheads Birdies for the Brave. “These funds will be invaluable in helping all of these outstanding military charities achieve their shared mission of giving back to those who selflessly put their lives on the line every day in service to our country.”
The Golf Classic was kicked off with an evening volunteer and community appreciation reception featuring live and silent auctions, guest speakers and live music, followed the next day by the tournament. Opening ceremonies were conducted at both clubs, and included a variety of military pageantry including the presentation of the colors and the singing of the national anthem. The 18-hole tournament featured more than 200 golfers and nearly 30 lowcountry wounded veterans, with the veterans playing nine holes of golf with every foursome. Live and silent auctions and a post-golf awards dinner followed play, where golfers had the chance to mingle with homefront charity representatives and hear from guest speakers.
The Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes was co-founded by lifelong golf fan and philanthropist Russ Spicer to address the growing need to help service members returning home from combat with serious injuries and disabilities re-integrate into civilian life. The all-volunteer organization encompasses a five-person Board of Directors, 20 committee leaders, and more than 180 passionate, dedicated volunteers.
“The men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces sacrifice so much to ensure the safety and freedom of all Americans, and we owe them and their families an enormous debt of gratitude,” said Spicer. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Birdies for the Brave to give back to these courageous veterans, and appreciate the passion, generosity and compassion of so many caring people in the lowcountry community – who helped make our eighth annual Wounded Heroes Golf Classic an overwhelming success.”
For more information about the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, visit www.woundedmilitaryheroes.org. For more information on Birdies for the Brave, please visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org or follow them on Facebook.
Last year, we were honored that Governor Haley, now Ambassador to the U.N., proclaimed May 6, 2016 Wounded Heroes Golf Classic Day.