On Saturday, March 7, Glen Lakes Veterans and Friends (GLVF) hosted a reception for the sponsors of their Ninth Annual Golf Scramble which was held on November 11, 2024. The organization has been holding this event every year on Veterans Day since 2016. GLVF is an all-volunteer non-profit organization made up of Glen Lakes Community residents. Some are veterans but many are not.
Besides the many veterans organizations that they help support, they have also erected a beautiful veterans memorial just inside the entrance to Glen Lakes. The United States flag, along with those of all the armed forces, fly over the memorial. There are red bricks that pave the area which one can purchase in honor of a veteran. People can also sit on benches and contemplate the sacrifices of these men and women. GLVF also hosts a golf clinic in which veterans can receive free golf lessons.
But their most ambitious project is their annual golf tournament. Volunteers spend almost a whole year planning and organizing the event. They solicit sponsorships and donations from local businesses and individuals, send out publicity notices and a host of other activities necessary for an event of this magnitude. The management of Glen Lakes Golf and Country Club allows the participants free use of the golf course and golf carts. Besides the hole sponsorships and the entrance fees for golfers, a large portion of their proceeds come from donations of items for their silent auction and raffle.
The culmination of all the hard work is their reception in which sponsors, members and friends of the organization, as well as grant recipients, can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. They also award the grants at this reception.
This year the following organizations and establishments received grants:
F.W. Springstead High School Air Force Junior ROTC – $1,000; Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Home – $2,800 to purchase benches and gliders for an outdoor atrium for its Alzheimer’s residents; The Polish American Veterans League – $1,000 for care packages for veterans at the VA hospital in Tampa; Disabled Veterans (DAV) Chapter 67- $1,000 to help pay for utilities at its headquarters; Marine Corps League 708 – $3,700 for their Young Marines program and community outreach programs; Veterans Depot – $2,000 for food boxes for needy veterans; Veterans Heat Factory (VHF) – $1,500 to fund its monthly dinners for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress and their families; West Central Honor Flight – $2,000 to help pay for its quarterly flights to take veterans on a tour of Washington D.C.; and the St. Vincent DePaul Cares Program – $3,000 for veterans and their families.
For more information on Glen Lakes Veterans and Friends go to www.glenlakesvets.org
The following individuals and businesses participated as either hole sponsors, donors of items for the auction and raffles, or monetary donations:
Addome Bella; Air Source Air Conditioning & Heating; American Executive Tax & Financial Services; Aventura Nursery; Blaise Ingoglia; BMJ Supply, Inc.; Brian’s Place; Bruce & Maureen Johnston; Buick GMC Brooksville; Citrus National; Clemente P. Nunag M.D.P.A; Corey A. Jordan; Country Club Cars; Craig W. Krueger HVAC; Darrell Vidas – Mattress Avenue; DeCristofaro’s Restaurant; Deluca, Ressel, & Congemi Dental Care; Downing Funeral Home; Florian Insurance; Hardees; Historic Sports Art by Dicky Keane; Howard Plank; Jeep Chrysler; Jim & Alicia Karam; Kara Evans; Killingsworth Agency, Inc.; Laser Air Conditioning; Linn & Sharon Craton; Marcum Associates, Inc.; Marker 48; Mission BBQ; Optimum Healthcare; Philhower Group at People’s Trust Realty; Prime 88 Steak House; Publix; Ralph W. Paulsen, PA; Register Chevrolet; Rick & Nancy Merkel/ Marshfield Area Community Foundation; Skyview; The Plantation; Theresa Schankel; Theresa Schnake; Thomas & Lynn Cumm; Twisted Oaks; Village Cadillac Toyota; Wayne & Sandy Millington; Wentworth Golf & Country Club; Wilkenson Family
