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Kelsey Schultz and the Upper Arlington golf team present the Honor Flight Network with a check for $5,000. |
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On June 16, Kelsey Schultz of Upper Arlington, Ohio, brought
together members of his high school golf team to raise money for Honor Flight
Network, a non-profit organization that works to fly World War II veterans to
see the war memorial in Washington, D.C. Seventeen golfers joined Schultz for
the 18-hole fundraiser that took just under five hours to complete.
Schultz had his first experience with Honor Flight in eighth
grade when he witnessed the purpose of Honor Flight firsthand. That year,
Schultz and his father flew with 20 World War II veterans from Columbus, Ohio,
to Washington, D.C. to aide in the veterans’ trip to view, for the first time,
the memorial that honors their sacrifices.
“It was great to see the veterans and how they reacted so
greatly to seeing their memorial,” Schultz said. “It was an experience I will
never forget.”
A similar golf fundraiser in 8th grade gave Schultz the idea
to host this year’s golf outing to raise money for Honor Flight. In his first
year of running the fundraiser, Schultz initially contacted fellow members of
the Upper Arlington High School golf team to ask for their help in raising
money. When he received 100 percent support and participation from his friends,
Schultz sought out the Ohio State Golf Course to host the event.
After working hard to get the approval to use Ohio State’s
golf course, Schultz succeeded and moved on to begin raising donations prior to
the event. Schultz and his golf teammates went into their community to raise
one-time donations and donations for every par, birdie, or eagle that each
player would make while participating in the outing.
Following the event on June 16, Schultz and the Upper
Arlington golf team raised $5,000 for Honor Flight.
“Everyone had a great time and worked together to have a
great, successful outcome,” Schultz said.
As a new member of the AJGA, Schultz is already striving to
make a difference in his community by raising money for Honor Flight, an
organization that he says is “such a great cause for great people.” In the
future, Schultz plans to make his Honor Flight golf fundraiser an annual event
so they can raise as many donations as possible for this great cause.
- Written by
Stephanie Jefcoat. Originally published in the June 24 edition of The AJGA
Insider.
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