Newcastle, WA
(June 27th, 2019) -We are very pleased to announce that our Red, White & Blue Golf Classic, Dinner and Auction, was an outstanding success! Thanks to your sponsorship and support that day, we raised a record setting amount, in excess of $325,000, in support of our region's military, their families and our veterans.
This single day event is the largest golf event supporting our military, with more than 430 golfers, sponsors and attendees, including almost 100 military participants. Proceeds from the Golf Classic fund USO-NW operations throughout Washington and Oregon. We are grateful for the tremendous support from more than 80 sponsors. Without their support we would not be able to provide USO programs and services each year to over 800,000 military personnel and their family members stationed in or traveling through the Pacific Northwest.
The Force Behind the Forces this year, include Presenting Sponsor The Boeing Company; Course Sponsor Starbucks; Golf Cart Sponsors Delta Air Lines and GEICO; Double Eagle Sponsors Alaska Airlines, Seattle Mariners, NECA- Puget Sound Chapter, and Tito's Handmade Vodka; our Eagle Sponsors Amazon, Expedia, Impark, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and Silver Cloud Inn & Hotels.
This year's tournament had everything all packed in one day, including recognition of the 6 Military Golf Teams, a flyover by the Blackjack Squadron of Arlington WA, silent and live auctions, and more food and drink than ever before. We would like to congratulate the National Guard Team, who won our "Military Event" with a score of 57. Their golfer names will be engraved on the "Chairman's Military Cup" trophy. We also would like to congratulate the Anheuser Busch Team, who won a "scorecard playoff" over the Mariners and Team Columbia/Miller Coors, taking first place overall with an impressive score of 53.
At the dinner following golf, a special "Raise the Paddle" video highlighted the USS COLORADO that continues her services 101 years after she was commissioned, by lending her teak-wood decking to the USO Northwest's Sea-Tac Center. In this way, we remember the men and women who served on the USS COLORADO and the sacrifices they, and others like them, made for this nation. Thanks to the talents of Auctioneer extraordinaire, John Curley, over $22,000 was raised to help restore the decking to its former glory and support our local military and their families.
This year's Golf Committee was led by Chair Christopher Ellis (Amazon's Corporate Security Manager) along with help from Board Chairman Ryan Van Maarth (Senior Director, Construction and Planning, Seattle Mariners).