Why the Golf Classic Matters
The Carrington Charitable Foundation’s annual Golf Classic has risen in popularity with each passing year, becoming a can’t-miss, sell-out event. And although we’re pleased that it’s won numerous accolades – such as being listed as one of Orange County’s best charity events – that’s not why we do it. The Golf Classic has always been about supporting our nation’s brave Veterans – an intention that started with humble beginnings, but eventually led us to creating this annual event.
CCF first started supporting Veterans through the Boxes for our Troops program, which originated in our Greenwich office back in 2007. As Carrington expanded, so did the enthusiastic participation in this initiative … all the way up to this past July, when Carrington Associates banded together to fill, pack and ship 808 boxes of goods to active duty troops.
As our involvement in Veterans affairs expanded, so did our understanding of the needs of Veterans – particularly after seeing them come home from service with injuries. We then learned of the Veterans Airlift Command, a volunteer network of pilots offering transportation to wounded Veterans and their families in need of medical support. The VAC taught us much about our wounded heroes, reinforcing why we continue to support Veterans today. But it was in partnering with the VAC, and helping Veterans come home, that we realized their specialized needs for housing. That realization is what inspired us to launch Carrington House.
Carrington House began with the mission to provide temporary housing close to medical facilities in order to help wounded Veterans on the mend. But once these heroes returned home, we realized their needs extended far beyond temporary accommodations. Because of their injuries, many wounded Veterans returned to homes that no longer supported their needs. So Carrington House shifted its focus to building custom, adaptive homes that specifically addressed the requirements of each wounded Veteran supported by our program.
At Carrington Charitable Foundation, all of our fundraising efforts support Carrington House and the Veterans Airlift Command, which in turn support deserving Veterans. And as the date nears for the 6th Annual Carrington Charitable Foundation Golf Classic, which will once again raise funds for these two worthy charities, we’re pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to support our nation’s Veterans.
As they return home from combat, CCF now plans also to provide Veterans with the guidance and support they need to start on a new path in life. That means we’ll assist them with such diverse needs as honing their interviewing skills, crafting solid resumes, guiding them to treatment resources or helping them create business plans and nurturing their entrepreneurial spirit. In short, CCF will be doing whatever it can to help Veterans join the workforce and successfully return to civilian life.
“It is an honor to assist Veterans with their mobility, stability and prosperity,” says Shelly Rose Lawrence, Director of Community Relations for the Carrington Charitable Foundation. And we hope you feel the same. As we venture into our sixth year of the CCF Golf Classic, we look forward to sharing this amazing event with all of you, as well as the humbling experience that comes from giving so generously to those who have bravely served to keep our country safe.
