Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Military Moments sŝŶƚĂŐĞ ĂŝƌĐƌĂŌ ĂŶĚ &Ͳϭϴ͛Ɛ may not buzz golfers overhead in Livonia as they did at the ŝŶĂƵŐƵƌĂů DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ƌŵĞĚ &ŽƌĐĞƐ ,ŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚǇ ĞŶƚĞƌ ;D ,& Ϳ ŐŽůĨ ŽƵƟŶŐ Ăƚ ^ĞůĨƌŝĚŐĞ ' ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ďƵƚ ƐƟůů͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ŵĂŶǇ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƌĞĂƐŽŶƐ to support the 2 nd Annual ‘Tee /ƚ hƉ ĨŽƌ &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ͛ ʹ Ă :ƵůǇ ϮϬ th fundraiser beginning with a 12:00 noon shotgun start at Whispering Willows GC in Livonia. >ĂƐƚ ǇĞĂƌ͕ Ă ŵĂǆŝŵƵŵ ĮĞůĚ ƐŽůĚ ŽƵƚ ƋƵŝĐŬůǇ ĂŶĚ ŽǀĞƌ Ψϭϴ͕ϬϬϬ ǁĂƐ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ ƚŽ ĂŝĚ ƚŚĞ &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ ĞŶƚĞƌƐ͕ which welcome traveling military at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and at area Deployment Centers (MEPS). The 2017 event was ŚĞůĚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ h^ & dŚƵŶĚĞƌďŝƌĚƐ͛ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ƌƵŶƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĞŬĞŶĚ airshows honoring Selfridge Air EĂƟŽŶĂů 'ƵĂƌĚ ĂƐĞ͛Ɛ ;^ E' Ϳ 100th anniversary last August. The ŽƵƟŶŐ ǁŝůů ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ next airshow does, in 2020. dŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ ĞŶƚĞƌ ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ŶĞĂƌ 'ĂƚĞ Ͳϯϰ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ McNamara Terminal on Veterans Day, 11/11/11 at 11:11am. Two MEPS Centers later opened in Troy and Lansing, and the North dĞƌŵŝŶĂů ĨĂĐŝůŝƚǇ͕ ďǇ 'ĂƚĞ Ͳϭϳ͕ ďĞĐĂŵĞ ĂĐƟǀĞ ŝŶ :ĂŶƵĂƌǇ ϮϬϭϲ͘ ^ŝŶĐĞ ŝƚƐ ŝŶĐĞƉƟŽŶ͕ D &, ƌĞůŝĞƐ ŽŶ ĚŽŶĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ funding and the centers have ĂĐĐŽŵŵŽĚĂƚĞĚ ŽǀĞƌ ϰϱϬ͕ϬϬϬ guests. When the USO opted out of establishing service lounges ƚŽ ĂĐƟǀĞ ŵŝůŝƚĂƌǇ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ ŝŶ Detroit, local supporters and military veterans recognized an ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚǇ ƚŽ ŐŽ ŽŶĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ ĞŶƚĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƌǀĞ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůǇ ĂĐƟǀĞ ŵŝůŝƚĂƌǇ͕ but also reservists, veterans, and family members. Delta Airlines ĚŽŶĂƚĞĚ ƐƉĂĐĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ Centers. This year’s move to Livonia is ƉƌŽŵƉƚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚǇ͛Ɛ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ support of military members and veterans by current mayor, Dennis Wright, and former mayor, Jack Kirksey, both military veterans. Golf Livonia also hosts the annual Detroit News/GAM WĂƚƌŝŽƚ ĂǇ ,ŽůĞͲ/ŶͲKŶĞ ŽŶƚĞƐƚ͘ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ dĞƌƌǇ tĞůƐŚ ŝƐ ĂƐƐŝƐƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĞīŽƌƚ ďǇ ŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ ĐŽƐƚƐ minimal to raise more funds. ^ƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ͕ ŐŽůĨĞƌ ƌĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ D ,& ŝƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ Ăƚ www. mifreedomcenter.org. “We are proud of our ĮŐŚƟŶŐ men and women and do invite everyone to ‘Tee it Up for &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ ,’” said co Ͳ Chair Howard Ambinder. Note: Event chairperson Janina WĂƌƌŽƩ Jacobs is a GAM Governor and Freedom Center volunteer whose nephew is a former Navy SEAL. Michigan Golf Journal publisher Tom Lang has a daughter currently serving in the U.S. Navy. More info by emailing mifreedomcentergolf@ gmail.com. Tee it Up for Freedom Ǉ :ĂŶŝŶĂ WĂƌƌŽƩ :ĂĐŽďƐ