IWAKUNI CITY, Japan -- The 4th Annual Active-Duty Fund Drive in support of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Golf Tournament was held at the Iwakuni Country Club in Iwakuni City, Japan, April 28, 2017.
The fund drive raised funds for the NMCRS, which provides emergency financial assistance to active-duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families.
“We try to raise as many funds as we can in order to help out our Navy and Marine Corps brothers and sisters,” said U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Jeremy Graves, an air traffic controller with Marine Air Control Squadron 4 Detachment Bravo.
Graves’ good friend, Billy Horschel, a professional golfer in the U.S., sent him golf balls, water bottles and gloves to raffle off and give away during the tournament in order to help raise funds and give incentives for people to come out and participate.
“We had 19 teams this year, 74 participants and 26 volunteers,” said Graves.
Graves said he has been coordinating the tournament since 2014, with 2017 having the largest turnout and almost tripling donations since the previous year. He also said 100 percent of the donations and proceeds will go directly to the active-duty fund drive.
The 18-hole golf tournament lasted about six hours with NMCRS volunteers circling the course providing refreshments and food for donations.
“The guys who came out here and others who volunteered were fantastic,” said Brian Ihlenfeld, a participant with the Life Saving Mulligans team. “We are happy to be out here in support of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. It’s good to be here and good to be invited.”
Graves said the fund drive received $3,105 in donations.
“I’d like to thank Melissa Hornbrook, the director for Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (in Iwakuni), and everybody that participated,” said Graves. “I couldn’t have done it without the volunteers and participants. Everyone that was involved in this event helped equally. It was a great event with a great turnout, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group.”
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