WESTFIELD – An organization seeking to help veterans reacclimate to life back home is hosting what it hopes to be the first of many benefit golf tournaments tomorrow.
Project New Hope, Inc., an non-profit organization which hosts week-long retreats throughout the year for vets and their families, is teaming up with Shaker Farms Country Club in Westfield for the first annual “Birdies for the Veterans” tournament.
According to Project New Hope, the retreats are free for participants, which include families and children, both female and male veterans and Gold Star & Survivor Families who have lost loved ones during military service.
Issues and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and military sexual trauma (MST) are addressed during these retreats, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) issues and suicide prevention.
According to Susan Teitel, an Army veteran and golf professional who is helping organize the event, the non-profit’s mission will benefit servicemembers and their families immensely.
“I ran across one of my student’s parents who were in the reserves and went on one of the retreats they offer,” said Teitel. “I asked if it was like the Wounded Warrior Project, but what Project New Hope does is try to reacclimate soliders back to the norm, whatever their norm may be.”
Teitel said what clinched her involvement in organizing the tournament was the organization’s total dedication to vets.
“The CEO and office staff are running this program as volunteers, with all the proceeds going to the soliders and veterans, so why wouldn’t I want to give back to that?” Teitel said. “I don’t think we give back enough.”
“We started Project New Hope in January 2011 out of my home,” said Bill Moore, the CEO of Project New Hope and an Air Force veteran. “The VA can’t do it alone and I wanted to start offering free weekend retreats. Today the suicide rate for servicemen and women… we lose 22 people a day. Their marriages are falling apart, there is drugs and alcohol… We can do something about this.”
Moore stated that his volunteer Board of Directors for the organization are all veterans themselves, including his daughter, who serves in the Massachusetts Air National Guard on Otis Air Force Base in Buzzards Bay.
“We’ve had veterans come in from all over New England and as far away as San Diego, Michigan, Florida, for our retreats,” he said. “They have to pay their transportation, but if they can get here, we can get them into a retreat.”
Shaker Farms Owner Nancy Kotowicz, who has three sons who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces, said the opportunity to host the tournament was one she wouldn’t ever pass up.
“When they approached us, I was all for it. It’s hard for these guys to acclimate back into society after a deployment.” she said. “When our son first came back from Iraq, we had to go to a seminar to tell us some of the things you shouldn’t do. Don’t touch them when they’re sleeping, don’t make loud noises… there are a lot of little things.”
In addition to her sons, Kotowicz’ father served in the Air Force, giving her the experience of life in a military family from an early age, and furthering solidifying an urge to help others returning home.
“When Mr. Moore asked us to host this tournament, I was thrilled because it touches me personally,” she said.
While the number of registered participants isn’t quite as great as Teitel had hoped, she said that she is open to late entrants to the field.
“This is the first year and we got started a little late. I think we’re at 50-52 people,” she said. “It’s not huge. We’re starting little, but we’ve had some sponsors coming in so we’re good to go.”
“We’re hoping to add to the numbers before Friday morning when we head up there.” added Moore.
With an entrance fee of $100, Kotowicz, Moore and Teitel are optimistic they can raise a good amount of money for the organization this year and to continue to do so in the future.
“It’s going to become an annual thing,” said Kotowicz confidently.
Those who are unable to play in tomorrow’s “Birdies for the Veterans” tournament can visit the organization’s website www.projectnewhopema.org to learn more and to donate to the cause.
