Lendlease Community Fund Raises Over $357,000 for Military Families and Veterans with 10th Annual 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES Golf Tournament in Brentwood, Tenn.
- 18 Oct 2023
(Nashville, Tenn., October 18, 2023) – The Lendlease Community Fund (LLCF), a nonprofit supporting U.S. military service members who live in homes and neighborhoods created by Lendlease Communities, celebrated the 10th year of its annual 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES golf tournament fundraiser by raising more than $357,000 at the 2023 event, which took place Tuesday, Oct. 10., at The Governors Club in Brentwood, Tenn.
In total since 2013, the tournament has raised more than $2.9 million to support programming and outreach organizations that benefit active-duty service members, military families and veterans. Nonprofit partners for the 2023 event included Wear Blue: Run to Remember; Wounded Warrior Project; CreatiVets; Boot Campaign; K9s for Warriors; Operation Stand Down Tennessee; Operation Shower, REBOOT Recovery; MTSU-Charlie Daniels Veterans Center; VetLinx; Thistle Farms; and Centerstone Military Services.
Additionally, money raised through the event has provided more than $1.3 million toward LLCF’s BlueStar Scholarships, which are awarded to children of service members living in privatized military housing operated by Lendlease Communities and have produced 36 college graduates to date.
“We started 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES a decade ago as a way to show our appreciation for our country’s service members and express gratitude for the sacrifices they and their families make every day,” said Phillip Carpenter, Chairman of the LLCF Board. “As the event has grown in popularity over the years, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with so many inspiring nonprofit organizations that support our active-duty and retired military personnel. It’s been an honor to highlight their work through this event, and we also can’t express enough of our thanks to the many sponsors and golfers that have returned year after year to make 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES such a success.”
During welcoming remarks, keynote speaker Lisa Hallett, Executive Director of Wear Blue: Run to Remember, shared through her personal story of the loss of her husband during a deployment in Afghanistan – as well as the experiences of others who have been involved with the organization – how it serves as a community of strength, support, healing and connection for families of fallen service members. “Shared community is so very important to me personally and professionally. In the military we like to say you have to know your community before you need your community, and I have lived this every step of my military life,” she said. “Thank you so much for investing in hope for our military veterans and families of the fallen. Your generosity has such a deserving impact on communities across the nation. We talk a lot about community at Wear Blue, and community is not a noun – it’s action. Community is how we show up for each other, and we’re doing really great things together for one another. We’re living community.”
Several nonprofit organizations have been involved with 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES since its inaugural year, including K9s for Warriors, Operation Stand Down Tennessee and Wounded Warrior Project. Danny Onvimala, a K9s for Warriors 2023 Graduate and Warrior Trainer, was on hand at the event with Private, the sixth service dog sponsored by LLCF through the organization since 2015. “I wish to extend my deepest thanks to Lendlease Community Fund for their unwavering support,” he said. “Their incredible generosity has not only been a lifeline, but has also afforded me the opportunity to create cherished moments with my children.”
The more than 130 golfers participating in the tournament included representatives from multiple local, regional and national corporations that supported the event, including title sponsor Bank of America; platinum sponsors Bureau Veritas, Guggenheim Partners, HD Supply, Husch Blackwell, Mainscape and WinnResidential Military Housing Services; and gold sponsors Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, Homestead Fence, IHG® Army Hotels and Lowe’s Pro Supply.
“The success of 18 FORE FAMILIES is built on the many long-standing relationships that make it possible, from the groups the event benefits to our sponsors who share our commitment to supporting these organizations and the important programming they offer,” said Carpenter. “We celebrate what we’ve accomplished together in the past decade, and look forward to continuing these partnerships in years to come.”
LLCF is a nonprofit organization that focuses its efforts on supporting military service members who live in homes and neighborhoods Lendlease has created, as well as supporting the communities where its employees work and live. Through the LLCF, Lendlease supports community growth and development by funding projects that address community challenges in the areas of housing, education, health, economic development and environmental sustainability and create or support programming aimed at improving the quality of life for military families who sacrifice so much for the United States. For more information on the LLCF, visit www.lendlease.com/us/about-us/community-fund/.
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About Lendlease
Lendlease (www.lendlease.com) is a globally integrated real estate group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. We create places where communities thrive. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:LLC), Lendlease has approximately 7,600 employees globally. Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Investments, Development and Construction. The combination of these three segments provides us with a sustainable competitive advantage in delivering innovative integrated solutions for our customers.
In the US, Lendlease’s Communities business is one of the nation’s leaders in public/private community development. We manage one of the largest military housing portfolios in the US and are the Army's exclusive partner for privatized lodging. With a focus on creating sustainable value, Lendlease creates communities that regenerate our environment, enrich people’s lives and foster economic growth. Lendlease has worked extensively with the Department of Defense through the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), a program that provides for the transfer of military housing assets to private sector companies. With over 40,000 residential units, 192 apartments and more than 12,000 hotel rooms in its portfolio, Lendlease will finance, develop, build, renovate and operate these sites for at least 50 years.
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For more information:
Sarah Lyons
Senior Account Director – Taylor Johnson Public Relations
slyons@taylorjohnson.com
+1 312 267-4520
Isabel Sepkowitz
Corporate Affairs, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Americas
isabel.sepkowitz@lendlease.com
+1 917 504-6975
Photo Captions :
- 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES 2023: Hosted by the Lendlease Community Fund at The Governors Club in Brentwood, Tenn., the 10th annual 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES golf tournament raised more than $357,000 to support programming and outreach organizations that benefit active-duty service members, military families and veterans.
- Keynote Address_Lisa Hallett, Wear Blue: Run to Remember: Welcoming remarks for the annual fundraiser included a keynote address by Lisa Hallett, Executive Director of Wear Blue: Run to Remember, one of several nonprofit partners for the 2023 event.
- 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES_Golfers: Pictured left to right: Jeff Holmes (Bank of America), Matt Garrett (Lendlease), Chris Capouch (Bank of America), Phillip Carpenter (Lendlease).
- K9s for Warriors_ Danny Onvimala and Private: Danny Onvimala, a K9s for Warriors 2023 Graduate and Warrior Trainer, was on hand at 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES with Private, the sixth service dog sponsored by LLCF through the organization since 2015.
- Rolling Thunder_Presentation of the Colors: Welcoming ceremonies for the 2023 18 FORE MILITARY FAMILIES golf tournament included the presentation of the colors by Tennessee Chapter One of Rolling Thunder, an organization committed to helping American veterans from all wars.
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