Folds of Honor

Aiding veterans' families

By Leah Etling on Feb 6, 2013 in News

Yardi  was proud to support the recent fundraising efforts of the National Multi-Housing Council on behalf of the Folds of Honor Foundation.

Folds of Honor is a national non-profit organization that offers scholarships to dependents and spouses of military servicemen and women killed or disabled while serving our nation. Folds of Honor has awarded more than 3,800 educational scholarships since its origins in 2007.

Created by a veteran who served two combat tours of duty in Iraq, the Folds of Honor helps to meet a high demand for scholarship assistance among military families. The awards have helped surviving spouses return to college for professional training after losing their family’s primary breadwinner. They have also helped children who lost parents in military combat achieve their educational dreams.

The organization was created by USAF Major Dan Rooney, a retired F-16 pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, a golf course owner, a residential developer and a PGA Professional. After founding Folds of Honor, Rooney was recognized as one of People Magazine’s 2008 Heroes of the Year and one of ABC World News Tonight’s Persons of the Year for 2008. Fellow golfers, real estate professionals, veterans and politicians have joined his effort, as well as lots of everyday Americans.

Folds of Honor created an annual Patriot Golf Day, where proceeds from your play go to the foundation. And NMHC’s Walk for our Troops got annual meeting participants out running and walking early one morning. The January event in Palm Springs was the second annual run/walk to benefit the non-profit.

“We can never do too much for our military, and I think that should be a driving force in all of our minds,” said Jeff Stack, a Marine Corps veteran, Managing Director of SARES•REGIS Group and chair of the NMHC Walk For Our Troops. NMHC collected corporate donations for the organization and each runner/walker contributed at least $25 to the cause.

“They dedicate themselves and their time, they don’t make a great deal of money, they’re professional and they do a wonderful job.  I think there’s never too much you can do for those people, and giving scholarships to young people whose parents were killed or wounded in conflict, I just can’t think of a more worthy cause. It’s a great way for us to give back to those who have given so much.”

Folds of Honor has also created a scholarship fund for children younger than college-age, which helps to meets educational needs from kindergarten through high school. The awards subsidize tuition, approved tutoring, school uniforms, schoolbooks, fees, after school educational programs, and approved educational summer camps.

In addition to its scholarship programs, Folds of Honor has also created a retreat house, called the Honor Cottage, where military families can relax and regroup after the loss of a military parent or a disability caused in the line of duty. The Honor Cottage is located at CrossTimbers on Skiatook Lake, Okla, and is expected to be completed on Memorial Day 2013.

The following video with scholarship recipient Lisa Hallet describes how the efforts of Folds of Honor have aided her family.

To learn more about Folds of Honor, visit http://www.foldsofhonor.org Patriot Golf Day events are held annually around the country, and you can find a course near you that participates on the Folds of Honor website.