June 3 marked the 15th year running for the Chenega Invitational, and what better way to kick off raising money for a new charity than by setting a record for the tournament. The Chenega Invitational, a fan-favorite tournament to attendees, is a golf tournament hosted by Chenega MIOS to raise money for the fearless men and women who sacrifice themselves for the betterment of our nation, our veterans.
In the previous 14 years, the Chenega Invitational raised funds for Azalea Charities’ Aid for Wounded Warriors, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Dumfries, VA. Azalea dedicated its time to donating comfort and relief items to those injured due to their service in the military, and Chenega is proud to say that it was able to raise over $700,000 for these heroes over the 14 years. Unfortunately, as with many small businesses in 2020, Azalea closed its doors, eventually splitting its remaining funds among several worthy organizations in the Prince William County area. As is always said, “When one door closes, another one opens,” which is nothing short of what happened with the Chenega Invitational. Though saddened by the closing of Azalea, Chenega took this as an opportunity to look deeply into finding a new noble cause, eventually choosing the Vigilant Torch Association (VTA).
VTA is a volunteer organization that provides vital financial support to the Special Operations Community in their greatest time of need. They do this through emergency relief funds, especially for those wounded or killed in action, family maintenance/resilience support, and scholarships for family members. The Special Operations Forces are unique in that individuals are trained to carry out special and specific missions, oftentimes seeing intense combat and longer deployments to fulfill their assignments. Many of the board members for VTA, being retired Special Forces themselves, know first-hand the impact the service can have on an individual, making the mission of VTA hit home even more.
With the meaningful VTA mission in mind, Chenega MIOS set forth with a goal of raising more in a single tournament than had been done the 14 years prior. Of course, this goal could never have been imaginable without the backing and support from many regular sponsors of the tournament, along with the addition of new sponsors. All in all, Chenega MIOS is proud to have had the opportunity to raise $102,000 for our always deserving Special Operations Community.
The day began with Retired LTG, Mike Nagata, opening up with a moving speech about how VTA helps the Special Operations Community and how much of an impact the 15th Annual Chenega Invitational would make on their efforts. According to Mike, the amount of money raised through the tournament would stretch far enough to fund an entire year’s planned assistance, leaving room to help the inevitable unplanned instances that tend to happen in life. MIOS President John (JC) Campagna followed up with a much deserved “Thank you” to all attendees, who have time and time again stepped up to support the Chenega MIOS mission. This support brought the tournament to a level of success whose impact cannot be overstated. For example, Jim Bailey, President of GCC Tech, has been a sponsor and attendee of the Chenega Invitational for all 15 years. To celebrate the 15th year, Jim took it upon himself to present the tournament and the difference it makes to the Marine Corps League, who then decided to donate $5,000 to the Invitational. Chenega MIOS is so appreciative to have generous people like Jim making up their support system.
Following the national anthem, sung by SGM Mercy Diez, the golfers began their round on the beautiful Old Hickory Golf Course with a shotgun start. Playing a scramble format, each team made their best effort to claim the 1st place trophy (or at least escape the last place spot). As players wrapped up their 18 holes, they joined the others in the banquet area to enjoy a barbecue-styled lunch and collection of over 50 raffle prizes. All in all, at the end of the day, players continued to rave about the great time they had on and off the course, no matter the outcome of the game.
To get in the know about the 16th Annual Chenega Invitational so that you too can be a part of it, please be sure to follow Chenega MIOS on Facebook and Instagram or email Hannah.doyle@chenega.com to be added to the distribution list.
To learn more about the tournament, please go to the 15th Annual Chenega Invitational website.
Last but certainly not least, to learn more about the VTA mission and how they assist some of our nation’s bravest warriors, please go to Vigilant Torch Association.
Sponsored by Chenega MIOS
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