2017 PATRIOT ALL-AMERICA INVITATIONAL
OPENING CEREMONY TO HONOR FALLEN SOLDIERS
Folds Of Honor Scholarship Recipient Hannah Davis To Be Guest Speaker
WHAT: The Opening Ceremony for the seventh annual Patriot All-America Invitational golf tournament will honor fallen soldiers and introduce the 84 collegiate golfers playing in the event.
Folds of Honor scholarship recipient Hannah Davis will be the featured guest speaker at the event. Davis lost her father, 1st Lt. Jeffrey Davis, in a 1998 Black Hawk accident when she was only three years old. His distinguished military career and drive to succeed has influenced her entire life. Hannah recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University.
WHEN: Thursday, December 28th at 10:30 AM
WHERE: The Wigwam Golf Club
Practice Range
451 N Old Litchfield Rd, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340
WHO: The Arizona Golf Association, JDM Partners and the Golf Coaches Association of America partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host The Patriot All-America Invitational. A field of 84 PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the United States will compete in a 54-hole, stroke-play competition on The Wigwam’s Gold Course. Competitive rounds for the 2016 Patriot All-America will be played December 29, 30 and 31with a champion crowned at approximately 4 PM on New Year’s Eve.
DETAILS: What separates The Patriot All-America from other collegiate golf tournaments is participants play for more than themselves or their school. Each golfer honors a fallen or severely injured soldier by carrying a golf bag bearing the name of that soldier. Before the tournament, participants receive a card with the soldier’s story, so they can be familiar with who that person was, what they represented and how they were killed or wounded in action. At the conclusion of the tournament, the golf bags are shipped to players’ schools and auctioned with all proceeds benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while in active service. The Patriot All-America has been honoring fallen or severely wounded soldiers in this unique way since the event’s inception in 2011 and it continues to have a deep impact on the young golfers.
2017 Patriot All-America Opening Ceremony Agenda:
10:30 AM Welcome – Jeff Munn
· Patriot All-America collegiate golfers introduced
· Presentation of colors – Luke Air Force Base Joint Color Guard
· National Anthem performance – U.S. Navy Counselor 1st Class Steven Powell
· During the anthem performance, the Wings of Blue will perform above, landing with the American flag at the conclusion of the anthem
· Overview of the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational
· Phoenix Thunderbirds Representative
· West Valley Mavericks Representative
· Luke Air Force Base Vice Wing Commander Col. Michael Richardson
· Folds of Honor Speaker Hannah Davis
· United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performance