Honoring Heroes Tournament sets new record with $26K
Provided photo: Tournament organizers, members of Mac McNeil’s family and volunteers met to recap this year’s event and to present a check to NY Warrior Alliance. Front row left to right are Tammie Miller, Denice Wright, Sue Miller, Kim Salmon, Cindy Diehl of Hickory Ridge, Amy Tausch NY Warrior Alliance President and Kevin Diehl of Hickory Ridge. Back row is Chris Miller, Michele Bison, Kathy Snyder, Tim Wright, Jeff Miller, Bob Salmon and Brian Ryan.
Press Release, NY Warrior Alliance
HOLLEY – Last month 132 golfers teed it up at Hickory Ridge for the 8th Honoring Heroes Golf Tournament in one of the largest tournaments there this year.
This year’s tournament was not only a fundraiser for the NY Warrior Alliance, a non -profit organization that was founded in 2008 to support wounded warriors, but it was also a chance to honor Mac MacNeil, a veteran that helped raise over $100,000 for the Alliance over the years. He passed away in October 2017.
In the final accounting, the tournament last month raised just shy of $26,000, by far the biggest fundraiser for the Warrior Alliance.
MacNeil had a passion for helping vets. Over the years he spent many hours contacting businesses for monetary donations and gifts for raffles. He would spend days in front of stores collecting donations and was the conduit for organizing the tournament through Cindy and Kevin Diehl, the owners of Hickory Ridge.
With Mac’s passing last year the continuation of the tournament seemed in doubt as there was no one willing to step up and organize. Fortunately a group of Mac’s family and friends still saw the need for the warriors to receive the care and funding the tournament provided and through the help and generosity of the Diehls and Hickory Ridge were able to put this year’s tournament together, not only for the Warrior Alliance but also to carry on Mac McNeil’s’s legacy and to honor his memory.
At the tournament’s banquet, Faye McNeil, Mac’s widow, gave an emotional speech about Mac’s dedication to helping veterans and how his dedication inspired those who volunteered to help organize and who gave of their time this year. Her speech was met with a standing ovation and very few dry eyes.
The New York Warrior Alliance was formed by Amy Tausch to support wounded warriors. This is a non-profit organization with an all-volunteer group. There are no administrative costs as 100 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to those in need.
The organization has made many trips to Walter Reed Hospital over the years with truckloads of supplies to aid the Warrior Transition Brigade and the caregivers who stand by their warriors. While the group is still supporting the wounded at Walter Reed, they find the need is dwindling as fewer warriors need attention. The Warrior Alliance is now transitioning more towards helping local warriors, their caregivers and families.
Plans are underway for next year’s tournament which has been scheduled for July 14, 2019.
