Untd We Stnd partners with FedEx Ground to host its inaugural Hosel Rocket Scramble, raises over $2,000 to go directly to Central Kentucky veterans.
August 8th, 2021
Kyle Wade, Editor-in-Chief
Jeffrey Reno, CEO of UNTD WE STND, lines up for the putting contest UNTD WE STND hit a hole-in-one by raising over $2,000 to aid Central Kentucky veterans via their inaugural Hosel Rocket Scramble presented by FedEx Ground on August 7, 2021.
11 four-player teams congregated at 9 A.M. to compete in the scramble and ultimately support veterans in need at Tate’s Creek Golf Course in Lexington, KY. Some of the competitors were veterans or active duty according to Jeffrey Reno, UNTD WE STND CEO.
“About one-third of the golfers were current service members or veterans, so it was great to see the majority of the players were just there to show support. Our mission is to help and serve those who served us and our country and will be relentless in achieving success.” Reno said, “FedEx Ground and UNTD WE STND is truly an earth-shattering partnership and we’re both ready to save veteran lives.”
FedEx Ground’s commitment reaches beyond sponsorship.Prior to the shotgun start at 9 A.M. FedEx Ground representative Shane Pennington addressed the field alongside Reno.
The company plans on helping veterans in need by assisting in employment, aligning with Reno’s vision for UNTD WE STND.
“Partnering with Derrick Mead and FedEx Ground was instrumental in the success of this event. FedEx believed in our mission to affect change at the local level and have adopted our mission to house, feed and employ veterans. I, personally, couldn’t be happier,” Reno said.
Two all-veteran teams from FedEx participated in the scramble. FedEx veteran team member, Chase Adams, took the putting competition.
Following the national anthem, the golfers loaded up their carts in a scramble to their respective holes.
Along with the 18-hole course, there were various contests along the way, such as a closest-to-the-pin, longest drive, longest putt and a hole-in-one challenge. Players were able to purchase mulligans and enter a raffle with various prizes from the Bourbon Trail.
Raffle winner and retired Navy Petty Officer First Class, Alonza Dize Sr., said, “Today, for me, isn’t about how well I do, I’m just happy to be able to participate.” Dize’s doctor told him that he would never be able to golf again following a career-ending back injury while aboard ship in the Navy.
At the time of the event, Dize had just finished his first year of rehabilitation and said with confidence, “If you see me go down on the course, just relax and let my defibrillator do its job.”
Lonza Dize Sr. served 14 years in the United States Navy
Dize said that events like this help him to get out of the house and find the camaraderie that has eluded him since leaving the Navy. According to him, he wouldn’t be able to do any of this without his family, “I just stuck with it, my wife played a huge role in my recovery, she would push me to get better, stronger with each day. I gotta say my kids played a huge part too, I wouldn’t be a good role model if I just laid down and gave up.”
Johnson Brothers Painting LLC, a family owned business in Northern Kentucky, donated $429 later in the day to put the event above the $2,000 mark.
According to Reno, “This event blew our expectations out of the water, to be honest. All of our participants said that they were surprised that this was the first one because it was ran so well. The support and generosity of everyone in attendance was beyond what could’ve ever dreamt of. We raised over $2,000 for our first event, I’m just looking forward to seeing how we can beat that next year.”
2021 Hosel Rocket Scramble Champions from left: Rick Stacey , Seth Shields, Austin Hartness , Rob Atanovich
The 2021 UNTD WE STND Cup was hoisted by a team led by Rob Atanovich, his team scored a birdie on the last hole to secure the win.
Reno says the event is definitely a “go” for next year and the possibility of more scrambles throughout the year is an idea on the table.
For more information on UNTD WE STND’s mission to help veterans, visit www.untdwestnd.com