The Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary will be hosting its annual charity golf tournament Saturday, April 6. The tournament raises money to support the Wounded Warrior Project. This year’s tournament is hosted at the Golden Horseshoe golf course and is at maximum capacity with 36 teams, or 144 players.
An estimated $11,000 has been raised this year in support of the WWP, compared to last year when the tournament raised $7,000 for the organization. Christopher Winter MBA ’13 is in charge of the event.
“I think the reason the tournament has done so well is that it is very easy to rally behind [the Wounded Warrior Project],” Winter said. “One, because it is a good cause, and two, because it has a catchy name.”
The tournament was advertised by word of mouth and through a website. The website allowed people to share the event and sign up their teams online. Participants could also pay online through the website.
“Instead of passing around a flyer to people, we passed around a web link, and it made things a lot easier,” Winter said. “With the website, it makes the whole event look more legit[imate].”
The golf tournament is not an event hosted by the Wounded Warrior Project, but the proceeds do go to the cause. However, many veterans and active-duty military participate in the event.
“I would say nearly 25 percent of those participating have served at one point or another,” Winter said.
Ben Wroblewski MBA ’14, an active-duty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, decided to participate in the golf tournament this year.
“The first year of the tournament was last year, and it was introduced by the Army fellows and the Major General James Writ,” Wroblewski said. “There are about 20 Army fellows that go to the Mason Business School for a year-and-a-half, and they started it.”
Wroblewski was interested in the tournament after hearing the proceeds would go to the Wounded Warrior Project.
“The Wounded Warrior Project is a phenomenal initiative to support whenever you can, as little as you can or as much as you can,” Wroblewski said. “It [also] supports my classmates and their initiatives.”
Wroblewski sees the Wounded Warrior Project as a program that really supports those who have been in the military.
“They are trying to give hope back to these kids that when, for whatever reason, when their disability occurred, they thought they had no hope and they were going to be limited in what they do,” Wroblewski said. “Wounded Warrior gives them that hope that they aren’t limited and that they can move forward with the rest of their life.”
While in the Coast Guard, Wroblewski has not seen many of his fellow members of the Coast Guard injured or benefitting from the Wounded Warrior Project, but he supports it for his Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Naval brethren.
“I hope that the weather cooperates and that we can sustain this for years to come,” Wroblewski said.