Hempstead Town Plan Is Hole-In-One For Troops

Starting with Wednesday's inaugural golf bag full of gifts for soldiers, Hempstead Town will be donating all recovered golf balls from both the Merrick and Lido golf courses to soldiers stationed overseas and wounded warriors who are stateside through the Bunkers in Baghdad charity.

"Both of our beautiful Hempstead Town golf courses receive a large amount of play, so much so that our employees are constantly finding stray golf balls while tending to the courses," said Supervisor Anthony Santino. "Bunkers in Baghdad offers a gratifying way to deal with our surplus of golf balls while also giving us the extra opportunity to continuously support our troops."

Bunkers in Baghdad is a not-for-profit charity that collects and sends used golf balls, clubs and equipment to our troops around the world, with a focus on the men and women currently serving in combat zones. It was founded in 2008 when charity president Joe Hanna learned that stationed soldiers created makeshift driving ranges in the desert as a form of relief from the stress of war. Starting with a small initial shipment, Bunkers in Baghdad has sent over 8 million golf balls and more than 600,000 clubs to Afghanistan and 64 other countries, as well as to facilities in each of the 50 states.

Bunkers in Baghdad has been praised numerous times by scores of deployed units for raising morale and providing a positive recreational outlet for troops.

"We are extremely grateful to the Town of Hempstead, and to everyone who plays at Merrick or Lido this season, for welcoming Bunkers in Baghdad into the strong golf community here. The Bunkers Day kickoff event and any equipment donations that may follow speak volumes about the warmth and generosity of the people who live, work, and play in Hempstead," said Bunkers in Baghdad Founder and President Joe Hanna. "Every contribution — whether it’s a handful of golf balls from the garage, a single putter, or a second-best set of clubs — represents a comforting slice of home and a gesture of appreciation for the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military. To a U.S. soldier stationed overseas, a wounded warrior making her way through injury rehabilitation, or a veteran of foreign service, it means the world to know that the folks in places like Hempstead respect their service and are thinking of them. We cannot thank you enough for your kindness and consideration."

"I invite players from all over to come to a Hempstead Town golf course and lose some golf balls for a great cause," Santino said. "Now’s a perfect time to teach a friend or relative the game of golf — just be sure to bring plenty of balls."

Photo: Town of Hempstead