Giant flag overlooks green as veterans are honored at golfing event to benefit Walter Reed Hospital
By Jennifer Kneuss
May 30, 2011
376
Summary:
No, you were not seeing things as you drove along State Route 516 outside of Dover on Memorial Day Weekend. Yes, that was a giant, 108 by 80 foot flag erected by Auman Timbers Golf Course owner Julia Phillips gleaming on a hillside along the road.
A giant, 108 foot long by 80 foot tall American flag, stretched out in plastic on a hillside overlooking Dovers State Route 516, glistened proudly in the sun on a sunny Monday Memorial Day. The flag was the backdrop for the Honor Our Veterans golf outing, sponsored by Auman Timbers Golf Course.
Veterans were invited to first take part in a 12:30 pm contest to see who could have the lowest score and get closest on the first hole of the course. Winning that contest was Jack Sharp of New Philadelphia, a veteran who served from 1971 to 1979 in the US Army. Sharp won with a par 3. Following with a par 4 in second place was Don Biechler, from near Mineral City. He served from 1971 to 1972, and again from 1981 to 1983.
They all played from 80 yards on one hole, and we had a contest to see who could do the best on that hole. Our winners today will win ladders, shovels, fishing poles, Colman stoves, hoses, golf balls useful things, said organizer Don Blocker.
From there, a shotgun start got the afternoons nine hole tournament rolling.
Diane Phillips, a pro LPGA golfer, runs the facility owned by her mother, Julia Phillips, on the familys former farmland.
I always enjoyed golf, even before we set up this course, admitted Julia Phillips. But now, I am so busy mowing it all that I hardly have time to play! Auman was her maiden name, and inspired the naming of the course, which started in 1999.
The large flag was set up on the back side of the golf course several years ago. But then some of the neighbor kids had a party and tore it up, said Julia Phillips ruefully. When I went back to check, the wind had taken up some of it and shredded it. I needed help to put it back together, and so this year, a neighbor helped me put it back up where everyone could see it from Route 516.
The Phillips family works with New Philadelphia pharmacist Blocker, and holds the yearly veterans event to benefit the Walter Reed Hospital Foundation.
We started this five years ago, when I heard on the news that the Walter Reed Hospital was infested with rats. That upset me. My brother served, my Dad served, and it was time I did something. This is all for the good of the veterans, explained Blocker. The Walter Reed Hospital Society is a non-profit organization, which means that all the proceeds go to support the veterans. It pays for lots of things, and everyone serves at no salary.
The benefit has been at Auman Timbers for the full five years.
They all get special points off their score, and all kinds of prizes today, too, said Julia. All because they are veterans.
A patriotic picture was signed by all in attendance to present to Representative Al Landis, who assisted in a recent fundraiser in New Philadelphia to raise over $1500 for the Walter Reed Society.
In total, over both Armed Forces day and this Memorial Day event, we raised over $2,000, continued the volunteer. We have raised close to seven or eight thousand dollars, to help our soldiers. The money can be used for rent, for cars, for air fare for flights for spouses who need to go to where their loved ones are medical care, transportation, just anything that a veteran may need. The good thing about this money is that they do not have to go through any red tape to get this money. If they need it, they just ask, and the check is written that day. I think this is a great cause.
