LAKEWOOD, Wash. (May 2, 2011) — One vote cast before May 22 for dedicated volunteer Harold “Pepper” Roberts could mean $5,000 toward construction of nine new golf holes for veterans. The holes are designed for wounded and disabled veterans who play golf at American Lake Veterans Golf Course as part of their rehabilitation and recovery.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus and his firm, Nicklaus Design, donated design services for the new nine, along with enhancements to the current nine holes to make them more accessible to mobility-impaired veterans. A campaign is under way to raise $3.5 million for constructing the “new nine.”
Harold “Pepper” Roberts, the founder and president emeritus of “Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course,” is a finalist for the “Brotherton Community Champion” award, a program “to honor all those who make a difference in our community every day.” Roberts created the “Friends” as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2004 to raise funds in support of the unique course.
American Lake Veterans Golf Course, located in Lakewood, Wash., near Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a VA Hospital, is believed to be the only course in the country designed specifically for wounded and disabled veterans. The facility, which also welcomes able-bodied veterans, has been maintained and run by volunteers since 1995, when federal funding for all VA courses was eliminated.
Roberts, a veteran of the Korean War, has volunteered at American Lake Veterans Golf Course for more than nine years, donating more than 4,400 hours of his time. In addition to teaching golf to wounded warriors and establishing the charitable fund-raising arm, he has led efforts to recruit approximately 200 volunteers who assist in running the course, and helped solicit countless donations and in-kind contributions for the construction of a Rehabilitation and Learning Center that opened last year.
As a “Community Champion” finalist, Roberts and other volunteers are featured in a mini-documentary produced and directed by Kirsten Turk Nghiem. The 7-minute film on Pepper Roberts is posted on the KOMO News website where votes may be cast: http://www.komonews.com/younews/120906354.html.
Voters are allowed to vote once each day until May 22, and may also add comments. The grand prize winner receives $5,000 for his or her charity. The top-selected videos will be shown at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival.
Contact:
Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course Jim Sims, president, (253) 589-1998
Online voting http://www.komonews.com/younews/120906354.html
