Inspirational evening at the PGA
Rain hit at 5:33 p.m. eastern time on Thursday, but it did not dampen the spirits of the Oakland Hills turf care team and volunteers. The reason? Two motivational presentations reinforced the power of the human spirit and what one can accomplish with a strong resolve.
Speaking first was Major Ed Pulido (pictured left), senior vice president of program development for the Folds of Honor Foundation. The Folds of Honor Foundation is a legacy foundation designed to provide educational scholarships for dependents and spouses of service members who are either killed or disabled while serving and defending our nation. It was founded by Dan Rooney, a PGA professional who created Patriot Golf Day to help generate funds for the foundation. This year, Patriot Golf Day will be celebrated over Labor Day Weekend. Pulido lost his left leg while serving in Iraq, but has turned his negative into a positive. He expressed his appreciation for the work of the golf course maintenance team in providing enjoyable conditions for golfers. He also thanked the team for its support of those who returned from battle.
Also speaking to the group was D.J. Gregory (pictured left), who has been chronicled
by various media outlets for his walking every round of every PGA Tour
event (and majors) this year. He was born with cerebral palsey and
walks with the support of a cane that he uses mainly for balance. The
30-year-old Savannah, Ga., resident joking thanked the turf care team
for cutting the rough low to keep him from tripping. Gregory follows a
different PGA Tour player each week and has met with various GCSAA
members as they host events. Gregory writes a blog that is published at PGATour.com,
and through 33 events, he has walked 675 miles. Gregory also tracks the
number of miles traveled, bottles of water and sports drink consumed,
and steps taken. He is using his activity to raise funds for United
Cerebral Palsey Foundation and is planning to write a book when he is
finished.
Both speakers made quite an impression on the turf care team and volunteers. It was truly a special night at the PGA Championship.
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