Another Successful Year – “Tee It Up For Veterans” Tournament
The 2025 “Tee It Up For Veterans” Golf Tournament, hosted by Leland’s John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68, marked the third straight year that Post 68 hosted its major fundraising event at the Magnolia Greens Golf Course in Leland. The tournament, held on Thursday, November 6, 2025, once again sold out in record time, attracting over 170 golfers, including many members of the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.
Open Ceremony speakers at the event included (L-R) John Hacker, Past Commander; Martha Jacobs, sister of John E. Jacobs; Dennny Birgel, Tournament Organizer; and Bea Frost, Post Commander. A library of event photos is available at https://ncpost68.org/2025-tournament-photos.
This year’s premiere sponsors include Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, a longtime supporter of Post 68, and Carolina Cool Zone, a well-respected HVAC service provider in the Wilmington area. Joining the list of Premier sponsors were seven Gold Sponsors, seventeen Hole Sponsors, and a total of twelve breakfast and lunch sponsors. An additional 106 companies donated in one manner or another, helping to ensure the tournament’s success. A complete list of sponsors will be available at https://ncpost68.org/2025-golf-tournament.
The Cape Fear Blues Star Mothers once again sponsored this year’s putting contest and manned an information table at the event. The 501(c)3 organization consists of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers, and female legal guardians whose children are in the military, National Guard or Reserves, or whose children who are veterans. For more information about the organization, visit: https://www.bluestarmothers.org/about-us.
Pictured left are Blue Star Mothers (L-R) Donna Price, Cathy Williams, Mary Jo Schnepf, Kim Holder, Michelle Bunting (Chapter President), and Mindy Steck.
Also present at the tournament was Patrice Cook, a ‘Ride of Pride’ Driver for Schneider Trucking. Patrice, a 25-year Army veteran who is in her 8th year of driving for Schneider, made herself available to participants who wanted to learn about her U.S. Armed Forces-themed Freightliner truck ‘Fidelity.’ Her truck, produced at the Daimler Truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland, NC, was awarded to Schneider in 2020, with Patrice taking the controls in 2022. This year marks Patrice’s fourth year as an Honor Fleet driver for the Wreaths Across America program where she will join a convoy of other truckers in Maine in early December to deliver wreaths for placement at veterans’ gravesites on December 13, at Arlington National cemetery and other national cemetery locations. Along the East Coast route, the convoy will be greeted and welcomed by hundreds of townsfolks, First Responders, law enforcement officials, and local politicians. Patrice and ‘Fidelity’ were key participants in the 2025 Southeast North Carolina Veterans Day Parade held in Wilmington on Saturday, November 8.
L-R Dan Dodge, Post Adjutant; Patrice Cook; John Hacker, Past Commander; Jim McAvoy, 1st Vice Commander
L-R Dan Dodge, Post Adjutant; Patrice Cook; John Hacker, Past Commander; Jim McAvoy, 1st Vice Commander
Post 68’s tournament also serves as a fundraiser for the Wreaths Across America (WAA) program, which honors those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces by placing a live wreath at veterans’ gravesites. To date, over 300 wreaths have been purchased through advertisement associated with the 2025 tournament, but more donations are needed to ensure each gravesite is honored. Wreaths will be placed at the Wilmington National Cemetery by Post 68 members and the greater Wilmington community on Saturday, December 13, 2025, following the Opening Ceremony at 11 am. The cemetery is located at 2011 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28403. On street parking is limited, so plan to arrive early. Donations to purchase a wreath must be made by December 1st, and can be made by credit card at: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/NC0380P.
Funds raised through the golf tournament also support Post 68’s various charitable activities in Brunswick County and surrounding areas. Locally, the Post can provide needed support to North Brunswick High School (NBHS), including its award-winning JROTC rifle team, the Legion-sponsored Oratorical Contest, and scholarship awards. Post 68 also assists Lincoln Elementary School on an as-needed basis.
Through annual monetary donations, Post 68 also supports several local Service Providers that serve veterans and their families in need. These include organizations such as Brunswick Family Assistance and the Vet Smiles Program, both of which recently were awarded checks of $1,000 and $1,500, respectively. In 2024, the Post made a significant donation to Western North Carolina following the devastating floods that affected that area. The Post is also capable of providing donations to support disaster-related relief of all types when the need arises for area veterans and their families.
All these types of charitable activities would not have been possible without the community’s overwhelming support and generosity, which ensured the tournament’s success. Moreover, none of these charitable fund-raising activities and other community-service projects and programs could be as successful as they are without the strong and dedicated support of Post 68 members, their families, and other community volunteers.
To learn more about how veterans can join the American Legion or what the Legion brings to our veterans and the community, visit https://ncpost68.org/. Post 68 meets at 6 pm every third Thursday in the Blossoms Restaurant Banquet Room (1800 Tommie Jacobs Drive, Leland, NC). For those who want to participate, members gather at 4:30 pm in Blossoms Restaurant for dinner and a social hour preceding the meeting.
Submitted by:
Eric Mens, Public Affairs Officer
American Legion Post 68 Leland
Ph (703) 626-9104