With the Fourth of July falling again during John Deere Classic (JDC) tournament week, the PGA Tour event is taking advantage of the national holiday to salute the country’s service members and first responders through Folds of Honor.
For the second year in a row, the JDC is partnering with that organization to offer special events and recognition for men and women in uniform during the tournament play at TPC at Deere Run in Silvis.
Folds of Honor is a leading nonprofit organization. It provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen or disabled American military service members and first responders. Since 2007, it has awarded nearly 62,000 scholarships.
John Deere, title sponsor of the JDC, and Lowe’s are partnering to bring Folds of Honor Friday to the event. The day includes a number of activities to honor members of the military and first responders. But all visitors and golf fans are encouraged to wear their patriotic gear Friday, July 4, and dress in red, white and blue.
Folds of Honor Friday
The Folds of Honor Friday schedule includes:
- All day: Lowe’s Military Ticket Program offers complimentary admission for active, retired, veteran status military and one guest. Sponsored by Lowe’s, free tickets were made available to all veterans, active military personnel, and retired military members as well as one guest each. In addition, free admission was available pre-tournament for first responders.
- 6 a.m.: Folds of Honor pins and ribbons will be distributed at JDC’s Main Gate (limited quantities).
- 6:30-6:45 a.m. – A flag raising with the National Anthem will be sung near the No. 1 tee along with a ceremonial tee shot.
- 10 a.m. to the end of play: The Patriot’s Outpost will be open for golf viewing (located in a tent located between No. 15 and No. 17 fairways). Sponsored by Lowe’s and John Deere, the Patriot’s Outpost will be available for military members and their guests to stop in Wednesday, July 2, through Sunday, July 6.
In addition to John Deere and Lowe’s, other local sponsors of the JDC’s Folds of Honor Friday are: Modern Woodmen of America, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities, Cantrell’s Towing and Fred’s Towing.
The JDC first partnered last year with the Folds of Honor during its PGA Tour event at TPC Deere Run. The JDC was one of a number of select PGA Tour-sanctioned events to host Folds of Honor Fridays. The 2024 Memorial Tournament is presented by Workday. It is hosted by Mr. Rooney’s good friend, the legendary Jack Nicklaus, He was the launching pad for Folds of Honor Fridays.
Deere commits $100k
Last year, John Deere also announced on Independence Day that it was committing $100,0000 over the next two years to assist the USO in its critical work of strengthening the wellbeing of America’s military members and their families.
Folds of Honor was founded in 2007 by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot. The Class A PGA Tour professional is author of “Fly into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness.”
According to Folds of Honor’s website, the organization began when the then lieutenant colonel and member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard was on his flight home from his second tour of duty in Iraq. He became painfully aware of the realities families face when a loved one in uniform falls or is disabled.
As his flight landed, the pilot announced to the passengers that they had carried the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board. Mr. Rooney watched as the fallen soldier’s twin brother walked somberly alongside the flag-covered casket to the tarmac, where he met his family including his brother’s young son, Jacob.
Since that night, Mr. Rooney has committed his life to rallying patriotic Americans and meeting sacrifice with hope through the Folds of Honor.
From its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has provided more than 62,000 life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military. Its mission has since expanded to the families of America’s first responders.
By the numbers
Here is a look at the impact Folds of Honor to date:
- 91% of donated funds go directly to scholarships.
- 45% of all scholarships awarded represent minority recipients.
- 62,000 educational scholarships were awarded since 2007.
In Illinois, the impact has been:
- $7 million in total educational impact.
- 1,468 educational scholarships.
- From 2023 to 2024, the educational impact was $930,000 with 198 scholarships awarded.
In Iowa, the impact has been
- $1.28 million in education impact.
- 282 educational scholarships.
- From 2023-2024, the education impact was $162,000 with 36 scholarships.
