Wounded Warrior Project Veterans Golf Like Pros at Hoakalei

EWA BEACH, Hawaii, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) veterans recently spent the day at Hoakalei Country Club, where they connected with fellow service members and their community. Warriors took to the links at a Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA) tournament.

SMGA, a nonprofit dedicated to improving veterans' quality of life through golf programs, honored WWP warriors with a tournament on a challenging professional course. Army veteran Frank Lopez jumped at the opportunity.

"He appreciates the relaxing environment," said Frank's wife, Tofi, who is also an Army veteran. "The chance to enjoy himself without large crowds at Wounded Warrior Project events has led him to love golf more and more."  

Like many post-9/11 veterans, Frank copes daily with the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). These connection activities allow warriors to socialize in environments that accommodate physical injuries and social anxieties. Moreover, they empower warriors to recreate the bonds experienced during military service. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.7 percent) talked with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues, and 29.6 percent expressed physical activity helps.

"Before getting involved with Wounded Warrior Project, my husband never left the house," Tofi said. "Being part of this organization has shown him there are lots of people dealing with the same things. He has made friends, and he knows he can call them at any hour if he is having problems."

WWP offers a variety of programs that assist injured veterans with mental health, physical health and wellness, career and benefits counseling, and connecting with other warriors. Generous donors make it possible for wounded warriors to take part in outreach activities and benefit from program resources at no cost to them.

"Wounded Warrior Project has helped Frank remember who he is and has given him back some of his confidence and his motivation," Tofi said. "There is no doubt in my mind that it has improved the quality of life for my husband and our entire family."

To learn more about how WWP's programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project