Chenega Invitational Charity Golf Tournament

Vigilant Torch Association

Vigilant Torch Association (VTA) is a volunteer organization that provides vital financial support to the Special Operations Community in their greatest time of need. They do this through emergency relief funds, especially for those wounded or killed in action, family maintenance/resilience support, and scholarships for family members.

For those who may not know, the Special Operations Forces (SOF) are highly skilled individuals trained to carry out special and specific types of missions. With this expertise comes extreme responsibilities as well as intense combat in many situations. On top of this, deployments may be longer, and Special Operations soldiers, in turn, are more likely to experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Being in a career that teaches “toughness” and to “keep going no matter the conditions,” there tend to be many barriers to seeking help when experiencing PTSD. When this disease goes untreated, mental health, unfortunately, suffers immensely. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, female veterans are 1.8 times more likely to commit suicide than nonmilitary females, and male veterans are 1.4 times more likely to commit suicide than nonmilitary males. As if those numbers weren’t scary and sad enough, according to the New York Times, between 2007 and 2015, there were 117 suicides among the SOF, a rate of 39.3 per 100,000 servicemen/women compared with 22.9 per 100,000 for the armed forces as a whole.

These statistics are why VTA takes such pride in its mission to serve the Special Operations Community. These service members go through enough in their career of serving our country, so even the slightest bit of assistance can take an extreme load off of their shoulders and give their families much-needed peace of mind.

The Los Charros Foundation

The Los Charros Foundation (LCF) gives back to our nation’s youth who are pursuing careers post high school in many fields including; agriculture, education, and trades. Many of these fields are quickly dwindling, though they are a crucial part of our everyday lives. Having lived, worked, and grown up within these underserved communities, the founders of the LCF decided the best way to support these communities is by assisting youth through academic as well as 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) animal project scholarships. With a focus on leadership, education, and agriculture, they strive to assist and provide opportunities to youth who otherwise would not have the same chances as those in larger communities with greater resources.