Mitchell Distributing CEO Adam Mitchell thanks sponsors and participants in the second annual Robert Sanford Folds of Honor Golf Classic at Briarwood Country Club on Friday.

Dozens of local golfers teed off Friday at Briarwood Country Club as Mitchell Distributing held its second annual Robert Sanford Folds of Honor Golf Classic. The yearly tournament, named after Robert Sanford, who helped start the event, raises funds for Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to those affected by war.

Adam Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Distributing, said Folds of Honor is a great charity to support, and being able to enjoy a game of golf on a sunny Friday afternoon while supporting it is even better.

“I just want to thank everybody that’s sponsored and everybody that’s here because you’re contributing to this incredible charity,” he said.

Folds of Honor Corporate Impact Officer Jennifer Lewis said the organization began in 2007 and has awarded more than 50,000 scholarships totaling more than $244 million. The organization’s mission, she said, is to “help the families of our fallen and disabled soldiers and first responders.”

Lewis said Folds of Honor reaches all 50 states and currently has 58 scholarship recipients in Mississippi. Unfortunately, funding only goes so far, she said, and the organization isn’t able to help everyone who needs it.

“We’re so thankful that we can help them, but last year we did have 19 recipients that went unfunded,” she said. “So the need is great. We’re always looking to meet that need. We couldn’t do it without donors like you.”

Paul McQuigg, a former gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, shared how the Folds of Honor scholarships had given his son opportunities that otherwise would have been unreachable.

A 17-year veteran, McQuigg medically retired from the Corps in 2006 after being wounded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq. He lost roughly 60% of his tongue, had a shattered jaw and traumatic brain injury from the blast.

After returning home, McQuigg gained custody of his then 2.5-year-old son, Sebastian, and raised him as a single parent. Unimpressed by the public school system in his home state of California, McQuigg said he wanted to send his son to private school but could not afford the tuition.

“For those of you who don’t know, California right now is the second most illiterate state in the nation,” he said.

After hearing about Folds of Honor from a friend, McQuigg said he applied and Sebastian was awarded a scholarship to attend private school. In his sophomore year, Sebastian was 6-foot, 5-inches, 245 pounds, he said, and ranked as one of the best defensive ends in the country at the time.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school football for the season, McQuigg said. By the time football games resumed, many universities had already offered scholarships to players in other states, and Sebastian getting a scholarship to go to college didn’t look likely, he said.

Folds of Honor again stepped in and provided a scholarship for Sebastian to go to college, McQuigg said. He is now a sophomore at the University of Nevada, where he plays football and studies film.

Events like Friday’s golf tournament are investments in the future, McQuigg said, and the funds raised go to educate the next generation of Americans and give opportunities to those that otherwise would not have them.