<!–
More than 250 members of Legends Golf and Country Club participated in two days of fundraising events on Nov. 10-11, resulting in $37,561 for the nonprofit Stand Up and Play Foundation.
With the funds the foundation will purchase a VertaCatTM for Capt. Karen Atkinson (ret.), U.S. Army, who lives in Tampa. The VertaCat is a special all-terrain motorized wheel chair that raises paraplegic users from a sitting to a standing position, enabling them to, among other outdoor activities, play golf.
‘Copter Ball-Drop Fundraiser
On the afternoon of Nov. 10, the day before Veterans Day, residents of the Legends Golf and Country Club community in South Fort Myers, gathered at the golf course practice area and listened for the rhythmic beating of helicopter blades. They craned their necks skyward to watch as the approaching ‘copter from Str8 Up Aviation — piloted by Gavin Cresswell with Legends member Robb Dillinger on board holding a buck of golf balls and later displaying the U.S. flag–circled over their practice area in preparation for dropping marked golf balls.
The balls had been purchased by the members and marked with numbers. Then as the crowd continued to watch, the ‘copter dropped the yellow-colored golf balls over five military flags – one flag for each branch of the nation’s military. Those balls landing closest to each flag won prizes for the members who purchased them. And the money raised from this event contributed to the purchase of the VertaCat for Capt. Atkinson.
This is the third year for the whirly bird drop at Legends, which numbers 1,291 home sites clustered around an 18-hole championship golf course. The event, added in 2021, kicks off two days of raising funds. The following day–Veterans Day itself–saw additional fundraising events, including golf, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball tournaments. Proceeds from both days go to the Stand Up And Play Foundation, the nonprofit group devoted to making active standing therapy a reality for all veterans with mobility challenges.
The fundraising at Legends began 12 years ago with a golf tournament. Because more Legends residents wanted to be involved, the activities expanded to the tennis courts, the pickleball courts and the bocce courts. Since then, Legends has raised some $350,000. With those funds, the Stand Up And Play Foundation has been able to purchase 13 all-terrain mobility riders for wheelchair bound veterans. All recipients have been Florida residents.
Dedicated to Remembrance
Before the golf and court sports competitions got underway, at 8 a.m. on Veterans Day morning, Legends residents — as in years past — held a solemn event on their driving range beginning with a flag raising. The Junior ROTC color guard from Cypress Lake High School hoisted the U.S. flag and hundreds of residents sang the national anthem. This was followed by resident veterans from each military branch assembling at their respective flag and being honored by the audience while their anthem was played.
The tradition at Legends of honoring the military, dates back to 2003, when the Legends golf course was dedicated to military veterans with a permanent plaque and flagpole at the Legends driving range. The plaque and flagpole are still there today. In addition, on Veterans Day the walkway leading to the driving range displays a series of plaques, each carrying the name of a Legends veteran, including those now deceased. They also show each veteran’s military branch and dates of service. The series of plaques is known as the “Veterans Walkway.” Today more than 250 current and former residents of Legends are military veterans recognized in this way.
How the Tournament Started
It all began with a friendship. Eleven years ago as a result of a long-time friendship with Anthony Netto, the founder of The Stand Up and Play Foundation, Tom Michaud, a Legends’ resident, approached Legends’ General Manager with the idea of holding a Veterans Day golf tournament as a fundraiser for disabled veterans. I t didn’t take long for a committee to be formed, and participation continues to grow annually.
Foundation Founder Netto, himself wheelchair bound, trains PGA professionals and veterans on how to use the game of golf as therapy. Internationally known for his initiating the USA Golf Team Invictus games in 2017, he serves as a consultant for handicapped golfers worldwide. Netto also holds the Paralong Drive World record of 317 yards.
In speaking about his use of the all-terrain mobility rider, Tom Michaud said, “Having been a full-time wheelchair user for 13 years, I’ve experienced how dramatically your life changes, both physically and psychologically, when you completely lose the use of your legs. A stand-up all terrain mobility device has allowed me to participate in many of the outdoor activities that became impossible for me. I can once again play golf with my friends, go to the beach with my grandchildren and enjoy a hike. The therapeutic benefits of standing up has improved my core strength and lessened the pain in my legs. It has been a game changer!”
About Karen Atkinson
After high school, Capt. Atkinson joined the Army Reserves and was deployed with a hospital unit working in patient administration. In 2009 after she had retired, she was in an auto accident, receiving a spinal cord injury that caused her to become a paraplegic. Following her injury, Capt. Atkinson, an all-’round athlete growing up, became involved in adaptive sports so she could begin to participate in athletics again. She has taken golf lessons with PGA Hope and volunteers at a VA hospital. Her plan is to work with Stand Up and Play with adaptive golf clinics and share the VertaCat with other veterans.
About The Stand Up And Play Foundation
The Stand Up And Play Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3), 100% volunteer-based organization composed of individuals who donate their time and efforts to making active standing therapy a reality for everyone with mobility challenges. It conducts activities throughout the nation with local chapters in many states like Florida.
About Legends
Legends Golf and Country Club, begun in 1999, today is a gated community in South Fort Myers with 1,291 home sites around an 18-hole championship golf course. The units range from stand-alone, single-family homes to villas and multistory condominiums. Besides the golf course, the grounds also include seven tennis courts — six of them lighted for nighttime play–four pickleball courts, four bocce courts and a resort style pool. Three restaurants and a poolside grill provide a range of culinary services.
Besides the Veterans Day fundraising, Legends’ residents have a history of additional community involvement. Residents have also raised funds, for example, to Habitat for Humanity, Gladiolus Food Pantry, and the Harry Chapin Food Bank. In 2021, Legends received the Richard D. DeBoest Humanitarian Community Association of the Year Award from the South Gulf Coast Chapter of the Community Association Institute. The annual award recognizes associations that demonstrate service to their community outside of their own boundaries. The website for Legends is legendscc.com.