PenFed Foundation raises $1 million for veterans and military community at 19th Annual Military Heroes Golf Classic
Those who were impacted by and responded to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were honored during the event
TYSONS, VA (September 14, 2022) — The PenFed Foundation joined community and business leaders to raise $1 million to support veterans and the military community at the 19th annual Military Heroes Golf Classic on Monday, September 12. Those who were impacted by and responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were honored during a remembrance dinner held on the evening before the event marking the 21st anniversary of the day.
“We are thrilled to have raised another $1 million at the Military Heroes Golf Classic this year and look forward to continuing to support our military heroes who have been on the frontlines and made incredible sacrifices for our nation,” said PenFed Credit Union Senior EVP, Affiliated Businesses President and PenFed Foundation President Shashi Vohra. “We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to these brave service members – but we can provide them with the support and resources they need to help them live the lives they and their families deserve.”
During the September 11 remembrance dinner, James Schenck, President/CEO of PenFed Credit Union and CEO of the PenFed Foundation, reminded that “Freedom isn’t free. Over 246 years, the brave men and women of America’s Armed Forces have fought 12 wars to defend our freedom.”
Founded in 1935 as the War Department Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union’s core membership is comprised of members of the national defense community and all who support them.
Schenck said the 2001 attacks and our nation’s responses ultimately touched every American… including mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and colleagues.
On September 11, 2022, Schenck recognized four American heroes in the audience who answered the call and took the fight to our nation’s enemies:
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General David Deptula, who led air operations over Afghanistan to hunt down the terrorists, serving as Director of the Combined Air Operations Center for Operation Enduring Freedom. General Deptula now serves as Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
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Lieutenant General Bruce “Orville” Wright, who served as Vice Commander, Air Combat Command. General Wright is now President of the Air & Space Forces Association.
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Major General Doug Raaberg executed the first overseas forward deployment of the B-2 Stealth Bomber, flew 35 combat missions for Operation Enduring Freedom, and set the world record for fastest non-stop flight around the globe. General Raaberg is now EVP of the Air & Space Forces Association.
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Command Sergeant Major David Clark, who served eight combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Clark now serves as the PenFed Foundation’s Outreach Director, recruiting partners and leading the PenFed Foundation’s Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program.
Schenck described how the PenFed Foundation began in the wake of September 11, 2001. In response to the attacks, PenFed Credit Union launched the PenFed Foundation to support service members, veterans and their families. The PenFed Foundation has served members of the military community through programs providing financial education, credit-building, homeownership, short-term assistance and veteran entrepreneurial support services.
The Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program is the PenFed Foundation’s newest program, helping 50 families and over 180 refugees resettle in the United States since the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan. The program was founded in November 2021 to assist refugees who are proven to have supported our nation’s values in exemplary ways, with a particular focus on resettling Afghan women soldiers and their families who worked alongside U.S. Army women soldiers through the Army’s Cultural Support Team.
“Thanks to the commitment of our dedicated volunteers and donors over the past 21 years,” Schenck concluded, “the PenFed Foundation has delivered financial support totaling over $40 million and transformed the lives of over 150,000 military families.”
Ryan Frantzen, Allied Solutions VP of Sales; Ricardo Chamarro, PenFed Credit Union EVP Consumer Banking and Strategy; Shashi Vohra PenFed Credit UnionSenior EVP, Affiliated Businesses President and PenFed Foundation President; and Srinivasan Seshadri Head- Financial Services, North America at HCL Technologies.
Each year, PenFed Credit Union drapes a 30 x 60-foot American flag over the side of its corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virginia to honor and remember those who were impacted by and responded to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
About PenFed Foundation
Founded in 2001, The PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that supports veterans in their transition from service to success. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has provided more than $50 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members and military families. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, allowing 99% of incoming donations to go directly to our programs. To learn more, please visit www.penfedfoundation.org.
