SWFL.io - Local NewsReporter: Riley Lehman
•9/12/2026
ESTERO, Fla. (WINK)—Golfers teed off for a good cause Saturday morning at Copperleaf Golf Club's annual Veteran Appreciation Golf Tournament.
Thirty-six veterans hit the greens Saturday morning at Copperleaf Golf Club in Estero for a cause close to their hearts.
The 18-hole scramble supports Home Base Florida, a nonprofit focused on the mental and physical well-being of veterans.
The goal is expanding Home Base Florida's clinical care, wellness, peer support and clinical training programs.
"One of the hardest things to do as a veteran is integrating back into your community," Home Base Florida Director Larry Whitmore said. "So a lot of what we do is based on a community empowerment model, where we partner with not only philanthropic folks in the community but also our care partners in the community to provide that care."
The event is held in remembrance of 9/11, a day many of them will never forget.
"In the space of an hour, the world changed forever, and that generation, actually my children's generation, stepped up to take on the war on terror," U.S. Army Retired Brigadier General Ed Dyer said. "Some of them are still serving, so it's a need that will never go away. We'll continue to have reasons to have the military engaged throughout the world. They'll continue to come back, and we'll need to continue to support them."
Since 2016, Copperleaf Charitable Foundation has contributed more than $287,000 to Home Base Florida. That money doesn't just support veterans, but also their families.
"We believe that when a veteran serves, the family member serves too," Home Base Florida Senior Director of National Network Operations and Strategy Armando Hernandez said. "And we know that the invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury don't just stop at the veteran; they permeate into the family."
After spending the morning on the golf course, the afternoon continued with lunch, a raffle, speeches from veterans and the awards ceremony.