For the past three years, Patriot Golf Day has raised $5.3 million to award scholarships to 1,000 families of servicemen and women who have been killed or disabled. Now, Medinah Country Club, which will host the 2012 Ryder Cup Matches, is looking to set the bar higher when it hosts its own Patriot Day event July 8

Medinah will partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation with a goal of raising more than $100,000. Folds of Honor Foundation's mission is to provide post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of service men and women killed or disabled while serving in the U.S Armed Forces.

Folds of Honor was founded by Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard and a PGA professional and USGA member, who has been passionate in his efforts to fill the gap left when a soldier can no longer provide for his or her family and education is one of the benefits that cannot be met. What sets apart the inaugural Medinah event from other Patriot Golf Days is that it includes a full schedule of activities focused solely on fundraising efforts including a tournament, entertainment, silent auction and dinner.

Organizers hope Medinah will serve as a model and inspiration for other high-profile courses to follow suit throughout the country.

The Medinah event will also feature some very special guests. One is retired Maj. Ed Pulido who lost his leg in combat in 2005. He was the first benefactor of a Folds of Honor scholarship for his two daughters. He now serves as the organization's vice president of development and spoke at the recent spring meeting of the Illinois PGA section. Pulido and his entire family will be present the day of the tournament, as will other military families who have benefited from the program.

Also, the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation is co-hosting the event, and Jarrett Payton, Walter's son and running back for Chicago Slaughter IFL team, is involved in promoting it. Officials are hoping other high-profile celebrities and sports figures will also lend their support to draw participants and raise funds. And, for those who can't come here to play, they can still go online to donate at PatriotDay.com.

To further illustrate the need for these programs, consider this: The total spouses and dependents of injured and fallen soldiers is around 145,000, and 82 percent of wounded service members’ families do not qualify for educational benefits. The average cost to fund a four-year college tuition per dependent is $60,850. That means more than $7 billion is needed to fund four-year college tuition and expenses for all families currently impacted.

Organizers of the Medinah event are still currently seeking corporate sponsors and volunteers. For more information on the event, click here.

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