WEST SPRINGFIELD — A group supporting the Springfield Vet Center, located in West Springfield, will host its 11th annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 12, at Tekoa Country Club in Westfield.

“This tournament is our major funding for the Vet Center,” said Friends of the Springfield Vet Center Vice President Michael Brandon Jones. “It’s a great turnout. We average anywhere from 96 to 116 golfers we’ve had during these tournaments. Right now, we have the potential of having over 100 golfers, and waiting on confirmation with the rest of them.”

A shotgun start will follow the singing of the national anthem at 8 a.m. by Kathryn Breck, a Westfield High School graduate this year who has volunteered as a singer for three years.

“I’ve learned quite a bit about how much they care about the veterans and how much they want to help them with living successful lives especially after their service,” Breck said. “It’s been amazing to be able to honor what these veterans have done for our country and what they continue to do to this day. It has been one of the more rewarding parts of my singing career so far.”

Formed in 2014, Friends of the Springfield Vet Center is a nonprofit organization that helps veterans reintegrate into the community and readjust following their combat service. The Friends’ purpose is to coordinate and fund social, recreational, educational, health and wellness programs for the Springfield Vet Center and the veterans that it serves, though the Friends group is a private charity independent of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Some of the Friends’ recreational programs include kayaking, art therapy and equestrian therapy. In the past they’ve led trips to the Vietnam War Wall in Washington, D.C., and the 9/11 Memorial in New York. Jones was introduced to the organization through his counselor, with the encouragement and support that he was in a position to heal through helping others. As the vice president, this organization has allowed him to continue to heal by assisting in supporting their fellow warriors and families.

The Friends came up with this tournament because they had a few members that were golf enthusiasts and felt this was the best way to reach the public in supporting their organization and their cause. The other factor in why they have the tournament is because the Springfield Vet Center has a golf outreach therapy program at Tekoa. This veterans organization, based on  Ashley Avenue in West Springfield, particularly supports the four counties of Western Massachusetts, with 10 counselors serving more than 600 veterans and family members.

“It is crucial for us to have the support of the community that we have, and our local businesses here,” said Jones. “The goal is always to make sure that there’s adequate funding for programs that the Vet Center feels that is adequate for counseling and to benefit this community.”

He went on to say, “We want veterans and their family members to reach and get the support that they need so they can be productive citizens and have those goals, and opportunities. Due to serving this great nation, unfortunately many warriors like myself need assistance on that transition to come back home to civilian life.”

Westfield resident Anne Bray has been attending the tournament for nine years.

“It’s an engaging, fun time for the veterans that participate,” Bray said. “It’s their major fundraiser for the year and it’s a great event for everyone.”

Bray’s son, an Iraq War veteran, received services from the counselors at the Springfield Vet Center. Now she’s an active volunteer for the Friends.

“This organization has strengthened my respect for veterans of all wars,” Bray said. “It brings more peace to my heart that any veteran of any age is not forgotten. My son continues to receive therapy from the Springfield Vet Center. He would not be the son, husband, and father he is today without the services he continues to receive and the support of the Friends of the Springfield Vet Center.”

Jones added, “To know that we’re making a difference in a veteran and their family’s life, and seeing the positive influence, is rewarding in itself. Veterans that are returning home are going to get the help and support they need. It’s been a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to keep it continuing.”

Golfers can still register for the tournament, by searching for “Friends of the Springfield Vet Center” on Facebook.com, or stopping in at the Vet Center on weekdays at 95 Ashley Ave., Suite A, West Springfield. Entries are $100 per individual, or $400 for a team. The ticket includes 18 holes of golf with cart, a continental breakfast and buffet dinner. Tekoa Country Club is at 459 Russell Rd., Westfield. For more information on the tournament, call 413-568-9672 or email dmanh52@aol.com.