UNICOM Engineering had the unique privilege of spending the day with our closest technology partners, customers, and colleagues to network and give back to the community. It was terrific to finally welcome everyone back to our annual event at the beautiful Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, TX! On October 18th, we enjoyed some great (and maybe not so great!) golfing, beautiful weather, and fantastic company. Due to the generosity of our sponsors, our annual networking event was able to raise awareness and about $30,000 to support a few of our favorite charities.
Creating awareness and the will to live
Prior to hitting the course, we heard from two of our four charities. To kick off the scramble, John Trautwein, founder of the Will to Live Foundation, shared his very personal story of loss and hope. Following the tragic death of his 15-year-old son to suicide, he found himself surrounded by a network of “teammates” that were part of every major up and down in life. Through this realization, he created a foundation that would work with teens to prevent teen suicide by bringing that same level of awareness to their network of teammates. They share their mission of hope, love, and the will to live through events, sports teams, etc.
Tackling literacy deficiency
We also welcomed Charles Haley, five-time NFL Super Bowl Champion and co-founder of Tackle Tomorrow. The organization seeks to improve early childhood literacy rates for students in underserved communities throughout Dallas, TX. With dedicated educational programming, one-on-one reading coaches, and family support services, Tackle Tomorrow makes a profound impact on the education of over 1,500 students. Charles detailed his struggle with reading and writing and his desire to inspire and motivate the next generation to become life-long learners.
Hitting the course
Once on the course, the field of competitors had a blast teeing off, ripping the ball in the Long Drive Contest, and coming as close as possible to the hole with the Closest to the Pin Contest. Golfers also had fun seeing how far their ball could go with our Air Cannon. Once the results were tallied, everyone involved in the tournament was treated to a delicious BBQ dinner followed by presentations and awards.
Providing hope and healing — the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County
Our first speaker of the night was Dan Powers, Chief Operating Officer for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County. He shared the center’s mission, which is designed to provide safety, healing, and justice for children victimized by abuse or neglect in our community. Their multi-disciplinary approach brings together all of the necessary agencies in one building—minimizing the burden on the child to share their story and start again. More than 5,000 reports of abuse or neglect are made each year, and the Children’s Advocacy Center can facilitate critical services for those impacted, all under one roof.
Carry the load for the heroes we’ve lost
Todd Boeding from Carry the Load joined us and told us how the foundation was created over ten years ago by Veteran U.S. Navy SEALs Clint Bruce and Stephen Holley. The idea began as a mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. Todd explained that the event has grown to include more than just our military heroes and commemorates more than just one holiday. Carry the Load’s primary goal is to bring all Americans together to participate in honoring and remembering our nation’s heroes every day.
Thank you – we cannot begin to express our gratitude
UNICOM Engineering was proud to organize the annual Golf Classic! We want to thank our sponsors, vendors, and volunteers for their continued support and unrelenting efforts on behalf of our charities. We connected on a very human level and were reminded why we were there thanks to four charismatic and passionate speakers. The success of the golf tournament is always very humbling, and we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of such beautiful causes and have the chance to give back to those in need. Thank you all for a terrific event, and we hope to see you all again in 2022.