FOX 5 partners with Yellow Ribbon Fund for charity golf tournament in Arlington

ARLNIGTON, Va. - Golfers were out on the course for a good cause Monday as the Yellow Ribbon Fund hosted its charity golf tournament at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington. 

The Yellow Ribbon Fund is a non-profit that helps wounded or sick military members by ensuring their families can be nearby while they receive treatment. Around 120 golfers are playing. 

The Yellow Ribbon Fund says they’ve helped around 30,000 military families in the last 20 years. It’s a nationwide organization but it’s got special meaning in our area because of the treatment U.S. military members get at Walter Reed.

Many times, when military members are wounded or get sick, they have to travel to get care. As you can imagine, they’d want their biggest support system, family, to be with them.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund helps with that setting up hotels or apartments, rental cars, and anything needed to get family members near their service member.

FOX 5 had the chance to speak with three veterans today who say this organization means the world to them.

Keith Jones is a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy who was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and was treated at Walter Reed.

"My sister came through about every three weeks and my mom came — she’s out in Arizona — she came every three weeks. With an apartment, we had three bedrooms. It was enough room for everybody to stay," Jones said. "It was well above what the Navy — like if I stayed on the base, children weren’t allowed on the base barracks, so this was well and above. With the Bethesda area, just with how much it costs with an apartment, it was well and beyond anything we could have expected."   

U.S. Army Captain Channda Mitchell was wounded while serving in the Middle East. She says that was all stressful, but Yellow Ribbon Fund helped her through.

 "I’d say it’s priceless. It’s a lot of worries coming, getting medevacked back. I was anxious of what was going to happen next, what my future looks like and then on top of that getting my spouse and two kids back. It was pretty hard," Mitchell said. 

Tiffanie Johnson is a retired corporal in the Army and while serving in South Korea suffered a medical emergency that was eventually diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. She also got treatment at Walter Reed and the Yellow Ribbon Fund helped make sure her mother could stay nearby.

"It means everything. Having family support is always everything, you know? They’re your first support system. Going from having no one to having my mom here with me was fantastic. She helped me with everything. Especially when I was trying to re-learn how to walk again," Johnson said. "Having that support and direct assistance was very. Extremely helpful. It was one less thing I had to worry about, get the mental health under control and I was really able to focus on my recovery." 

The fund also provides rental cars, mental health help and scholarships as well. After the golf tournament wraps up for the day, a reception will be held Monday night with items up for auction.