By MOAA Staff

Golfers and sponsors at MOAA’s annual charity golf event May 18 learned firsthand how their support can make a difference for uniformed services families in crisis.

The MOAA Charities 22nd Annual Golf Classic at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Md., raised more than $175,000 to support scholarships for uniformed services families, transition and career programs, crisis relief efforts, and other MOAA Charities priorities. After a day on the course in near-record heat, attendees heard from Marine Capt. Christopher Burkard about a life-changing moment from a frigid winter night.

A Feb. 1 gas leak triggered a two-alarm fire at his Northern Virginia home, destroying nearly all of his family’s possessions, Burkard told tournament attendees. After an initial explosion where “our house seemed to jump off its foundation,” Burkard said, he attempted to fight the flames as his family fled the home.

Marine Capt. Chris Burkard, who received a grant this winter from MOAA's Crisis Relief Program, speaks to attendees at the MOAA Charities 22nd Annual Golf Classic. 

As conditions worsened, Burkard escaped with his childhood teddy bear, leaving behind a career’s worth of keepsakes … and the laptop that held his schoolwork as he neared completion of a master’s degree.

“I found my family sitting in the cab of a gas company truck,” Burkard said. “They were trying to get out of the cold. I gave them the bear to help them calm down.”

They would spend much of the next day in the emergency room – dad for smoke inhalation, kids for ear trauma and possible concussions, and mom complaining of abdominal pain … which would turn out to be appendicitis.

Support from neighbors meant donated clothes and meals. Insurance coverage promised an eventual return to some financial security. But the Burkards needed to fill the gap between those two – school supplies for the kids, a new laptop for Christopher, help covering unexpected bills on the path back to normal.

“There comes a point where your problem can’t be solved by more boxes of clothes and toys,” Burkard said. He found out about MOAA Charities and the Crisis Relief Program, applied for support, and was approved for a $5,000 grant in less than a week.

[DONATE TODAY: MOAA Charities]

“For my family, at that time, at that moment, it was a bridge that helped us move from acute crisis to long-term recovery,” Burkard said at the reception.

The tournament also hosted golfers from the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) Program, which uses the sport to help servicemembers and veterans improve physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.

MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), takes part in pre-event ceremonies.

“Year in and year out, our sponsors and donors continue to answer the call,” MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), said. “The success of this annual event speaks to how much our members and partners care about the uniformed services community. I’m grateful to the participants and our hosts, and we look forward to using these resources to make a difference for those in need.”

The top foursomes from the May 18 event:

• First Place: Mackenzie Hahn and Brent Wilkerson (Hahn and Associates); David Shidler (Association Member Benefits Advisors-AMBA); Leanne Murray (MOAA)
• Second Place: Ryan Archer (PGA HOPE); Omarr Guerrero and Mark Krum (AMBA); John Harman (MOAA)
• Third Place: David Diaz (PGA HOPE), Sam DiPhilippo, Philip Hennig, Killian Smet (The Hartford)

Winning team members, from left: Dave Shidler, Leanne Murray, Mackenzie Hahn, and Brent Wilkerson.

Burkard closed his remarks by thanking the crowd on behalf of himself and others who’d benefitted from the work of MOAA Charities.

“I had no previous experience with MOAA, never was a member,” he said in a follow-up interview. “So it really meant a lot that MOAA did this for a guy that, you know, just came in off the street.”

[RELATED: 52 Affiliates Receive Grants From MOAA Charities]

Tim Ogden, center, celebrates after teammate David Cuthbert, far left, sank a putt.

Event sponsors included:

• Four-Star Sponsors:  A.C.E. Express, Inc.; Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA); Genesis; Hanwha; Korean Air; Korea-US Alliance Foundation; LIG Corp.; Park Family Foundation Fund.
• Two-Star Sponsors: Goldman Sachs; New York Life
• One-Star Sponsors: Delta Dental; Humana Military
• Logo Plus Sponsor: Army & Air Force Exchange Service
• Logo Sponsor: Evernorth Health Services
• 19th Hole Sponsor: State Street Investment Management

The tournament will return to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm on May 17, 2027.