On Member Monday we highlight our members involved in their communities. Today we recognize Chris Forbes, a junior member of MN DAV Auxiliary Unit 39 and Scouting Troop 582, Rogers, Minnesota. Forbes sought help from the golf community in August with a goal of refurbishing 20 sets of golf clubs and accessories for Veterans in need. The project was part of his quest to get Veterans involved in the outdoor sport which he’s discovered can have significant therapeutic value and achieve Eagle Scout.
Forbes reached out for support from the PGA of Minnesota foundations, Benny Mento of the PGA HOPE & PGA Tour Superstore, Matt Just of Shamrock Golf Course, Tom Wiebusch of Pheasant Acres Golf Course and Eric Larson of Fox Hollow Golf Course, the MN Veteran Golfers Facebook Group, and Trust Vets of MN community to include James Dvorak, who donated 20 sets of clubs to Chris’ project.
“I received hundreds of golf clubs,” reports Forbes. “I was able to recruit 10 teenage volunteers and five adults to help clean, sort, rewrap and refurbish 32 complete sets of clubs at the PGA Tour Superstore in Minnetonka, on August 29, 2021. In the first week of September, we have presented two sets of clubs to Veterans, two sets went to the Magnus Foundation for Disabled Veterans for use on their premises. One set is being presented to the MN DAV Chapter 39 to be used as a prize for one of the organization’s largest annual fundraisers, the Leo Luskey DAV Golf Tournament. “My biggest challenge now is identifying Veterans to accept a set of clubs,” says Forbes. “If any Veteran organizations or individuals know a Veteran in need, please have them email [email protected].
His dad is a Trust Vets of MN member and an active member of the DAV. MN DAV Chapter 39 helped sponsor Chris to attend the Omaha Beach Scouting Camporee for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. Both Chris and his brother, Andrew, are both DAVA members as wells as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and have been in the Scouting program for more than nine years. Andrew is completing his own Eagle project on Sept. 18. In addition to golfing, Chris enjoys the challenge of hockey and plans on becoming an entrepreneur, getting a BA in finance and a master’s degree in business administration.
