*The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
This is where you will stay connected with all things Folds of Honor, such as impactful partnerships, upcoming events, store promotions and most importantly, the stories of the families you stand with.
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Rowan Patton is a junior at St. Petersburg College pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She earned her Associates degree from the State College of Florida. Previously, Rowan graduated as a cadet from Sarasota Military Academy High School, where she was the captain of her lacrosse team and volunteered in her community to help students with special needs as well as support suicide prevention initiatives.
Rowan is one of five siblings (three of whom have been Folds of Honor scholarship recipients) and the daughter of MGYSGT (ret.) Matthew Patton. Rowan’s father was a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as a Combat Engineer in the U.S. Marine Corps for 24 years and retired in 2002. Since his retirement, he has undergone more than 20 surgeries, leaving him 90% disabled.
“Folds of Honor has not only taken away the financial stress and debt that comes with college, but they have given me a platform to succeed and honor my father.”
- Rowan Patton
See more stories like Rowan's.
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Southern California Chapter
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On July 9th the Southern California chapter held its 3rd Annual Patriot Comedy Night at the Irvine Improv for a night of world-class stand-up comedy headlined by Adam Carolla. 100% of the ticket proceeds, including the completely sold-out corporate VIP tables, benefitted Folds of Honor. In total, the event raised more than $30,000.
Southern California chapter President Randall Hunt commented, “In three short years, the Patriot Comedy Night has quickly become one of the most anticipated charity events in Orange County it’s really unlike any other fundraiser. The Irvine Improv’s generosity and commitment to the Folds has been nothing short of remarkable. In fact, we are working with the Improv’s ownership and Major Ed Pulido to take Patriot Comedy Night nationwide to other Improv locations.”
The Southern California chapter’s next event is its flagship fundraiser a Pro-Am golf tournament held at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Orange County this year on Friday, October 11.
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| POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS |
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Suntex Marinas has partnered with other marina industry leaders to raffle off a 2018 Bayliner 20’ Deck Boat with 150HP Mercury and Trailer, benefitting Folds of Honor and the families we serve.
The contest will run through the end of the year and the winner will be announced in January 2020. The boat will be displayed at various Suntex, Westrec and Safe Harbor Marinas. You may donate at the link below or at marina locations for your chance to win.
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Folds of Honor would also like to give special recognition to these partners for their support and efforts in the month of July:
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Kirksville Country Club in northeast Missouri held their inaugural Patriot Golf Day on July 19, 2019 with great success. The event was to honor SFC Matthew Charles Lewellen, a fallen hero and son of KCC members Chuck and Cindy Lewellen, who was killed in 2016 in Jordan.
Rather than hold a tournament, community members were welcomed and encouraged to make a tee time and play any format they wanted, with all of the proceeds benefiting the Matthew Lewellen Scholarship Fund and the Folds of Honor Foundation. This allowed golfers and non-golfers alike to come out and show the family their support and spend the day together on the golf course.
The day was emotional and filled with both laughter and tears as stories about Matthew were shared by friends and family, and the day was topped off with a reenactment and speech from Run for the Fallen volunteers who helped run across the United States in Matthew’s honor. After the event, Matthew’s father Chuck stated “I believe having Kirksville Country Club host Patriot Day in honor of our son was an amazing idea. The ability to raise money for both the Folds of Honor and the Matthew Lewellen Scholarship Fund went together perfectly. Both of these foundations were about keeping his legacy alive and promoting education.”
To make the event even more special, every tee box had pictures of Matt detailing his timeline throughout his enlistment and deployment. “Cindy and I wanted to be able to show Matt's military career from basic training to becoming a Green Beret and his accomplishments in such a short period of time. We also wanted to thank every person that contributed to making this event a success. To do this we came up with the idea that we would have an American flag on the 18th green and I would tend that flag for everyone that finished. I would then thank them personally and give them a special Folds of Honor freedom marker we had made with his name on it. I can tell you that the hugs I received on the 18th green were what this event was about, a community that believes in patriotism and has been there for our family since that dreadful day we received the knock on our door,” said Chuck.
According to host PGA Professional Clint Fitzpatrick, “Our main goals for this event fell right in line the Folds of Honor’s motto, and we were grateful for their assistance. We wanted to honor Matt’s sacrifice and make sure his family knew how thankful we are for what he did for his country. We also wanted to help educate his legacy and feel like we did so by helping to raise money for scholarships in his name for local kids and also by sharing stories about his heroism.”
“Morale is great because I get to watch Mickey play”, said Dave.
This statement was backed by double digit birdies and 2 eagles made by Barker thus far. At 8:24PM both marathoners sunk their last putts concluding all 117 holes, which prompted high fives all around. When asked what advice he’d give someone playing a Patriot Golf Day marathon, Dave said, “be patient”.
For KCC, this event exceeded all of their expectations and they are already excited to implement new ideas to help make next year’s event even a greater success. “While it is great to raise money for two amazing causes, more importantly this event is a chance for the community to thank and honor the Lewellen family and keep Matthew’s legacy alive, and we were happy to help play a small part in doing so,” said Fitzpatrick.
At the conclusion of the event one of the guest speakers and friend of Matthew said, "Since my friend was killed that first year I had no purpose, I was just trying to survive and then someone told me, live a life worth living and honor his sacrifice. ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for his friends’ John 15:13.”
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