Sporting Events

ifundraising@hfotusa.org      508-823-3300 Ext. 505

Hosting a sporting event to benefit HFOT is a great way to get your community moving! Whether you spend your days on the green perfecting your swing, have quick feet on the basketball court, or are ready to tear up the pavement, there is a sporting event ready for you to plan. Turn your attendees’ competitive edge into a successful fundraiser to benefit HFOT year after year.

Tip: Don’t forget your spectators! Make sure you have activities and opportunities for your noncompetitive event attendees. Give a prize to the spectator with the most creative sign, you’d be surprised at how creative your crowd can get.

Golf tournament


If HFOT awarded superlatives to our longtime fundraisers, Wisconsin-based Lippert Flooring & Tile would definitely be in the running for “Most Unique.” Every Fall the company hosts a golf tournament with components unlike any other. The company incorporates outside-the-box ideas like a photo booth, games, and alternate putter contests, to keep things light and fun out on the course. Cecelia Valentine says, “The Company wanted to create a fun event, keeping the focus on raising funds for a great cause. For the company, the tournament is not about holding a competitive golf game, but about the Veterans that they can help.””

Clay Shoot


The Dallas Fort-Worth Volunteer Network puts on a sporting clays event to benefit HFOT every spring. Whether you’re a first-time shooter or a frequent flyer at your local gun club, this event connects people of all ages and skill levels. Turn your weekend hobby into an event by incorporating raffles, BBQ, and fun challenges. HFOT Core Ambassador Carol Self says, “We are very excited as we approach the 9th annual event at the beautiful Rockwall Gun Club in Texas! The DFW Volunteer Network is honored to serve the Veterans that benefit from this event and encourages people from all over the state of Texas and beyond to help.”

5K


Calling all runners! A great way to incorporate fundraising while you are training for your next big race is to host a 5K run/walk in your town. Bill Pennington ran for Team HFOT when the organization participated in the Boston Marathon. He was so inspired by the Homes For Our Troops mission that he took his experience home to Andover where he hosts the Run For The Troops 5K every April. Connecting your passion for running with a charity near and dear to your heart can help your community get more involved. Bill says that he continues to create a bigger and better event every year in honor of his mother (a Marine), his dad (a 30-year Navy Veteran), and other family members who have served along with all the men and women who work hard to keep us safe every day.

Stair Climb


In under three years, HFOT supporter Matt Appel and his committee have turned stairs, one of the biggest obstacles to Veterans we serve, into a major fundraiser. Matt took his weekly workout of running up and down each section at Harvard University’s famous concrete football stadium, and turned it into a fundraising challenge. After two events at Harvard, Matt and the Stairs4RTroops team hosted a stair-climbing event at Gillette Stadium last spring. The group held its third event at Harvard this past fall and is preparing for another stair climb at Gillette this spring. Matt hopes to expand the event to stadiums outside of New England. He says, “People ask us all the time why we created Stairs4RTroops. There are a lot of reasons why we created S4RT and run these events but the answer that sums it up best for us is why wouldn’t we – it is the least we can do to support our Veterans