In honor of Veterans’ Day and as part of its fifth anniversary celebration, The Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Gardens, Fla., honored current and former military personnel both inside the Mirasol gates and throughout the country by working with Tee It Up for the Troops, Inc. to bring their members a festive and patriotic celebration.

The weekend began with a speech from General Manager Matt Lambert, followed by a fly-over of four T-34 jets provided by the Visiting Nurses Association Air Show, and a presentation of colors by members of the United States Marine Corps. The ceremony was capped off by a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the William T. Dwyer High School Army JROTC, from Jupiter, Fla.

Golf and tennis tournaments followed, with more than 300 members participating. The post-tournament luncheon included a speech by LTC (Retired) Harry Wisdom of Tee It Up for the Troops, Inc. and a slideshow of photos submitted by members of the community who served in the United States Armed Forces themselves, as well as family of members and Mirasol staff who have served. Saturday’s festivities ended with the club’s annual anniversary cocktail party by the pool, which was attended by over 400 members.

Sunday was a day for families, and began with an early morning yoga class and five-kilometer walk. The weekend’s festivities concluded Sunday evening on the driving range, with food stations, a rock wall, a bounce house, and the sounds of a local musical group, Hot Brass Monkey.

As part of the closing ceremonies, LTC (Ret.) Wisdom pulled the winning raffle ticket (his own!) for a BMW, and then very generously donated the car back to the club, so a Mirasol member would have a chance to win it. The car was eventually won by Mirasol residents Henry and Arlene Friedman. The 5th Anniversary Celebration then went out with a bang, as all enjoyed a fantastic fireworks show over the driving range.

The Mirasol staff also lent its support to Tee It Up for the Troops by donating over $1,500 to the organization from its own raffle.  After Lambert won an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii in a drawing at a local event, he turned it over to the Mirasol team as a thank-you for their hard work. Sixty employees participated in a raffle for the Hawaii trip, which was won by Accounting Coordinator Shawn Small.

As a result of member participation, the generosity of Mirasol’s vendors and the hard work of the club team, after all of the events Mirasol was able to send a check for $35,250 to Tee It Up for the Troops, Inc.

“I was honored that Mirasol could support such a worthy organization once again this season, and the community spirit that was exhibited during the course of the weekend made the events even more exciting,” Lambert said. “I think that it is important to remember the sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made every day by the men and women of our Armed Forces, and I appreciate the continued support and generosity of our membership!”

The Country Club at Mirasol was featured in C&RB’s February 2008 issue (“The Country Club at Mirasol Moves Smoothly to Member-Owned”).