Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic donates $23,000 for USC Aiken Veteran Scholarships

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AIKEN, SC (11/09/2018) The Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic has once again invested in the local veteran and military student community at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

For many years, A-AWWCGC has made significant contributions to USC Aiken's Veteran and Military Student Success program through its Bridge-the-Gap Scholarships.

These scholarships fund veteran and military students' educational pursuits beyond the books and tuition grants provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

"The additional funds permit students to focus more on their education, which not only increases their graduation success but also often allows them to graduate on schedule," said Robert Murphy, director of the USC Aiken Office of Veteran and Military Student Success.

USC Aiken and the A-AWWCGC committee work together to select the recipients of the scholarships each year.

Rita Malloy has been one of the committee representatives since the inception of the Bridge-the-Gap program. This year, based on a report she gave the committee, more scholarships were awarded than ever before.

"The number of scholarship applicants was more than normal and at a higher quality; therefore, I recommend we increase our level of support this year," she told the selection committee.

The group unanimously agreed and awarded 15 scholarships for a total of $23,000.

"Several factors make USC Aiken the #1 Best for Vets Universities in South Carolina, one of them being the unwavering support we receive from our community partners," Murphy said.

"The A-AWWCGC Team is a community partner who honors veterans by putting their 'thank you' into action. I am always impressed by A-AWWCGC's commitment."

The scholarship funding is a direct result of a golf tournament sponsored by A-AWWCGC each spring.

"This level of support would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, volunteers, and participants in the annual golf tournament," said Jack Morrison, chairman.

"This year's tournament generated a net of $38,544 which was an 8 percent increase over 2017."

The group is able to award so many scholarships this year, thanks in part to the generous sponsors of the golf tournament.

"The increase this year was primarily due to the increasing support of our sponsors, which was led by our sponsoring partner for the last eight years, Janney Financial," said John Crounse, the non-profit's finance director.

"We have also enjoyed the tremendous support of three new platinum sponsors: Safelite Auto Glass; Women of Woodside; and Ansaldo, STS."

Next year's Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic is scheduled for May 20. Information on either sponsoring, volunteering, or participating in this event may be obtained by contacting Jack Morrison at: 803-295-2614 or emailing: info@AAWWGolf.com. The A-AWWCGC is an independent 501c3 organization, managed 100 percent by volunteers who have raised more than $300,000 to benefit CSRA veterans.

In addition to the golf tournament, the Women of Woodside will host a charity breakfast at FATZ restaurant on Jan. 19, beginning at 8 a.m. All proceeds will go to the A-AWWCGC and thus future scholarship recipients. Tickets may be purchased at the door.