Special to the HT

On September 26, 2026, the Meeker Veterans Community Center, in support of VFW Post 5843, and American Legion Post 74 will host the inaugural Gold Star Scramble Golf Tournament at the Meeker Golf Course.

While the event includes golf, sponsorships, auctions, a Golf Ball Drop, and time together as a community, its purpose reaches far beyond one day.

The Gold Star Scramble was created to honor Gold Star Families—families who have lost a loved one in service to our country—while raising support for veterans, active-duty service members and their families, youth scholarships, community programs, and patriotic events throughout the year.

For many people, veteran support may bring to mind ceremonies on Memorial Day or Veterans Day. Those moments are important, but supporting veterans is something that should happen throughout the entire year.

Veterans and military families live, work, volunteer, raise families, and serve alongside us every day. Some are navigating the transition from military to civilian life. Others may need help accessing resources, finding connection, or simply knowing they have a place where they belong. Active-duty service members and their families also need to know that their hometown community continues to support them while they are serving.

That is part of the mission of the Meeker Veterans Community Center.

Our work is about preserving history, honoring sacrifice, supporting those who served, educating future generations, and creating opportunities for our community to come together. It includes scholarships for local youth, flag placements, patriotic events, Memorial Day and Veterans Day activities, community partnerships, and continued outreach to veterans and military families.

The Gold Star Scramble is one way we can strengthen that mission.

The response to the tournament has already been incredible, and golf teams are currently full. We are grateful for every team that registered and for the businesses and organizations that have already committed their support.

Although team registration is full, sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsorships give businesses and organizations an opportunity to support local veterans while receiving recognition through event signage, promotional materials, social media, newspaper coverage, and activities throughout the event.

We are also accepting business swag, gift certificates, merchandise, and live or silent auction donations for the gathering following the tournament at Smoking River Brewery. These contributions help make the event successful while allowing us to recognize the businesses and individuals who support our veteran community.

The public is also invited to attend the Golf Ball Drop at approximately 3:00 p.m. A Meeker Fire and Rescue ladder truck will drop numbered golf balls from 105 feet above the course. The ball that lands in the hole—or closest to it—will win half of the total pot, with the remaining proceeds supporting the mission of the Meeker Veterans Community Center.

You do not have to be a golfer to be part of this event. You can purchase a golf ball, become a sponsor, donate an auction item, attend the Golf Ball Drop, join us afterward at Smoking River Brewery, or simply help us share the mission.

Every form of support matters.

This event is about honoring those who served, remembering those we have lost, supporting those still serving, and making sure veterans and military families know they are valued in our community.

We hope the Gold Star Scramble becomes more than an annual event. We hope it becomes a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with gratitude, purpose, and a shared commitment to those who have sacrificed for our country.

Support the Gold Star Scramble

Golf teams are full, but sponsorship opportunities remain available.

Sponsorship Packet: https://canva.link/mvcc-golf-2026

Become a Sponsor: https://forms.office.com/r/GSUaMuwAfv

Purchase Golf Ball Drop Entries: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/mvcc-golf-ball-drop-sept-26–2026

The public is invited to attend the Golf Ball Drop at approximately 3:00 p.m. and join us afterward at Smoking River Brewery.

Thank you for helping us honor service, sacrifice, and community.