A recent golf fundraiser raised six figures for a scholarship fund at Norwich University named in honor of fallen Navy SEAL Brian Bill, a 2001 Norwich graduate killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan three years ago. The third annual Brian Bill Memorial Golf Tournament exceeded its $100,000 goal last month, bringing in $135,000 for the Brian R. Bill Scholarship Fund. The scholarship offers financial help to Norwich students who are the sons and daughters of Navy SEALs or have served in the US Armed Forces Special Forces.
The sold-out event included 135 golfers with another 100 people who attended the dinner, which included special guest speaker, author and former Navy SEAL Jason Redman.
Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brian Bill was born on August 23, 1979 in Stamford, Conn. and graduated from Norwich University in 2001. He was a highly decorated combat veteran with numerous awards and commendations. On August 6, 2011, a Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was shot down by enemy fire in Afghanistan, taking the lives of 38 people on board. Brian was one of 17 SEALs aboard that helicopter.
The tournament was established in 2012 to celebrate his life and generate financial support for a scholarship established in his name at Norwich University.
“This scholarship carries a lot of meaning to the students, and I know it means the world to Brian’s parents that all of these people are contributing to the legacy their son created through his incredible work and sacrifice,” said Senior Development Officer Elizabeth Kennedy.
“I knew all about Brian and his story, his family’s donations and everything they do, [and] that scholarship meant the world to me,” said Cadet Matthew Stannard, a scholarship recipient from Manassas, Va. “Living up to Brian’s values is no easy task. In simplest terms he inspires me, and learning about him drives me [to] do everything with honor, courage, commitment and selfless service to my country, my friends and my family.”
The June 16 event was held at Rockrimmon Country Club in Bill’s hometown of Stamford, Conn., and included a round of golf, a dinner and an auction. Auction items included:
· a luxury box at Yankee Stadium for a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, which sold for $11,000
· a .5 liter bottle of wine from Honor Winery, which sold for $9,000
· a case of wine from wine critic Robert Parker’s personal cellar that sold for $6,000.
The Brian R. Bill Memorial Scholarship was endowed at Norwich in 2012 and was awarded for the first time in the following academic year.
To date, efforts to fund the scholarship, including private donations and a winter obstacle course competition – the Brian Bill Memorial Challenge – have raised over $369,000.