- March 3, 2026
The sixth annual GratitudeAmerica Charity Golf Tournament at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has raised $50,000 for veterans, and has received an additional $15,000 donation from The Hammock’s Lori Fund.
The $50,000 raised at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day tournament is a 15% increase over the previous year’s raised funds, GratitudeAmerica Board Chairman Stephen Gallagher said, and stems solely from the 175 event donors. The money raised will fund two GratitudeAmerica MSR retreats for veterans.
When he started with GratitudeAmerica, he said he’d never dreamed it would be so successful.
“It’s mainly because of the very generous community that we have,” Gallagher said. “We have a lot of people that really want to give back.”
GratitudeAmerica is a nonprofit organization that supports reintegration of veterans and first responders through three main programs: The Fallen, the MSR Retreats, and the Warrior PATHH.
The Warrior PATHH — Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes — program, an intensive training program that enables “combat veterans to walk the road home from war and be as productive here as they were on the battlefield,” according to the website. The Fallen Program is a three-night program for those affected by military loss.
The retreats are three-night, immersive recreation and interactive workshops for veterans. The retreats cover the meals, hotels, counselors and more for veterans and one significant other, which could be a spouse, sibling or other individual close to the veteran.
The funds raised at the charity tournament this year will fund two full retreats, Gallagher said. He said he heard about GratitudeAmerica when he still owned the Hammock Wine & Cheese restaurant, when two volunteers with GratitudeAmerica walked in.
After hearing about GratitudeAmerica’s vision, Gallagher had to get involved. He eventually created the tournament, hosted at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. The majority of participants are Hammock residents.
The tournament originally raised under $20,000 in the first year and used just one of the resort’s golf courses. Now it is so popular they have had to spread across two of Hammock Beach Resort’s golf courses.
Lori Fund founder Frank Petruno said his nonprofit has donated around $60,000 to GratitudeAmerica over the years. The Lori Fund is a nonprofit that fundraises and then donates those funds to organizations that support veterans and has donated $1.3 million over the last six years, Petruno said.
Petruno said that over the years Gallagher has become a great friend and he "understands the commitment to help our veterans," who go are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder issues or need help readjusting to society.
"The beauty of the gratitude America here in Palm Coast and the Lori fun is that our community is intertwined with both of them," Petruno said. "It's kind of a community here at Palm Coast, which we've cross-pollinated."
Gallagher and GratitudeAmerica presented Petruno with an award at a golf luncheon to thank Petruno for his continued support of veterans.
For Gallagher, an army veteran who served in active duty from 1980-1984, it means a lot to receive such continuous support from the community.
“It’s great that I can give back,” he said. “That’s my motivation is that I can give back and raise money, and know it’s going to a great cause.”
