11th Annual Travis Manion Foundation 'If Not Me, Then Who…' Gala Recognizing Leaders of Character and Service

Dec 8, 2022

PHILADELPHIA - December 8, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

Travis Manion Foundation (TMF), one of the nation's leading nonprofit veteran service organizations, is hosting the 11th annual "If Not Me, Then Who…" Gala on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, at the historic Union League of Philadelphia. This black-tie event, serving as a national recognition of character and leadership, will feature attendees from across the country who are being honored for their dedication to selfless service within their local communities and around the globe. 

The evening will begin with a VIP reception at 6:00 p.m., which will be open to the media, followed by the full program starting at 7:00 p.m.

This year's award recipients and special guests include:

  • Jenna Lee -- Master of Ceremonies, Founder, SmartHER News
  • Jocko Willink - Guest of Honor, decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast, #1 New York Times bestselling author
  • Wayne Peacock, President and CEO, USAA - Accepting the "Community Leadership Award" on behalf of USAA
  • Derrick Robinson -- "IF NOT ME, THEN WHO..." Leadership Award Recipient, Army Veteran and TMF Mentor and Spartan Leadership Program Graduate 
  • Caitlin Egan - 2022 "Character Does Matter" Scholarship Recipient

Additionally, special appearances are expected by General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC (Ret.), 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and TMF Board Member; Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman, Johnson & Johnson and Vice Chairman of the TMF Board of Directors. 

Top-level sponsors for this inspirational evening include Honor Level Sponsors: G.I Johns, Johnson & Johnson, The Morel Family Foundation, Under Armour; and Champion Level Sponsors: Advanced Aviation Team, Amazon, The Boeing Company, Stephen Burns, The Carlyle Group, Comcast NBCUniversal, Sean and Felicia Daly, Echelon Front/Jocko Fuel, Green Family Foundation/Firstrust Bank, Alex and Pat Gorsky, Hunt Military Communities, KPMG, Penn Medicine, Penn Mutual, Polen Capital,  Poretta and Orr, Inc., UBS and Wounded Warrior Project.

About Travis Manion Foundation: Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) unites communities to strengthen America's national character by empowering veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop and lead future generations. In 2007, 1stLt Travis Manion (USMC) was killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Today, Travis' legacy lives on in the words he spoke before leaving for his final deployment, "If Not Me, Then Who..." Guided by this mantra, veterans continue their service, develop strong relationships with their communities, and thrive in their post-military lives by serving as character role models to youth. As a result, communities prosper and the character of our nation's heroes lives on in the next generation.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ed Donovan, Director, Public Relations, Travis Manion Foundation. (610) 220-1441. [email protected]


Contact Information:
Elizabeth Aucamp
Account Executive
[email protected]
(704) 249-1430


Press Release Service by Newswire.com

Original Source: 11th Annual Travis Manion Foundation 'If Not Me, Then Who…' Gala Recognizing Leaders of Character and Service

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Ryoma bucks heat, ‘discomfort’ to seize ICTSI Iloilo lead
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MANILA, Philippines – Playing 18 holes in a bowtie under the sweltering heat of an exacting golf course is hardly the ideal recipe for a breakthrough. Yet Miki Ryoma did just that Wednesday, shrugging off the discomfort – and seemingly everything else the Iloilo Golf and Country Club threw at him – to fire a near-flawless 66 and emerge as the bewildered leader halfway through the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge here. 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While most of the leading contenders opted for caution on a layout that demanded patience and precision, he continued to trust his long game, pulling the driver 10 times and consistently putting himself in position to attack. “I didn’t play steady in the first round but hit it solid today. But you really have to be in the fairway to get a chance to make birdies,” said Ryoma, a Saitama native whose closest brush with a Philippine Golf Tour title came in his rookie campaign in 2016, when he lost to Tony Lascuña by one at Eagle Ridge. A decade later, after a string of underwhelming finishes, Ryoma suddenly found himself just 36 holes away from the PGT crown that has eluded him. But the Japanese journeyman knows there is still a long way to go. Ababa, the opening-round leader, slipped to second at 135 after a 68, surrendering the top spot after a bogey on the first hole and a stretch of eight straight pars on the front nine. “Sobrang hirap ng course at sobrang init. Hindi mo talaga masasabi kung gaganda ang score mo sa isang araw,” said Ababa, acknowledging the challenges and test that await each bidder in the P2.5 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, inc. “Sa bandang dulo, medyo nag-play safe ako dahil hindi maganda ang tee shot,” said the former Order of Merit winner, adding that he never felt pressured, especially with his putting clicking. Ira Alido made the biggest move of the day, turning in a fiery 65 to charge into contention at 136. After a bogey on No. 2, Alido caught fire, making six birdies over the next 16 holes to share third with fellow bemedalled campaigners Reymon Jaraula and Clyde Mondilla. Jaraula and Mondilla had both been part of a four-way tie for the lead midway through the day but stumbled in the stretch. Jaraula suffered a double bogey on No. 13 and another bogey before checking the slide with a birdie on the 17th, salvaging another 68. Mondilla looked poised to take control after a four-birdie burst on the front nine but wavered late, making two bogeys over the last four holes to settle for a second straight 68 and a share of third. Art Arbole, meanwhile, continued his bid to build on last week's breakthrough in Negros Occidental, where he ended a 14-year wait for a PGT title. He was four-under with two holes left to play from No. 10 and appeared headed to pull within a stroke of Ryoma, only to bogey the eighth and scramble for par on the last for a 67. Still, the round moved him to 137, just three shots off the pace, alongside Francis Morilla and Rupert Zaragosa, who carded 67 and 69, respectively. The leaderboard remained tightly packed, with another group lurking just a shot farther back. Young Kristoffer Arevalo shot a 67 to lead the 138 scorers, joined by James Ryan Lam, Jeffren Lumbo and Lakewood leg winner Justin Quiban. Lam also briefly threatened to take control, reaching three-under with four holes left before a bogey on No. 7 and a double bogey on No. 8 knocked him back. He birdied the ninth to salvage another 69. Lumbo, runner-up to Arbole last week, birdied two of his final six holes to likewise post a second straight 69. Quiban, meanwhile, refused to be discouraged by his opening 72. After a bogey on No. 14, he bounced back, ripping off five birdies over the last 13 holes to shoot a 66 and thrust himself into the mix. But for all the movement around him, the day ultimately belonged to Ryoma. He matched Ababa's three-birdie burst from No. 10 before a three-putt bogey on No. 13 briefly halted his momentum. He responded by grinding out a string of pars, then picked up birdies on Nos. 3 and 5 before safely navigating the difficult closing holes. The surprising part? Ryoma didn't even know he had taken the outright lead. “I didn't know I'm in the top during the round, so I didn’t feel any pressure. I just wanted to play good on this course,” he said. Perhaps that was just as well. Ryoma arrived in Iloilo coming off a tied-18th finish in Negros Occidental, his best result in four PGT starts this season as he continues to shuttle between the Philippines and Japan, where he also competes. And then there was the bowtie. In the punishing Iloilo heat, Ryoma played the first 36 holes dressed in the unusual accessory, an idea he admits he hasn't exactly embraced. “I really don’t like wearing it. I’m not comfortable,” he said with a smile, pointing at the bowtie. His wife, however, has other ideas. “She told me to wear it every round, every tournament,” he said. Ryoma, who has built a modest following on YouTube, said his wife came up with the idea of adding something “extraordinary” to his look in hopes of giving him a distinctive presence on social media. The bowtie certainly did that. On Wednesday, though, it was Ryoma's golf that stole the show. Despite the heat, the humidity and the awkwardness around his neck, he found the fairways, hit the greens, made the birdies when they mattered – and walked off the course with a one-shot lead and a genuine shot at the title. The bowtie may have been his wife's idea. The 66 was all Ryoma. TMT

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