WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – The sixth year of the Simmy Foundation golf outing continues to not only pay tribute to veterans across the country, but one still in a certain family’s heart.

The Simmy Foundation was formed after veteran Jason Simkowski passed away in 2014. Jason was honorably discharged in 2002 after suffering a head injury on base.

In seeking medical treatment with the VA, he found himself addicted to the pain medication he was on and lost his life.

To this day, his family honors his memory through an annual game of golf with the community.

“We did this to try to help other veterans, so they didn’t run into the same problems that our son ran into… and our mission is to get enough funding in and then support and help other veterans in different causes,” Marv Simkowski, Jason’s father, said.

While the foundation helps veterans who have struggled with mental health and addiction, they also have helped in other ways.

“This past year we provided a new railing for a veteran that was in need of a railing. We did the dream flight this year, which was at the Central Stevens Point airport, which took up veterans on a World War II plane,” Simkowski said.

Last year’s golf outing brought in $26,000. While the Simkowski family hopes to bring in more, the usual total amount ends up between the 25- and 26-thousand-dollar region.

However, the most important part is the event’s impact on Jason’s friends and family.

“It’s really great to see everyone that he loved and knew come together and work towards the great cause that he would’ve also loved everyone to work towards,” Anaya Simkowski, Jason’s daughter, said.

“It’s about keeping the memory alive of Jason and all the marines that I’ve served with that we’ve lost over the time, and it’s the one event that I’m able to make just about every single year,” Scott Kaczor, Jason’s friend and veteran, said.

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