PING honored for helping wounded war veterans
September 24th, 2008 @ 7:30am
by Sandra Haros/KTAR

A top golf club maker in the Valley will be honored by the U.S. Marines today with a medal for helping heroes.

PING, the Phoenix-based golf equipment company, has been working with the Wounded Warriors Sports Project for a year.

Bill Gates from PING said the program is for veterans who were severely injured fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"They learn to do sports -- anything from skiing to golf to rock-climbing," Gates said. "It's an amazing program, we're just proud to be a part of it."

PING provides a golf program for the vets and outfits them with custom-fitted woods, irons, putter and other equipment.

"We feel like what we've done is really inconsequential, compared to the sacrifices that all these people have made for our country," Gates said. "The Armed Forces have done so much to help protect our liberties and help us to be a successful company. The least we could do was to give back to these true American heroes."

The commandant of the Marines was to present the medal to PING.

"We're excited and humbled by that," Gates said.

PING has been working with the Wounded Warriors Sports Project for more than a year.

Ellie