Operation Warrior Resolution Golf Classic to benefit local veterans

For more than 50 years, Lakewood Ranch’s Phil Orapallo fought flashbacks from his time in the military and beyond. He served on a nuclear submarine from 1961 to 1964 and four years after he left the USS Scorpion, it sank with 99 officers and crew -- many of whom he served alongside. There were no survivors.

He felt he should have been there with them and has gone through survivor’s guilt. Years and years later, he sought help through Operation Warrior Resolution, a Sarasota-based nonprofit that serves veterans and their family members through retreats, therapy and more. 

“I was sitting up at night at the end of the bed and I couldn't sleep,” Orapallo said. “These people that have been through it themselves — military guys and military girls — they get it. You can talk to them. You could cry your eyes out.” 

After Orapallo saw and experienced what Operation Warrior Resolution provides for local veterans, he decided he wanted to create a fundraiser to help others get through their war related traumas. 

The first Operation Warrior Resolution Golf Classic took place last year and raised $24,000. This year the goal is to raise $30,000. It will take place April 27 at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. 

Photo by Madison Bierl

Kendra Simpkins Walsh is the founder and CEO of Operation Warrior Resolution. She served in the Navy in South Korea in 2009 and 2010 as an insurance analyst. She got injured and was discharged early and founded the nonprofit eight years later.

“I know what it's like to be on active duty and to go through the pain and the darkness and feel like there's no way out of it,” Walsh said. 

What OWR provides is brain based healing — a therapeutic approach that is rooted in neuroscience that doesn't require re-traumatization. Walsh said it is quite effective and can stabilize veterans who come in with suicidal intentions and gets them onto a good path to move forward. 

“It gets their brain to rewire itself and there's new pathways being built,” Walsh said. “The brain is not constantly bringing up the old memories and the emotions of the old memories. Things can be then thought of, but no longer have the emotional impact that it once had.” 

Walsh said it was moving to see the turnout at the fundraiser last year and said she feels lucky that so many understand that veterans need this kind of support. 

“They love playing golf and we try to make it a great and fun experience,” Walsh said. “But to know that they can play golf anywhere, at any time, at any course, but they want to show up because they want to support this is different. It wouldn't happen without Phil and without our community.”