Jason Simcakoski Memorial Therapy Golf Course Grand Opening

Karen [Long], thanks for that kind introduction and, everyone, for that warm welcome. I’ll be brief. You want me to be brief, so we can hit the links. But I also know that the longer I talk, the longer I avoid hooking my drive on that first tee shot. It’s an incredible hook. Sometimes it boomerangs around. People could get hurt.

It is my honor to join all of you in the grand opening of this beautiful, living memorial. It’s a powerful tribute to Marine Corps Veteran Jason Simcakoski. It’s a celebration of Jason’s life and legacy. And it will perpetuate the uplifting and tangible influence Jason had, and his life continues to have, on this community and his fellow Veterans here at Tomah and across the country.

To the Simcakoski family—Marv, Linda, Chad, Michelle, Heather, and Anaya—thank you for your courage, for your compassion, and for your deep devotion to Jason and his fellow Veterans.

And to all the good people who are the Simmy Foundation, thank you for giving Wisconsin’s Veterans and this community the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Golf Course; for your strong partnership with Karen, Victoria [Brahm], Mary Kolar, and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; and for your important work with congressional leaders like Senators Tammy Baldwin and Congressmen Kind who helped give us Jason’s Law.

In large part, it’s because of your efforts that, today, VA has significantly reduced reliance on opioid medication for pain management, significantly decreased the number of Veterans receiving high-dose and long-term opioid therapies, and been nationally recognized for our Rapid Naloxone Initiative. That effort has put naloxone in the hands of more than 301,000 Veterans who need it, and reversed overdoses for nearly 2,100.

Those are Veterans’ lives saved. Those are Veterans’ lives that you all have helped save.

Listen, you don’t need me to tell you, but this is an extraordinary accomplishment. There are so many people to thank, to recognize, to applaud and praise. It’s a reminder that, as is so often the case, the very best things happen in this country because kind, hard-working people come together, in perfect harmony, around a common goal, around a common good.

And this is one of those cases. This happened because of a lot of backbreaking work by people like Marv and Chad and Joe Dudah. This happened because of Rob Hilliard’s hard work and devotion that so well represents all the folks at DAV. Rob, my thanks to you for giving so much of yourself to this miracle. This happened because of the support of Mayor Mike Murray, Roger Gorius, Kirk Arity, and so many others from the beautiful city of Tomah. This happened because of Veteran and VA employee volunteers, and many other community members helping in so many ways. And, most of all, it happened because the Simcakoski family made it happen, in honor of their son.

Let’s not forget where this all started: Marv and Jason, a loving father and his Veteran son, walking these fairways together. Just talking and playing golf, and realizing, as they did so, that as infuriating as golf can sometimes be, it can also be therapeutic. And there was a moment when Marv and Jason could have been among the last twosomes to walk these holes, but the Simcakoskis and all of you refused to let that happen.

Now, other Veterans will share and benefit from the magic of walking the links. Because of your personal, emotional, spiritual, physical, and, yes, fiscal investments, you—as Senator Baldwin has explained—turned “a horrible tragedy into hope for so many others.”

From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all the Veterans we serve, thank you. God bless all of you, our troops, the nation’s Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. And may we always give them, as you do, our very best.

And I promise not to hook it too badly.