The Stein family drove up to Lemont from Colchester, Ill., which is near Macomb, to meet Phil Mickelson on Tuesday. Barbara Stein wanted to thank him for helping to send two of her children, Doug and Erin, to the University of Illinois.
Mickelson founded and participates in the “Birdies for the Brave” program.
Every time he makes a birdie, he donates to two military programs for families of soldiers who either were killed or injured in service:
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which helps send children of those soldiers to college, and Homes for Our Troops, a program that builds specially adapted homes for severely disabled veterans.
“It has been a huge help,” said Doug Stein, a junior at Illinois who hopes to go to medical school.
His father, Air Force Lt. Col. John Stein, died in an aircraft crash in Afghanistan in 2003. Mickelson, whose father, Jim, was in the military, hopes to broaden the program’s impact.
Fans can pledge a dollar amount for each Mickelson birdie. For more information, check pgatour.com.
“It’s not about how many dollars we raise,” Mickelson said. “That’s secondary to raising awareness and appreciation for the fact that these guys are putting their lives on the line for us.”
