Hockey Hall of Famer and Veteran Marine Fighter Pilot Hosting 5th Annual Golf Tournament for Retired Military Dogs

    COTO DE CAZA, CA, November 03, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Teemu Selänne (Hockey Hall of Famer, "100 Greatest NHL Players," six-time Olympian) and Lt. Col. Michael Pagano (Veteran Marine, FA-18 Hornet Pilot, and K9 Enthusiast) will host and play in the "5th Annual Retired Military Dogs Golf Tournament" Nov. 20 to raise funds for two special organizations and some very special dogs.

The event will be held at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club in Coto de Caza, CA. Proceeds will benefit Mission K9 Rescue (missionk9rescue.org) and The Warrior Dog Foundation (warriordogfoundation.org), which help ex-military and police K9s find loving forever homes and comfortable retirements.

"There's an assumption that these working dogs are automatically being taken care of after they leave service, but that's not the case," says Kristen Maurer, Mission K9 President. "A lot of them are stuck in kennels, not just in the U.S., but also overseas. We want to make sure they come back and get the retirement they deserve."

"These dogs have saved countless lives and prevented innumerable horrific injuries," says Mike Ritland, former US Navy SEAL and Warrior Dog Foundation Founder. "As a nation, we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude."

The tournament, which has raised $540K in total over its first four years, will feature ticketed participants playing a four-hour golf round using the "scramble" format.

"You can help out by registering to play, purchasing a sponsorship, bidding on some of our auction items, or simply making a donation," says Bob Bryant, Co-founder of Mission K9 Rescue. "Please join us and help us save these awesome K9 heroes."

Other celebrity players joining Selänne and Pagano will be Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Sakic and nine-time NHL All-Star Jeremy Roenick, the latter having donned a bite suit for a K9 demonstration at the 2022 tournament. K9 demos this year will once again include the K9 Bite Attack demo as well as a K9 Bomb Sniffing demo. Several dogs and reps from both organizations will also be on hand to interact with guests before, during, and after golf play.

Auction items up for bid include luxury hotel stays, sporting goods and high-end wines and wine tastings, with highlights including a four-night stay at the Four Seasons Maui, a Tito's X Vessel Golf Bag, a Magnum (1.5L) of Silver Oak 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and a VIP wine tasting for eight at Amizetta Vineyard and Winery in Napa Valley.

Day of Event Schedule (All Times PT):

• 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.: Golf check-in.
- Breakfast and drinks at Tito's Vodka Bloody Mary Bar, which will remain open during golf rounds.

• 9:45 a.m.: Announcement to head to designated golf holes.

• 10 a.m.: Shotgun golf begins on both courses.
- Refreshments and a BBQ Lunch will be served on both courses' snack shacks.
- Assorted beverages will be located on hole 10 on both courses.

• 2:45 p.m.: Military K9 Bomb Sniffing Demonstration (15 minutes).

• 3:15 p.m.: Taco Bar Dinner.
- Recognition announcement of both K9 organizations during dinner.

• 3:30 p.m.: Five Live Auction items during dinner.

• 4 p.m.: K9 Bite Attack Demonstration (30 minutes).

• 4:30 p.m.: Announcements of golf winner awards / last call on Silent Auction items.

• 5 p.m.: Silent Auction closes, but the party continues!

For more information about Mission K9 Rescue, visit the online press kit at MissionK9Rescue.OnlinePressKit247.com and public site MissionK9Rescue.org. For interviews with Bob Bryant, Mission K9 Rescue co-founder, send requests to [email protected].

About Bob Bryant:
Bob Bryant is the chief technology officer of Mission K9 Rescue, an animal welfare group dedicated solely to rescuing, reuniting, re-homing, repairing, and rehabilitating American working dogs. Learn more at MissionK9Rescue.org.

# # #