Golf scramble supports Soviak foundation

OXFORD TWP. — An upcoming fundraiser aims to benefit the nonprofit that supports a late U.S. Navy Corpsman with local ties. The Maxton W. Soviak Memorial Foundation will host its second-annual memorial golf scramble on Saturday at Woussickett Golf Course, 6311 W. Mason Road, in Sandusky. "Proceeds from this tournament will allow us to continue our mission of helping veterans and their families," according to a statement from the foundation, a nonprofit. Kip Soviak, the father of Maxton Soviak, provided some additional details regarding Saturday's event: • The golf: "We are running two flights, an a.m. flight of 36 teams and a p.m. flight of 36 teams. Golfers can play 18 holes with prizes on the holes and opportunities to win some prizes on the holes. For instance, if you hit a hole-in-one on a particular hole, you could win a car." • The contests: "We added some prizes this year for golf teams. We will give prizes to the team that is the best dressed and most patriotic. Woussickett is also allowing us to decorate the golf carts." • The attendees: "Registration is full, but we invite people to still stop out. There will be live entertainment throughout the day. Lance Horwedel will perform in the morning session, and Dan Robertson will perform in the evening session. Even if you're not golfing, you can still come up to support the foundation. Our raffle baskets are not just geared toward golfers. There is something for everybody." • The raffles: "At the golf event, we will have raffle baskets with items donated from businesses all over Erie and Huron counties." • The auction: "Go to our social media page (Facebook at facebook.com/maxtonsoviakmemorial; Twitter at @SoviakStrong and Instagram at @corpsman_maxton_w_memorial), and there will be a link to the silent auction, which starts at noon on Thursday. You can win a fishing trip for four on Lake Erie, a stocked cooler, 10 yards of dirt from Mesenburg Bros., a package from the Bourbon Buddies and a custom bottle of bourbon that has the foundation's logo on the back. There is also a one-year membership, with cart, to Woussickett." Foundation update The foundation honoring Maxton, a 2017 Edison High School graduate, provides veterans and families with adventure, experiences and resources "to live life to the Max," as its mission statement indicates. Since its founding about 18 months ago, the nonprofit's two major events — the golf scramble and Tango Trot, which returns Sept. 30 — raised enough money to specially train four dogs, three service and one therapy, for veterans in need: Max, Maximus and Pilot are service dogs, while MJ is a therapy dog. "Dogs are very helpful for mental health," said Kip, who established the foundation with his wife and Maxton's mother, Rachel. "When we went out to Camp Pendleton (in California for Maxton's) memorial service in October 2021, we saw a lot of young men suffering emotionally from what they had seen," Kip added. "My wife and I decided that these guys need help. We want to help veterans and know they can benefit from a service or therapy dog." There's another special connection to dogs with their family. "It all comes back to Tango, Max's dog," Kip said. "When Max was a teenager, he was having some teenage strife. He came to us and asked if he can get a dog because he felt it would help him," Kip said. "He found out a German shepherd was what he needed. He did the research, we said 'Yes,' and we went and looked at many breeders and finally found Tango. Max zeroed in on Tango and didn't want any other dog." Additionally, the foundation helped provide adventures and experiences to qualifying veterans. For instance: • One veteran and his family experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a Disney park. • One veteran received an all-access pass to a NASCAR event, shadowing driver Matt Crafton, who represents Sandusky-based ThorSport Racing. • One veteran received financial assistance for his emotional support dog's surgery bill. Kip and Rachel attributed the local community as a big reason why the foundation could make all of this and more possible. "I've said, since Maxton's funeral (in September 2021) that the community has been our rock. They have come out and been nothing but supportive to us in Erie and Huron counties, Norwalk, Sandusky, Berlin Heights, Milan and the state of Ohio," Kip said. "There has been tremendous support to help Rachel and I get through everything we have been through, and we're grateful they continue to come out and provide support to us and the foundation." In addition to the Tango Trot, the foundation aims to have a presence at the Festival of the Fish, June 16-18, in Vermilion; the Basket Festival, Aug. 4-5, in Berlin Heights; and the Melon Festival, Sept. 1-4, in Milan. People at these events can learn more information about the foundation and donate as well. "We are always asking for applications for veterans that have some kind of need," Kip said. "If you know a veteran that would benefit from something, you can always put in an application for them to us." Honoring a hero Soviak, 22, was among 13 U.S. service members who died on Aug. 26, 2021. Maxton died a hero, helping evacuate Americans and Afghan citizens, including children, at risk of being killed by the Taliban. Assigned to the 2nd Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, Maxton earned the nickname "Doc" from Marines that he served with. He received the "Doc" title because of his relentless approach in caring for and saving people through his medical expertise. As a result of his brave actions in support of his fellow service members and mission, the Navy posthumously advanced Maxton to the rank of Hospital Corpsman Third Class on Sept. 2, 2021. He also received many honors, including the Purple Heart, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Fleet Marine Force warfare badge. Supporting Maxton Soviak People can make donations, learn about affiliated events or inquire about the Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak Memorial Foundation by visiting maxtonsoviak.org. Several verified social media sites also provide updates on the above: • Facebook: @MaxtonSoviakMemorial • Twitter: @SoviakStrong • Instagram @corpsman_maxton_w_memorial