June 5, 2025 • 5 mins
We spoke with Founder/President Joe Hanna about Bunkers in Baghdad a not-for-profit charity that collects and sends new and used golf balls, clubs, and equipment to our troops around the world, with a focus on the brave men and women currently serving in combat zones. Bunkers also supplies golf equipment to warriors around the country to aid in the rehabilitation of our injured veterans.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning. Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest this morning is Johannah. He is founder and president
of Bunkers and bag Dad. Good morning, Alison, Thanks for
having me. You bet. For those who don't know about
Bunkers and Bagdad, how did it all come about?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Well, I was watching sixty Minutes and they showed golf
ball troops hitting golf balls in the desert, and this
is during the surge in two thousand and eight, and
I had forgotten about it. And then I read an
article by David Ferdy and Golf Magazine that said the
troop's favor form of stress release is hitting golf balls.
So I said, the least I can do is collect
(00:35):
some golf balls and golf clubs and send them to
our brave men and women. And here we are fifteen
point nine million golf balls and one point seven million
golf clubs later.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Holy cow, tell me, are you a golfer?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I am a golfer. I really enjoy the sport, and
I have two little boys and we're constantly putt putting
and at the driving range. So it's a big part
of my life.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So that's why you got involved with this, or you
came up with the idea because you love golf that
much too. That's very true, wonderful. So what happened next?
How did it all begin?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So, once we received our nonprofit status from the government,
we then moved forward and started reaching out to golf companies.
We've worked with Callaway Golf for the last sixteen years.
And then we started working with schools through our Buddies
Bunker's Buddies program. We've worked with over twenty one hundred
schools across the country in all fifty states, where we
(01:34):
work with students who write letters and draw pictures and
color golf balls that we ship over to our troops
and share at home with our vets here in the
United States. And then we were compiling lists of troops
from all of the branches, through their family members or
through them themselves. And because so many troops have been
(01:55):
deployed over the years many times or units and so
on and so forth, we now have just a variety
of different packages that we send out to our troops
all around the world.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Wow, I'm reading here that it even helps in the
rehabilitation of injured veterans.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yes, So we have focused our efforts as well in
terms of working with VA hospitals across the country, so
not only are the clubs used for recreational purposes, but
for rehabilitative purposes as well, working with physical therapists on
building arm muscles and like muscles and chest muscles, so
that has played an important part. And then in terms
(02:37):
of the PTSD and that important piece the PGA Hope
program all throughout the US as well have been great
partners of ours for many years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I am just amazed that one day you see something,
you get this idea and it's put into fruition to
this capacity. Aren't you just like in awe of what
you've done.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's been a great opportunity for many people to get involved.
We're one hundred percent volunteer run. Nobody draws a salary
from this charity, so all of our efforts are support
everything we do across the world, frankly is one hundred
percent volunteer run. And it's just been through the generosity,
support kindness of many, many people over the last sixteen
(03:21):
years from across the globe who have gone into benefiting
and helping our troops. Many different groups of people have
helped as well, whether from the corporate side all the
way down to schools and just grassroots efforts as well.
So it's truly been a labor of love for a
(03:45):
lot of people, but we've really helped a lot of
people as well, so it's all worth.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It, and that's why you're involved with the Birdie's for
Charity program. If you go to bunkersanbagdad dot com, you
can make a donation right now and for every dollar,
Webster Bank will give fifteen cents, so they're going to
get a dollar fifteen instead of just a dollar. I'm
sure you're looking for sponsors besides donations and volunteers.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Absolutely, so we truly appreciate the exposure through the Birtis
for Charity program. They have been phenomenal supporters of ours
and we have been very proud to participate in the
charity efforts for the last five or six years. So
and anybody who comes on to Bunkers and Bagdad please
(04:30):
reach out happy to answer any questions that you may
have and explain more about the charity as well.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
So you do have an event that's coming up soon,
tell us about it.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So our annual golf tournament is taking place in Buffalo,
New York on June second. We host events all throughout
the country. This event will have more than one hundred
veterans or active duty military golfers participate, So it is
a great opportunity and a great lead in to the
(04:59):
great event that we're going to have in Hartford shortly
later in the summer.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I was in USO many many many many years ago,
and it was called the Metropolitan USO Troop and we
would go to all the different bases and we would
sing and dance and meet them and it was just amazing.
I have a heart for these for these men and
women who serve our country.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Truly, Bertie for Charity really has been a good shot
in the arm for the charity, especially because we're one
hundred percent volunteer runs. So we truly appreciate your support
and frankly everybody's support when it comes to this event.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I'm speaking with founder and President Johannah of Bunkers and
Baghdad again. That web address is bunkers and bagdad dot com.
Go right now and make a donation so you don't forget.
Thank you so much for being here today and for
all of the amazing work that you're doing.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Thanks Allison, have a great day,
Good morning. Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest this morning is Johannah. He is founder and president
of Bunkers and bag Dad. Good morning, Alison, Thanks for
having me. You bet. For those who don't know about
Bunkers and Bagdad, how did it all come about?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Well, I was watching sixty Minutes and they showed golf
ball troops hitting golf balls in the desert, and this
is during the surge in two thousand and eight, and
I had forgotten about it. And then I read an
article by David Ferdy and Golf Magazine that said the
troop's favor form of stress release is hitting golf balls.
So I said, the least I can do is collect
(00:35):
some golf balls and golf clubs and send them to
our brave men and women. And here we are fifteen
point nine million golf balls and one point seven million
golf clubs later.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Holy cow, tell me, are you a golfer?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I am a golfer. I really enjoy the sport, and
I have two little boys and we're constantly putt putting
and at the driving range. So it's a big part
of my life.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So that's why you got involved with this, or you
came up with the idea because you love golf that
much too. That's very true, wonderful. So what happened next?
How did it all begin?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So, once we received our nonprofit status from the government,
we then moved forward and started reaching out to golf companies.
We've worked with Callaway Golf for the last sixteen years.
And then we started working with schools through our Buddies
Bunker's Buddies program. We've worked with over twenty one hundred
schools across the country in all fifty states, where we
(01:34):
work with students who write letters and draw pictures and
color golf balls that we ship over to our troops
and share at home with our vets here in the
United States. And then we were compiling lists of troops
from all of the branches, through their family members or
through them themselves. And because so many troops have been
(01:55):
deployed over the years many times or units and so
on and so forth, we now have just a variety
of different packages that we send out to our troops
all around the world.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Wow, I'm reading here that it even helps in the
rehabilitation of injured veterans.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yes, So we have focused our efforts as well in
terms of working with VA hospitals across the country, so
not only are the clubs used for recreational purposes, but
for rehabilitative purposes as well, working with physical therapists on
building arm muscles and like muscles and chest muscles, so
that has played an important part. And then in terms
(02:37):
of the PTSD and that important piece the PGA Hope
program all throughout the US as well have been great
partners of ours for many years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I am just amazed that one day you see something,
you get this idea and it's put into fruition to
this capacity. Aren't you just like in awe of what
you've done.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's been a great opportunity for many people to get involved.
We're one hundred percent volunteer run. Nobody draws a salary
from this charity, so all of our efforts are support
everything we do across the world, frankly is one hundred
percent volunteer run. And it's just been through the generosity,
support kindness of many, many people over the last sixteen
(03:21):
years from across the globe who have gone into benefiting
and helping our troops. Many different groups of people have
helped as well, whether from the corporate side all the
way down to schools and just grassroots efforts as well.
So it's truly been a labor of love for a
(03:45):
lot of people, but we've really helped a lot of
people as well, so it's all worth.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It, and that's why you're involved with the Birdie's for
Charity program. If you go to bunkersanbagdad dot com, you
can make a donation right now and for every dollar,
Webster Bank will give fifteen cents, so they're going to
get a dollar fifteen instead of just a dollar. I'm
sure you're looking for sponsors besides donations and volunteers.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Absolutely, so we truly appreciate the exposure through the Birtis
for Charity program. They have been phenomenal supporters of ours
and we have been very proud to participate in the
charity efforts for the last five or six years. So
and anybody who comes on to Bunkers and Bagdad please
(04:30):
reach out happy to answer any questions that you may
have and explain more about the charity as well.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
So you do have an event that's coming up soon,
tell us about it.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So our annual golf tournament is taking place in Buffalo,
New York on June second. We host events all throughout
the country. This event will have more than one hundred
veterans or active duty military golfers participate, So it is
a great opportunity and a great lead in to the
(04:59):
great event that we're going to have in Hartford shortly
later in the summer.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I was in USO many many many many years ago,
and it was called the Metropolitan USO Troop and we
would go to all the different bases and we would
sing and dance and meet them and it was just amazing.
I have a heart for these for these men and
women who serve our country.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Truly, Bertie for Charity really has been a good shot
in the arm for the charity, especially because we're one
hundred percent volunteer runs. So we truly appreciate your support
and frankly everybody's support when it comes to this event.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I'm speaking with founder and President Johannah of Bunkers and
Baghdad again. That web address is bunkers and bagdad dot com.
Go right now and make a donation so you don't forget.
Thank you so much for being here today and for
all of the amazing work that you're doing.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Thanks Allison, have a great day,
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