DSF Recipient of $40K Grant from ISF

The Diplomatic Security Foundation (DSF) is honored to announce that it has been awarded an unrestricted grant of $40,000 from the International Security Foundation (ISF). DSF was one of two organizations to receive a grant as part of the 2021 ISF Grant Program. (Hostage US, a nonprofit supporting the families of the estimated 200 Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad each year, was the other organization to receive an ISF grant.)

“We are proud to support these organizations that mean so much to the global security community in such meaningful ways, especially as we close out what continues to be a challenging year for families,” Peggy O’Neill, ISF Executive Director, says. “We established the ISF Grants program in early 2020 to expand our support beyond the ongoing, important funding for the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).” (OSAC is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and private-sector security community, supporting the safe operations of U.S. interests overseas.)

The ISF Grants program focuses specifically on U.S. nonprofits serving the security community that have annual budgets under $1 million. Each year, the ISF budgets 10% of its grant funding to non-OSAC nonprofits. The remaining 90% of the ISF grant funds support OSAC programs.

Founded in 2011 as a nonprofit, the ISF’s mission is to fund information-sharing programs and networking to enhance the support of the global security community working to keep Americans and American interests abroad safer and more secure. By funding critical, logistical support for the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the ISF helps to create a safer environment for the U.S. companies, organizations and citizens operating abroad.

“This grant by the ISF is incredibly generous and will help us meet requests from around the world,” adds Greg Starr, DSF Board President. “I have always been proud of ISF since its inception, supporting Diplomatic Security through its support to OSAC, which in turn exists to support U.S. companies, educational institutions and others operating abroad. ISF now contributing to DSF to help those in need in the Diplomatic Security family makes me prouder still of ISF.”

This grant will allow DSF to continue it’s mission of providing for those in the DS community, especially during times of hardship or crisis. (Visit the DSF Grants page for a full list of DSF’s grant activity.)

“A gift of this size is a first for us and will be immensely helpful,” says Sarah Rothleder, DSF Executive Director, “It has been a challenging year for us, now almost two years since the pandemic started. This gift will give us a little breathing room and allow us to focus even more on helping those in our DS family.”

DSF Provides Multiple Grants, Helping Those in the DS Family

Thanks to those of you who donate to DSF, we have been able to help many in our DS family this past month with grants totaling $7,000 to those in need:

• $2,500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Accra (Ghana), who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He is survived by his wife and three young children.

• $1,000 to a local guard at the US Embassy Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina), to help with funeral costs for his son who recently passed away.

• $2,500 to a local guard at the US Embassy Rangoon (Burma), to help with uninsured medical costs for her daughter’s cancer treatments.

• $1,000 to a local guard at the U.S. Embassy Khartoum (Sudan), to cover uninsured medical costs for surgery for his infant daughter.

These are just a few of the grants we have made this year. You can visit our GRANTS page for a complete list. And we hope you’ll also visit our DONATE page and make a gift to DSF so that we can continue to provide for those in our global DS family.

To those of you who have already donated, THANK YOU for your generosity.

Holiday Appeal Letter from DSF President Greg Starr

December 2021

Dear Friends,

Happy holiday greetings to all in the DS Family from DSF!  With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to look forward to a wonderful holiday season.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, greet the New Year, or get together for a family winter gathering, we all can find reasons to be thankful this year.  This time last year we were in the midst of a terrible pandemic that took many loved ones and nearly ruined our economy, with only the hope of an answer in new vaccine development.  Today many millions have been successfully vaccinated and we as a country are safer and the economy is again growing.  Perhaps that is what we can consider our holiday miracle for this year!

However, many in the DS extended family serving abroad may not have the same reasons to be thankful.  The pandemic and other events continued to make this a challenging year for many. Those providing essential security, protecting our officers, families, and facilities, continue to go to work every day at our embassies and consulates abroad. Many travel by bus or other crowded transportation methods, and are the first to deal with the public every day.  Tragically, quite a few became very ill or perished, leaving behind families to deal with anguish, loss, and financial insecurity.

The Diplomatic Security Foundation, thanks to your generous donations, stepped in and made a difference for many. In 2020, we made $94K in grants, and this year, we’re at $85K as of Nov 30.  With the Fall 2021 restart of our major fundraising event, the DSF Mike Considine Golf Charity Outing, we are able to start next year in a relatively good financial position.  The golf tournament was a wonderful event and we had 292 golfers who corporately and individually contributed to this end, but the golf-club fees and costs are higher this year and do take a good portion of what we raise.  So, you’re not off the hook!

As this year comes to an end, please take a moment to think about expanding your giving beyond the immediate family.  Take a moment to consider those who may not have been so fortunate, those in our DS family who lost loved ones or suffered other tragedies. If you have the ability, we hope you will consider making a year-end donation to DSF - large or small - so we can continue our mission of providing for those who have lost so much.

You can donate and help in several ways, including the following:

·         Visit the DSF website and donate directly – dsfoundation.org

·         Send us a check – DSF, 14383 Newbrook Dr Ste 300-408, Chantilly, VA 20151

·         Donate through the Combined Federal Campaign – pick DSF #96262

·         Shop at Amazon Smile and pick DSF as your charity of choice – www.smile.amazon.com

·         Visit our website for other ways to donate: dsfoundation.org/donate-options

·         DSF is a 501(c)3 charity, making your donation 100% tax deductible

On behalf of the entire board of the DS Foundation, I hope I can count on your support.  Best regards for a happy, enjoyable, and safe Holiday Season.

- Greg Starr

DSF Board President   

Winners Announced for the Diplomatic Security Foundation's 2021 Scholarship Awards!

Each year, the Diplomatic Security Foundation (DSF) awards a scholarship to one or more high school seniors planning on attending any institute of "higher" learning (at the university, community college or vocational level). This year’s award is for students entering their freshman year during the 2021/2022 school year.

Applications are judged on a combination of academic performance, letters of recommendation, activities and achievements, and an essay. Blind copies of the scholarship applications (all identifying information is hidden/removed) were reviewed by the DSF Scholarship Committee (this year consisting of three retired DS agents and one active agent). All of the applicants had impressive credentials and are to be commended for their achievements.

It’s always a difficult job to pare down the applicant pool, and this year was especially difficult, but ultimately, thirteen students were selected to receive this year’s awards! The following students will each receive a DSF scholarship:

$4,000 AWARD:

 Jenna Kim

Daughter of Nathan Kim, Special Agent

Jenna will be attending Yale University, with plans to pursue a degree in Public Health and Biochemistry, pre-med

$2,500 AWARDS:

Jonathan Dynda

Son of Lyle Dynda, Section Chief/GTM Countermeasures & Integrations DS/ST/SSI/PTB

Jonathan will be attending SUNY Maritime College, with plans to pursue a degree in Naval Architecture with BS Engineering

Bella Pham

Daughter of Tai Pham, Special Agent

Bella will be attending Virginia Tech, with plans to pursue a degree in Business

Alexander Reistad

Son of Craig Reistad, Special Agent

Alexander will be attending Texas A&M, with plans to pursue a degree in Industrial Distribution

Georgia Sherman

Daughter of Greg Sherman, Special Agent

Georgia will be attending Clemson University, with plans to pursue a degree in Business

$2,000 AWARDS

 Alec Kollmar

Son of Chris Kollmar, Senior Resource Manager

Alec will be attending Virginia Tech, with plans to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering

Elayna Milligan

Daughter of Shawn Milligan, Current Branch Chief for DS/ST/SSI/PTB

Elayna will be attending University of Mary Washington, with plans to pursue a degree in Psychology

Anna Whelan

Daughter of Patrick Whelan, Senior Desk Officer, DS/IP/EUR

Anna will be attending George Mason University, with plans to pursue a degree in Global Affairs

$1,000 AWARDS

Isabella Baca

Daughter of Eric Baca & Joy Baca, Security Technical Specialist and Security Engineering Officer

Isabella will be attending New Mexico State University, with plans to pursue a degree in Social Work

Izabella Bright

Daughter of David J Bright, Special Agent

Izabella will be attending University of Maryland, with plans to pursue a degree in International Relations

Jimmy Doherty

Son of James P. Doherty, Special Agent

Jimmy will be attending Florida State University, with plans to pursue a degree in Business/Finance

Taylor Gordon

Daughter of Duane Gordon, Special Agent

Taylor will be attending Northern Virginia Community College, with plans to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology

Eamon Lalley

Son of Thomas Lalley, Chief, Analysis Division, DS/CI (retired)

Eamon will be attending James Madison University, with plans to pursue a degree in History/International Affairs

 CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!

DSF scholarships are available to students related to a Diplomatic Security employee who is either an active, retired, former or deceased employee, or a DS contractor, AND the employee/contractor must have/had three or more years of consecutive service with DS. The student may be a child, step-child, grandchild, step-grandchild or a ward of the DS employee/contractor. Aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, brother, sister relations are NOT eligible. Please see the DSF website for specific eligibility criteria.

Applications for the 16th Annual DSF Scholarship Award will be available on the DSF website and announced on the DSF Facebook page in January 2022.

www.dsfoundation.org/grants-scholarships

www.facebook.com/DSFoundation

Questions? Please contact DSF Executive Director Sarah Rothleder at info@dsfoundation.org, or 703-439-4404.

DSF Gives Out Six New Grants

We so appreciate all of the donations we receive to help those in the DS family during their times of need. Here is the list of recent grants we’ve given out:

$2,500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Kabul (Afghanistan) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He was 43 years old. He is survived by his wife and six children.

$2,500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Kabul (Afghanistan) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He was 47 years old. He is survived by his wife and two children.

$1,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Consulate Mumbai (India) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He is survived by his wife and two young children.

$3,000 to a local guard at the US Consulate General Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to help with uninsured medical costs for a family member undergoing surgery for a cancerous brain tumor.

$2,500 to a member of the police community supporting the US Embassy Kabul (Afghanistan) who was severely wounded in a targeted enemy attack (IED), and will require extensive and sustained rehabilitation. 

$2,500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Pristina (Kosovo) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He had served at the Embassy for more than 20 years, and had been awarded “LGF of the Year” in 2018.

THANK YOU to all of our generous donors, who make these grants possible. For more information and to see other grants we’ve given out recently, visit our Current Grants page.

It's Easy to Help DSF During Amazon Prime Day!

Amazon Prime Day is almost here! On June 21st and 22nd, there’s an incredibly easy way for you to help DSF when you shop Amazon Prime Day deals.

When you head over to check out the deals, shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1909558 or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app (go into Settings - AmazonSmile - and then follow the instructions to turn donations ON). AmazonSmile will then donate 0.5% of your purchases to Diplomatic Security Foundation, when you select us as your charity of choice!

It really does make a difference - we have received more than $5,000 as result! Go get your shopping vibe on at AmazonSmile!

To see other ways to donate to the Diplomatic Security Foundation, click HERE.

DSF Gives Out Multiple Grants, Helping Many in the DS Family

It was a busy end to 2020 and an even busier start to 2021. DSF has given out a total of NINE grants since December!

We think it’s important for those who have been so generous with their donations to see the list of the people who we have been able to help:

• $2,000 to a Local Guard at US Embassy Montevideo (Uruguay) to help cover uninsured medical costs associated with cancer treatments.

• $1,000 to a local guard at US Embassy Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) who was injured during an attack while at work.

• $10,000 to a security technician at the US Embassy Tbilisi (Georgia) to help cover uninsured medical costs for his son who is battling cancer.

• $1,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy LaPaz (Bolivia) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He is survived by his wife and three young children.

• $1,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Almaty (Kazakhstan) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He had served the Mission community for almost 20 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and young grandchild.

• $2,000 total ($1,000 each) to two local guards at the U.S. Embassy Zagreb (Croatia) whose homes and possessions were destroyed in an earthquake.

• $1,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Mexico City (Mexico) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He had been a member of the Ambassador’s Protective Detail for over 31 years. He is survived by his wife and three children (two teenaged sons and his eldest son who works for the embassy).

• $3,000 ($1,500 each) to two local guards at US Embassy Port au Prince (Haiti) who were injured during an ambush on their way to work.

• $1,000 to a local guard in Eritrea to assist with expenses after he was targeted in criminal retaliation for his work on behalf of the USG

To those who have donated - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. We couldn’t do it without you. Your generosity has made a difference in the lives of so many!

To read more about our current grants and see a more detailed list, click here.

Apply Now for the 2021 DSF Scholarship!

It’s time to apply for the 2021 DSF Scholarship!

These scholarships go to High school seniors who are children / grandchildren or stepchildren of a DS employee / contractor (not just Special Agents), who are planning to attend any institution of higher learning at the university, community or vocational level.  Visit our website for specifics and a list of past winners.

Last year we gave out 10 awards totaling $25,000 in scholarships! Deadline to apply is May 15 and Awards will be announced in July!

Click here for more information and to apply.

DSF Announces New Board of Directors

A biennial election for the Diplomatic Security Foundation Board of Directors was held this past fall, and we are pleased to welcome two new Board members.

Jessica Moore, Division Chief for Criminal Investigations, and Timothy O’Brien, Retired DS Special Agent will both be joining the Board. Special thanks go to retiring DSF Board members Allegra Sensenig and Jason Santiago. Their dedication and support of DSF over the years has been greatly appreciated.

The DSF Board of Directors is comprised of active duty, retired and former Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State.  All Board members are volunteers who serve without compensation.  The DSF Board of Directors meets at least twice annually.  Board members are responsible for upholding the mission of DSF which is to provide timely financial support and charitable contributions to members of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, security professionals, and other colleagues in the law enforcement and foreign affairs communities.

The DSF Board for 2020-2022

Greg Starr, President (first term thru 2022)

John Hampson, Vice President (first term thru 2022)

Doug Allison, Treasurer (second term thru 2024)

Tim O’Brien, Secretary (first term thru 2024)

Jeff Bozworth, Member-At-Large (second term thru 2024)

Chris Disney, Member-At-Large (first term thru 2022)

Jessica Moore, Member-At-Large (first term thru 2024)

Steven Rice, Member-At-Large (first term thru 2022)

Garrett Smith, DSSAA President (term on DSF Board is depended on length of term as DSSAA President)

Sarah Rothleder, Executive Director (non-voting member)

For more information on the DSF Board of Directors, visit our Board page.

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM DSF

As we enter the 2020 holiday season, many of you and your families find yourselves bracing for smaller, more distant, yet perhaps more intimate holiday celebrations as this pandemic again ravages too many of our fellow citizens. Staying safe is all the more important as the number of those infected and dealing with serious illness increases as cold weather sets in. The tragedy of this pandemic and other disasters such as hurricanes and floods have combined to make this a challenging year for many in the larger DS family. The Diplomatic Security Foundation, thanks to your generous donations, has been able to help many affected by tragedy and loss.

Even as good news about the rapid development of multiple vaccines provides some very hopeful light at the end of the tunnel, distancing guidelines and social isolation continue to be keys to reaching the day when the disease can be effectively battled into submission. Unfortunately, for many of those in our extended DS family, those providing essential security, protecting our officers, families, and facilities, means continuing to go to work every day on the front lines at our embassies and consulates abroad. Many travel by bus or other crowded transportation methods, dealing with the public every day. And tragically, quite a few became very ill or perished, leaving behind families to deal with the anguish and loss, along with financial insecurity.

This is where the Foundation has stepped in and made a difference for many, despite having to cancel our major fundraising event, the 2020 DSF Mike Considine Golf Outing. Thanks to a remarkably generous donation by our largest donor, Chevron, and other companies and individuals who stepped up and allowed us to retain their golf outing donations, we have had a level of donations that, while lower overall, has given us the ability to meet most requests and help many of those in most dire need.

As this year comes to an end, please take a moment to reflect on how fortunate you and your family may be despite this year’s serious restrictions. Then take a moment to consider those who may not have been so fortunate, those in our DS family who lost loved ones or suffered other tragedies. If you have the ability, we hope you will consider making a year-end donation to DSF - large or small - so we can continue our mission of providing for those who have lost so much.

You can donate and help in several ways, including the following:

·       Visit the DSF website and donate directly – www.dsfoundation.org

·       Send us a check – DSF, 14383 Newbrook Dr Ste 300, PMB #408, Chantilly, VA 20151

·       Donate through the Combined Federal Campaign – pick DSF #96262

·       Shop at Amazon Smile and pick DSF as your charity of choice – www.smile.amazon.com

·       Visit our website for other ways to donate: dsfoundation.org/donate-options

·       DSF is a 501(c)3 charity, making your donation 100% tax deductible

On behalf of the entire board of the DS Foundation, I hope I can count on your support.
Best regards for a happy, enjoyable, and safe Holiday Season.

Greg, Starr, DSF Board President

CFC & DSF: we need your support

The 2020 CFC Campaign is well underway and we haven’t received a single pledge yet. Yikes! Last year we received $17K in gifts via the CFC, down from $34,000 the year before. We sure could use that support this year. Federal Retirees don’t forget you can participate as well!

Visit our website for more info: https://www.dsfoundation.org/cfc

DSF’s CFC number is: #96262

Visit the CFC giving page to make your pledge!

CFCNCA https://cfcnca.org/how-make-pledge

CFC https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/welcome

#ShowSomeLoveCFC

DSF Sends Out Three More Grants

We are so thankful for the support of generous donors, which allows us to continue to provide grants to those in the DS family during their times of need. Here are three more grants we sent out recently:

$3,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Consulate Karachi (Pakistan) who was killed in a vehicular accident. He had been with the consulate for 6 years. He is survived by his wife who is expecting their second child, and a 5 year old son.

$2,500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Kabul (Afghanistan) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He is survived by his wife and three young children.

$4,000 to the family of a local guard at the US Consulate Lagos (Nigeria) who was killed in a vehicular accident while on duty. He had been with the embassy for 32 years. He is survived by his wife and two children (ages 8 & 16).

Please keep these families in your thoughts and thank you for your continued support of DSF.

Click here for more information on our grants.

If you wish to donate to DSF, click here.

THANK YOU 2020 DSF CHARITY UNGOLF SPONSORS!

So today is the day our rescheduled 2020 DSF Charity Golf Outing would have been. We’re bummed to not be able to see everyone’s smiling faces (because really, who doesn’t LOVE a day on the links?!) but realize the best decision to keep everyone safe was to cancel. 

We wanted to take a moment today, not just to tell you all how much we miss you, but also to give a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors, who stepped up and supported us, even without an actual golf outing. We also want to thank the golfers who donated their registration fees to us. Your generosity will allow us to help so many people, and this year is definitely a year where we need to support each other when we can. You can take a look at all of our fabulous sponsors here.

On that note, please SAVE THE DATE for next year’s event – June 7, 2021. We really hope to see you then!

 Until next year, be well and be kind to each other.

US Embassy Dili Again Hosts Negroni Night To Raise Funds for DSF

Once again, the fabulous crew at US Embassy Dili, Timor-Leste managed to host their annual Negroni Night and raised $700 for DSF! Although delayed several months by COVID-19, fortunately, Dili had no cases of COVID, so they were able to host a small but generous crowd.

As always, we owe a big thank you to our friend Lech Kazmirski, RSO US Embassy Dili, Timor-Leste, for organizing & hosting his “world famous” Negroni Night to benefit DSF!

Lech started this event in 2015 at in Lilongwe, Malawi , moved it to the US Embassy Dakar in 2016 and the party was moved to Dili starting last year. All the proceeds from the evening come to DSF and we so appreciate Lech for his continued support of our mission. We also want to thank everyone at Dili who participated and donated to this year’s event!

2020 Golf Outing CANCELLED

We are sad to report that the 2020 DSF Charity Golf Outing has been cancelled. Darn you Covid-19! We are encouraging everyone to participate in our UnGolf Outing by ‘Stepping Up’ and becoming a sponsor of our UnGolf event. Visit our golf page for more info. And mark your calendar for next year’s event, slated for Monday, June 7, 2021 - we will celebrate our 30th Anniversary of this great event.

Until next year…

14TH ANNUAL DSF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 2020

Congratulations to the 2020 DSF Scholarship Award Winners!

It was incredibly difficult to pare down the applicant pool, as each student was outstanding in their own way, but blind copies of the applications were reviewed by the DSF Scholarship Committee (consisting of four retired DS agents and one active agent) and ten students were selected this year! Each student will receive a scholarship of $2,500 which is to be used for their college education.

All of the applicants had impressive academic and extra-curricular credentials and are to be commended for their achievements. We wish all of the candidates who applied for the scholarship the very best in their college careers. 

Here is the list of this year’s winners:

Meredith Bacon
Daughter of Amanda Bacon, Special Investigator
Meredith will be attending University of San Diego with plans to pursue a degree in International Relations

Cade Bloomer
Son of James Bloomer, Regional Security Officer
Cade will be attending Utah Valley University with plans to pursue a degree in Political Science

Brendan Cobble
Son of Terry Cobble, Supervisory Special Agent
Brendan will be attending Regent University with plans to pursue a degree Government with a concentration in Foreign Policy and International Relations

Dayton Fairchild
Son of Lon Fairchild, Retired Agent
Dayton will be attending Virginia Tech with plans to pursue a degree in French

Alissa Keegan
Daughter of Patrick Keegan, RSO Bucharest
Alissa will be attending Georgia Tech with plans to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering (premed track)

Sharon Ng
Daughter of Donald Ng, SEO
Sharon will be attending Cornell University with plans to pursue a degree in Policy Analysis and Management

Camila Orr
Daughter of David Wallace Orr, Retired Agent
Camila will be attending Cornell University with plans to pursue a degree in Computer and Information Science

Aidan Shea
Son of Andrew Shea, Supervisory Special Agent
Aidan will be attending Saint Anselm College with plans to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice

Thomas Sweeney
Son of Julia Sweeney, Deputy Assistant Director
Thomas will be attending College of William & Mary with plans to pursue a degree in Economics (pre-law)

Taylor Tye
Daughter of Duncan Tye, Special Agent
Taylor will be attending University of California, Santa Barbara with plans to pursue a degree in Biology

DSF Gives Out FIVE Grants In One Week

Last week was a busy one. Thanks to generous donations we receive throughout the year, we were able to provide assistance to five different families within the DS community:

• $2,500.00 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Kabul (Afghanistan) who perished in a suicide bombing at his mosque. He had been with the embassy for 10 years. He leaves behind a wife and 8 children (aged 2 months to 21 years)

• $1,000 to the family of a local guard at US Consulate General Kolkata (India) who succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He had been with the embassy for 23 years. He leaves behind a wife who is pregnant with their first child

• $4,000 to an employee at US Embassy San Salvador (El Salvador) whose home was destroyed in a flood.

• $500 to the family of a local guard at the US Embassy Port-au-Prince (Haiti), who succumbed from complications from COVID-19, to cover funeral expenses. He had been with the embassy for 22 years

• $2,500 to the family of a police officer at the US Embassy Mexico City (Mexico). He succumbed to complications of COVID-19. He had been a member of the perimeter protection team for the past 17 years

Sending strength and support to those going through difficult times and wishing good health to all within the DS community.

For more information on DSF Grants, click HERE.

Join us October 19th for the (rescheduled) DSF 2020 Charity Golf Outing!

June 1st, the original date for our 2020 DSF Charity Golf outing has come and gone. Alas, COVID-19 put the breaks on that for all of us. Darn it!

Hopefully you’ve all already taken a sharpie to your calendar and blocked off Monday October 19th for our rescheduled event. We can’t wait to see you. We know it’s going to be great!

We’ve transferred everyone’s registration to the new date – fingers crossed that October 19th works for everyone.

IF YOU’RE COMING OCTOBER 19:

If you’ve paid already – you’re all set.
If you haven’t paid yet – you can at any time, just visit our quick pay page: dsfoundation.org/golf-payment (but no rush, we won’t start harassing you until the start of fall!)

IF YOU CAN’T COME OCTOBER 19:

Please let us know soonest so we can open up the space for others.

If you’ve already paid, we can either:

Refund your fees
Convert your fees to a tax deductible donation
Your pick! We’ll honor refunds up until Sept 30.

If you have friends or colleagues who are interested in golfing or sponsoring, send them to our golf registration page. We’re happy to have them!

dsfoundation.org/golf

And lastly, a huge shout out to those who have already sponsored this event. Be sure to check out our list of current sponsors here: dsfoundation.org/sponsors We can't thank our sponsors enough!!!

We hope everyone is happy and healthy – we look forward to seeing you October 19th!

DSF Provides Grant to Local Businessman Helping Those in Need

Last week, some members of the DSF Board had the honor of presenting a $3,000 donation to Red’s BBQ and Pizzeria in Ashburn, Virginia, in support of its relief program providing free meals to those in need in the Loudoun County area. Reds is owned and operated by DS Special Agent Jason Banks.

Over the past few weeks, Jason "Red" Banks has been cooking up & serving free meals to those in need from his "rig" - a Texas-sized barbecue and pizza oven on wheels.

We are thrilled to be able to help Jason continue his campaign to help feed some of those struggling during these uncertain times and are incredibly proud of his efforts.

Left to right: Garrett Smith (DSSAA President and DSF board member), Red Banks, Allegra Sensenig (DSF Treasurer), Greg Starr (DSF President) and John Hampson (DSF Vice President)

DSF Sends Out Two New Grants

DSF sent out two new grants last week.

One was for $1,500 to the family of a local guard at US Embassy Jakarta (Indonesia) who passed away from complications of COVID-19. He’d been with the embassy for 17 years. He leaves behind a wife and two teenage children.

The second was for $8,000 to the family of a local police officer at U.S. Embassy in Tunis (Tunisia) who was killed attempting to stop a suicide bombing at the embassy. He was a 28-year veteran of the guard force. He leaves behind a wife and three young children.

We are thankful for the service of those who we have lost, and are honored to be able to help those in the DS family during their times of need.

If you wish to make a donation to DSF, you can do so HERE