Players are welcome to come a little early and get some practice in on the range before the short lesson provided by Cody Carter, one of The Legends pros on staff. After the lesson, participants are broken up into foursomes to play 9 holes!

The league uses Operation 36 style playing. Markers are set up at each of the 9 holes played for the evening starting 25 yards away from the hole and placed in increasing increments (25 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards, etc.). Every player begins at the 25 yard marker, and once achieving par (a score of 36) moves on to the next furthest marker. It’s an amazing way to focus on developing the most important part of your golf game – the short game – first, and to build your skills from there. This style makes for a low-pressure playing environment perfect for participants of all skill levels.

Following a stress-free 9-hole round, all of the ladies then come in to the clubhouse for some fun and prizes! Margaritas, wine and beer are all available for purchase while the score cards are tallied and gift cards are given out to the best scoring players in each division – 0-50 yards and 100+ yards. Adrienne Bell, who happened to achieve the best score of the week, stated, “I didn’t do as well as I wanted, but let me tell you, it doesn’t make much of a difference because this group of ladies is wonderful.”

11 April, 2018 was a fantastic night for the Ladies League Clinic, full of many laughs and even a birthday celebration! Ladies, feel free to drop in any Wednesday – whether a first time golfer or a seasoned pro, you will have a ball!

Photos by: Alyssa Karim | Story by: Alyssa Karim

79 children ages 5-12 were given war paint, broken up into platoons and received the Yellow Footprints speech by two of our esteemed Drill Instructors to officially start their Devil Pups training!

Following the Yellow Footprints speech and before being sent off to the various training stations, our Devil Pups were lucky enough to see a demonstration by the PMO K-9 unit. Between practicing on the Nerf firing range, physical fitness training and combat fitness training, working with the Fire Department on strength, tug of war and mastering an inflatable obstacle course, our Devil Pups worked hard!

Paula Dyson, L.I.N.K.S. Program Trainer for MCRD Parris Island, stated, “I love that I get to host this event for our Devil Pups. The kids see their Marines as heroes and for a moment they get to be just like them…all the while side by side with our active duty volunteers that make this event so special.”

The event is not just fun for the kids but a lot of fun for the 45 Marines, Sailors and L.I.N.K.S. Mentors who gave up their afternoon for this “day in the life of a Marine” experience for our military kids.

Photos by: Alyssa Karim | Story by: Alyssa Karim

KidFest is a partnership between MCCS South Carolina and the Beaufort community to provide a day of fun and resources to families for FREE! KidFest is held every April in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Month of the Military Child.

Vendors from all over the community provide activities, giveaways, and information on local resources available to families. Activities such as fire safety houses, fire trucks, military vehicles, bounce houses, walk around characters, a fishing simulator, snow cones, a pizza eating contest, and an awesome DJ dance party make this event a great opportunity for families to spend a fun filled day together.

This year we estimate over 6,000 people attended, despite having to end the event early due to weather. KidFest is presented by MCCS and the following sponsors: CAPA, The Exchange Club of Beaufort, Adams Outdoor, Eat Sleep Play Beaufort, DSS South Carolina, and Gavigan Entertainment. Over 60 military volunteers were essential in making the event a huge success.

Next year’s KidFest is scheduled for Saturday, 6 April at the Cross Creek Shopping Center from 1000-1400.

Photos by: CommStrat | Story by: Megan Grabowski

Marine Corps Family Team Building is excited to partner with Semper Fit to bring you Toning Tuesdays; a class specifically geared towards providing spouses with children the opportunity to work out. This is extremely beneficial for spouses that are not able to participate in regularly scheduled fitness classes for childcare reasons.

This class is perfect for participants at any fitness level and requires no registration, so feel free to participate whenever you have the time – it’s never too late to stop by! First time participants receive a cooling towel, and after attending six sessions participants receive a free tank top.

While Toning Tuesdays welcomes children of all ages, please note that there is no on-site childcare provided. For more information regarding Toning Tuesdays, please visit www.mccs-sc.com/rec-fit/flyers/toningtuesdays_12_2018.pdf or call 843-228-6141.

Photos by: Alyssa Karim | Story by: Alyssa Karim

With approximately 700 people in attendance, there was no shortage of fun! It was a great Easter celebration where children of all ages got to hop around in bounce houses, create their very own bunny ears, pick out some Easter treats and hunt for eggs!

Outside, the anticipation and excitement each group of children had when waiting for their chance to participate in the egg hunt was unparalleled – the only thing to rival it were the squeals of delight when finding an egg or treat to add to their baskets. Inside, waiting in line for the Easter Bunny was a must, along with the crafts and activities manned by our awesome staff and volunteers.

Thank you to everyone for coming out to Eggstravaganza, and we hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Photos by: Alyssa Karim | Story by: Alyssa Karim

Comprised of over 60 participating organizations, Marines, Sailors and their families were able to network and learn about opportunities to take advantage of both during and after their active duty service. Richard DeMarco, representing the Orange County Sheriff’s department, and Steve Perry, representing the US Marshals, both former active duty Marines, have been attending the fair with their participating organizations for the past few years. They continually look forward to speaking with service members about career opportunities that utilize and build off of their military background and training.

C.J. Terrell, representing Amazon, was also in attendance and stated, “I have noticed that what sets apart a service member from your average job seeker is that across the board they seem to be a jack of all trades – between their life experience and specialized training, they don’t have to worry about being ‘pigeon-holed’ with only one career path as an option.”

If you missed this Career, Health & Education Fair on MCRD Parris Island, have no fear! The next fair will be held at MCAS Beaufort on 19 June at the Officers’ Club. For more information, please call 843-228-7701.

Photos by: Scott Sullivan | Story by: Alyssa Karim

Over 400 triathletes from across the nation of all ages and skill-levels alike were able to enjoy a day of great weather and friendly competition. Glen Buckner, father to triathlete Simon Buckner, commented that the Combat Training Pool is “one of the best for triathlons, the size and depth make it ideal and sets apart the Parris Island Triathlon from so many others.” With a blown bicycle tire during the race last year, Buckner was happy to get the chance to improve upon his overall time this year.

Stephen Shenal, who has been competing in the MCRD Parris Island Triathlon for the past 10 years, remarked, “it’s all for them” in reference to his family being stationed in Beaufort when his father was an active duty Marine. In speaking to Shenal’s father, he commented on the nostalgia of coming back to the area year after year to support his son. With such a connection to Beaufort, it’s safe to say that MCRD Parris Island truly is “Where it all Begins.”

Photos by: Alyssa Karim | Story by: Alyssa Karim