FORT SILL Okla_ She is known as
the Pink Panther, and she has ranked as high as 2nd in the women's
world professional golf rankings. Now, Paula Creamer has decided to give back
to those who serve our country.
The Paula Creamer Foundation is in the works, and the LPGA star made a
special visit to Fort
Sill Thursday to get a
better idea of what it's like for the men and women in uniform.
Her dad, Paul Creamer,
was in the navy. She said it's because of the valiant efforts of people like
him that she lives a life of freedom. She said it's because of them that she
gets to pursue her passion of golfing.
She is famous
for winning the US Women's Open in 2010, but Paula Creamer sees a much bigger
picture. 7News Reporter Sara Whaley saw firsthand today how much she respects
our soldiers.
"It really
brings you back to a humbling sense of what I do," Creamer said, "Hitting a
little golf ball in a hole."
Fort Sill was her first
stop among installations across the country. She said she wants to get an
education and see the young men and women at work. She wants to use her name in
a good way.
"I want to
be a part of something where I'm not the main objective," Creamer said.
Creamer's
foundation is still in its early stages, but eventually she hopes to give money
to certain services like MWR, which provides things like education, counseling
services, and childcare to soldiers and their families.
"If I can
help in any way," Creamer said, "If I can help one family, then I feel like I
am doing a good deed."
One Fort Sill
Drill Sergeant said that type of help would've been great for her and her
family.
"Oh, it
would have meant a lot," Drill Sergeant Polly Schmidt said, "Because my husband
was here by himself. I had a one –year-old when I deployed the first time, and
he was pretty much a single parent. "
Captain Kapono
Aki of the 1/40 Field Artillery said he's on board completely. He said any help
that can be provided is welcomed.
"I think
it's outstanding anytime someone wants to give back or help the military,"
Aki said. "They're in such a national spotlight. Anytime they can bring an
outside look to what we do on a regular basis, it's always a great
opportunity."
That
opportunity is a hole in one for Creamer.
"I thank
my lucky stars everyday that I am able to do what I do," Creamer said, "Because
of the men and women that are here. So, being able to give my time and just
embrace it in a whole new light is something I am very lucky I can do."
Creamer travels
nearly 30 weeks of the year with her golf schedule, but she said she plans to
be a huge part of the foundation. After all, she said it's a marathon, not a
sprint. She wants to make sure she crosses the finish line.
After talking to 7News and checking out different parts of the post, Creamer
spent her day talking to soldiers' families and to Sill Commander Major General
Mark McDonald and his wife. She hopes to nail down the specifics on the
foundation soon.
