It’s not every day that golfers hit tee shots off of toilet seats or have their golf balls launched onto the green by a rifle, but both are likely during an upcoming golf tournament to benefit a nonprofit that pairs wounded veterans with mobility assistance service dogs.

“Mortgage Investors Group is proud to sponsor the Challenge Golf Four Person Scramble to benefit Smoky Mountain Service Dogs,” said MIG President Chrissi Rhea. “We encourage golf enthusiasts and animal lovers alike to join us in September for a fun afternoon where they can meet some of the veterans and their service dogs and learn more about this fantastic organization’s work to assist those who bravely served our country.”

The tournament will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at the Toqua Golf Course in Tellico Village.

Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, a Loudon County-based nonprofit, enhances the physical and psychological quality of life for veterans with disabilities by providing custom trained mobility assistance service dogs at no cost to the veteran.

“We’re the only organization accredited by Assistance Dogs International in Tennessee,” said Romano Sims, a SMSD volunteer and board member. “Each one of our dogs receives a minimum of 2,000 hours of training. We train them for specific tasks to assist that veteran, so they are custom trained. Then what happens when the veteran and the dog get together is just magic.”

Depending on the needs of the veteran, the dogs can be trained to remind veterans to take medication, retrieve items, as well as prevent falls and other potentially hazardous incidents.

“Our dogs help them get some measure of ability back,” Sims said. “We know the difference it makes in the veteran’s life.”

SMSD has placed 45 dogs, most of them Labradors, with honorably discharged veterans with service-connected disabilities since it was founded in 2010, Sims said. All of the veterans live within a 350-mile radius of SMSD’s 10-acre training facility in Lenoir City.

“The veterans have several criteria they have to meet before we consider them,” he said. “There’s no out-of-pocket cost for the veteran.”

He credits the success of the nonprofit, which employs five dog trainers, to the generous support of businesses like MIG, as well as its 180-strong volunteer base.

“We survive because we have incredible support,” Sims said.

The golf tournament, he said, has grown every year since 2014.

“In 2019, we cleared $25,000,” he said. “That covers the cost of one dog. It takes two years to raise and train a dog to be ready to assist a veteran.”

The organization was unable to offer the event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sims said they hope to raise $30,000 at this year’s tournament.

As they play through the course, golfers have to overcome challenges.

“You might have to use a hockey stick to putt,” Sims said. “On another, you’ll have a smaller hole than usual, but there will be three of them on the green.”

For an added donation in previous years, a sheriff’s deputy launched the ball onto the green with a rifle.

“There are 120 spots, teams of four and we sell out quickly,” Sims said.

Green and cart fees are separate from the $65 per player or $260 per team registration fee, he added.

“In return, they get a goody bag, breakfast, lunch and beverages,” Sims said. “We drive a beer keg cart along the golf course and hand out cigars and beer. It’s fun.”

For an added donation, pro golfers will offer tips and assistance, and there will be prizes for the winners, as well as those who struggle with their game.

“Dogs and veterans will be present and usually one or two will play,” Sims said. “We will also have our SMSD Ambassador dog Hooligan present.”

Registration forms can be picked up at the Tellico Village golf courses or downloaded from SMSD’s website, https://www.smokymountainservicedogs.org.

“Smoky Mountain Service Dogs has improved the lives of veterans living right here in East Tennessee and the Southeast,” Rhea said. “We hope our support of their mission allows even more veterans to be paired with mobility assistance service dogs so they, too, can live independently and continue to lead rich, fulfilling lives with their loved ones.”