By MATT CHANDLER
mchandler@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1654

Bunkers in Baghdad began as a novel idea as Buffalo attorney Joe Hanna was channel-surfing one night and has evolved into something that is making a difference in the lives of U.S. soldiers.

Several years ago, during a TV program about soldiers overseas, the camera panned across the vast desert in Iraq. Hanna, an avid golfer, was struck by the similarity between the sea of sand there and the bunkers that line area golf courses. A light bulb went off, he said, and he decided to fetch his old clubs collecting dust in the garage and ship them to Iraq so a soldier could have some recreation time and burn off some steam.

Taking it a step further, he called on his golfing buddies to do the same and see if collectively they could send a big box of clubs and balls to Iraq.

Now, Bunkers in Baghdad, which Hanna directs from the downtown office of Goldberg Segalla LLP - he's a partner there - recently shipped its 2 millionth golf ball. And more than 50,000 clubs have been delivered to soldiers currently deployed, as well as veterans who are back home.

Said Hanna: "Many people have asked me if I thought Bunkers in Baghdad was going to grow as quickly as it has over the course of these last two and a half years, and I tell them I'm not surprised, for one big reason. Both locally and nationally, the outpouring of generosity and concern and love for our soldiers is overwhelming."

Support for it has grown from a few friends and relatives with a shared passion for golf to national recognition where celebrities, athletes and sports teams are asking how they can help.

"To a certain extent, having what started off as a very small charity with a very simple concept to where we now have the likes of Arnold Palmer donating to us is a great opportunity for us to be able to help even more troops," he said.

To date, Bunkers in Baghdad has been invited to ring the bell of the New York Stock Exchange; its volunteers traveled across the country to meet soldiers and deliver golf equipment; and it has been aided by the NHL and Major League Baseball, with teams such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Marlins offering support and holding collection drives.

According to Hanna, his phone rings daily and there are constant emails from people who want to know how they can contribute.

Among those who have reached out to lend a hand (or a club) is Kendall Simmons, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers who ended his NFL career as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 2009. The avid golfer found Hanna through the online professional network LinkedIn and has contributed clubs to the charity and spent time talking it to others.

"What he is doing, I've never heard of anything like it,' said Simmons, referring to Hanna's charity. "It is amazing to me."

After being diagnosed with diabetes early in his NFL career, Simmons established his own golf-related charity, Swing 4 Diabetes. He said he sees the incredible value in what Hanna and his dedicated volunteers are doing.

"I've always wondered what soldiers do in their free time and how they try to relax over there," Simmons said. "So when I heard about this, I just thought it was the most unique thing I had heard of. He is sending them these balls and clubs and giving them something to do and helping them get their mind off of what they are doing there for a little bit."

Jordan Raiff, one of the soldiers who has been touched by Hanna's effort, is currently stationed in Baghdad.

"Being stationed (there) can be stressful at times, but thanks to organizations like Bunkers in Baghdad, we have a great way to relieve the stress," Raiff said. "Bunkers has provided us with the supplies to enjoy a sport where both the higher-ranking officers and the lowest of the enlisted can have a level playing field. We have seen people of all ranks bond and learn about one another over a small patch of Astroturf, a 9-iron and a dozen golf balls.

"One day I found myself getting lessons from a colonel on how to correct my slice. The next day I found myself reaching into a box Bunkers had sent me for a left-handed driver for a command sergeant major from 25th Infantry Division," he said. "The long drive contests between myself and others in my battalion and the 'closest to the pin' (which was actually a palm tree) over 125 yards of water are experiences and memories we as a unit will always have. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Hanna, meanwhile, is quick to deflect praise for his initiative to the many volunteers who make it all work. Among them: area schoolchildren who are part of his Bunkers Buddies program, in which children write letters to the troops and package balls to be shipped. He also credits the volunteers at Goldberg Segalla who assist in collection, shipping and fundraising aspects of the charity.

Neil Goldberg is a partner in the law firm and he says supporting Bunkers from its inception was an easy decision because the mission lined up with the firm's philosophy to give back to the community.

"This particular effort really touches all of our hearts because of what our troops go through," he said. "So we all wanted, in any way we could, to enhance the quality of their lives and to let them know that as the people back home, we appreciate everything they do for us."

As for Hanna, Goldberg called him "one of the special people" at the firm.

"He is a breed apart and we are very, very proud of all of his efforts," he said. "We are delighted to have him as a part of this firm and to be able to support him."

Hanna is looking to continue growing the charity with the help of local volunteers and national supporters. He said like his original concept, he has no pre-set goals. Instead, he prefers to see where the charity will lead him next.

"I've had the opportunity to meet soldiers across the country - from San Diego, Fort Drum, Quantico, Paris Island - and to sit down and visit with these wounded warriors is very, very gratifying, the most gratifying part of the charity for me," he said.

"To have the opportunity to do just a little part to give back to these men and women who so bravely defend our democracy and our freedoms, I think that it's the least I can do."