Lexi Thompson and war veteran to have a prom night to remember

Lexi Thompson will be spending her prom night pretty much like any other high school student.

Except that the 17-year-old golf sensation, wearing a dress chosen with a Hollywood stylist, will be followed by a camera crew from E! Entertainment Television and accompanied by a date she chose through a nationwide online contest.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Thompson, whose online search was limited to military veterans who are part of the group Wounded Warriors.

After more than 100 entries, Thompson chose 20-year-old Naperville, Ill., resident Mark Scott, a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Active Reserve who received a Purple Heart in Afghanistan. He got an all-expenses-paid, two-day trip to South Florida for the festivities.

Those include a shooting lesson by Scott for Thompson and a golf lesson by Thompson for Scott. Friday night, a stretch limo will take the pair to the Coral Glade High prom.

“A lot of times as a veteran you kind of feel forgotten,” said Scott, a full-time student who works for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce helping veterans find employment. “This sheds light on the situation and lets us know that people actually are out there and that people do care.”

Thompson and her family have long shown support for military veterans, including a group of Wounded Warriors caddying for Thompson at the Honda Class Pro-Am in March.

“It’s definitely a way of saying ‘thank you’ to everybody who’s devoted their life to serve for our country,” Thompson said. “Everybody that entered and shared their story with me was an amazing person. Everybody that serves our country is, too.”

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Lexi Thompson, war veteran to have a prom night to remember