Staff members of THE PLAYERS Championship and PGA Tour, accompanied by PGA Tour player Sam Saunders and his wife Kelly, delivered Thanksgiving baskets to Angelwood last week. The baskets provided Thanksgiving meals for the residents of one of the six group homes Angelwood operates.
Saunders, the grandson of the late golf legend Arnold Palmer, recently moved to Atlantic Beach and is eager to follow his grandfather’s example of philanthropic endeavors. He shot 59 at the Web.com Tour Championship played at Atlantic Beach Country Club in October.
“Being here with the PGA Tour and THE PLAYERS was awesome,” Saunders said. “I just made a bunch of new friends, and these are some great people here at Angelwood. It’s really cool to see what these folks are doing to help these residents feel part of the community. This was a special day for me and my wife Kelly to come be a part of this event and make a difference.”
Angelwood assists families in caring for the special needs of their loved ones across their lifespan through a variety of programs suited to each person’s individual goals. It helps children and adults with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, Prader-Willi and spina bifida.
This year marks the PGA Tour’s 20th annual staff Thanksgiving basket drive for Northeast Florida families in need. Throughout November, staff members prepared more than 300 Thanksgiving baskets, which were dispersed to charities throughout the region.
“Throughout the year, the tour’s mantra has been to ‘Make Mr. Palmer Proud,’ therefore, we are beyond honored Sam could join us,” said Jared Rice, executive director of THE PLAYERS Championship. “Being headquartered in Ponte Vedra, it’s important to the entire PGA TOUR staff to give back to the Northeast Florida community, and this is just one example of how we plan to contribute during this holiday season.”
For more information on Angelwood, visit angelwoodjax.org.
