Members of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Women with Vision Council had an opportunity to hear firsthand how community impact can elevate one’s brand from experts on the subject.
Laura Renstrom, vice chair for player services with The PLAYERS Championship, and Emily Bellock, senior director of community impact with The PGA Tour, were guest speakers at an informative luncheon Thursday, Feb. 5, at La Casa Studios in downtown St. Augustine. The PLAYERS Championship and The PGA Tour are known for their commitment to the Northeast Florida community, particularly local charitable organizations and efforts.
“We’re a world-class event, but we’re most proud of our commitment to Northeast Florida,” Bellock said.
Renstrom described two of the biggest gifts The PLAYERS presented in the past year.
In July, The PLAYERS donated $1 million to Feeding Northeast Florida to fund the opening of the PLAYERS Center for Nutrition Security and Community Solutions. In addition, support from The PGA Tour and The PLAYERS has helped provide more than 6.3 million meals to those facing hunger.
In January 2025, The PLAYERS made a $600,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of St. Augustine so it could construct a 3,000-square-foot teen center.
“One of the best parts of my job is I get to go out into the community to help make these great announcements of large gifts that are being made,” said Renstrom.
But The PLAYERS contributes to smaller efforts, as well.
Last month, The PLAYERS hosted a special adoption weekend at the Jacksonville Humane Society, during which fees were waived or reduced for anyone wanting to adopt a pet.
Bellock said that, just prior to the frigid weather system that recently moved through, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce alerted The PLAYERS to two Duval County schools where students were in need of winter jackets.
“So, we partnered with an organization called Operation Warm and delivered 300 winter jackets to kids in need,” she said.
Because The PLAYERS relies heavily on volunteers to present the annual tournament, money saved can be reinvested in efforts such as this. The tournament provides significant volunteering opportunities to area residents.
According to Renstrom, last year’s event had about 2,200 volunteers, which translated into about 68,000 hours of volunteer time.
She recognized the challenge of finding time to volunteer.
“Let’s be honest, you don’t have extra time,” she said. “You don’t have more hours in a day.”
A lifelong volunteer who grew up with The PLAYERS, Renstrom meets this challenge by making it an important part of her lifestyle. What she has discovered is that this has actually benefitted her professionally, though that wasn’t the reason she volunteered.
As a first-year lawyer, she acquired leadership experience through volunteering that might not have been as easily learned even in the workplace.
“I was able to develop these executive-level skills,” she said. “I was speaking. I was coordinating a group of 60 youth volunteers and their parents … I was getting these skills that were also helping me in the business world.”
She described volunteering with The PLAYERS as a kind of symbiotic relationship, where both sides benefit.
For more information about volunteering with The PLAYERS Championship, go to https://www.theplayers.com/volunteer.
To connect your nonprofit with The PLAYERS, go to https://www.theplayers.com/community.
