Furyk Foundation volunteers hand out 4,000 holiday food bags

Posted on December 31, 2019 By Editor Riverside, Avondale, Ortega, Murray Hill, San Jose, San Marco, St. Nicholas

Cali, Tabitha, Jim and Tanner Furyk are shown at Hope for the Holidays Dec. 11, hosted by the Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation. More than 4,000 holiday meal bags were packed for food insecure children in Duval and St Johns counties.

The Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation’s Hope for the Holidays campaign saw hundreds of volunteers putting together 4,000 holiday food bags, which were later delivered to 33 local schools and eight organizations.

Nearly 400 participants met at the TPC Clubhouse in Sawgrass Dec. 11 and packed the bags for distribution in less than two hours. Most of the volunteers were local youths, from toddlers to high school students, and local high school athletes also came out to help stock the preparation tables and carry all the bags to vehicles. The bags contained canned ham, corn, green beans, cornbread, green beans, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, ravioli, Vienna sausages, cereal, granola bars, hot chocolate, candy canes, water and Gatorade and were thoughtfully packaged to help kids with food insecurity get through the long holiday break away from school and school meals.

Before the crowds of participants arrived, the Furyk Foundation welcomed CAA Sports, Monique Burr Foundation, JaxCaresFoundation, Power Tee, TMM, Southern Oak, DuBow Family Foundation, Target, NGCRA and family friends who helped unbox food donated by Target, Pepsi Co, Quaker and Conagra and purchased through Feeding Northeast Florida. More than 50 tables were piled high and stacked deep underneath in preparation for the volunteers arriving in the late afternoon.

Nearly 400 volunteers came out to help pack the holiday meal bags at Hope for the Holidays, and most were local youth giving back to those in need.

“We started this event eight years ago, when my kids were small, to provide a way for children to actively help others,” said Tabitha Furyk. “As a supporter of the Blessings in a Backpack program, we were very aware of the rising food insecurity facing students in North Florida. Unfortunately, the numbers of those in need continue to rise every year. The foundation has adopted two schools for whom we provide weekend food bags throughout the year. This event is a way for us to do more and involve the community.”

Children, from babies to high school students, came out to help. The lacrosse teams of Bolles, Nease, Creekside, Bartram Trail and Ponte Vedra were a key part of the success by moving bags from the tents to the waiting district drivers. The Creekside cheerleading squad, the Landrum girls’ basketball team, the Honor Society of Providence High School and many, many families made time to fill a bag. It was a special night.