The Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation host Hope for the Holidays tonight at TPC Sawgrass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation hosts Hope for the Holidays tonight, December 8, at TPC Sawgrass between 6 and 7:30 p.m.

The annual event, now in its 11th year, is inviting everyone to help pack more than 5,000 food bags for distribution to Duval and St. Johns County families considered food-insecure. With additional support from AT&T, Feeding Northeast Florida, Conagra Bands, PepsiCo and Target, the bags will provide food in the tune of 5,000 holiday meals to families Tabitha Furyk described as “those needing it the most.”

“These are families that are on title-one programs,” she said. “This extra food helps those kids who don’t know when or where their next meal is coming from.”

According to Furyk, what began as a meaningful endeavor of stuffing 250 bags of food as a learning lesson to her chilren in light of giving - “hands on” - to those less fortunate, has grown into an evening that includes an array of volunteers representing an entire comminty stuffing thousands of bags.

“We have Girl Scout Troupes, La Crosse Teams, cherleading squads, elementary schools, kids bring their parents and grandparents and everybody grabs a bag to fill with over 70,000 pieces of food,” said Furyk.

Bags consist of canned ham, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, noodles, cornbread, corned beef, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, canned sausage, applesauce and candy canes for children who might “otherwise go hungry during the long holiday break.”

And that’s not all. Furyk said the extra food is distributed to Salsbocher and the Jewish Community Family Services for their pantry.

“We’re drive around town to make sure we are fulfilling as much need as possible,” she said.

When asked how she felt about watching a community come together in service of others, Furyk swallowed hard to hold back the tears.

“It’s been incredibly heart-warming.” she said. " I think I cry every year. To see the joy and enthusiasm of the volunteers is amazing.”

According to Furyk, the 70,000+ food items are distributed to the following organizations: 3,805 Blessings in a Backpack children; 27 Title 1 schools in Duval & St. Johns Country; 400 Guardian Catholic School families; 400 USO families; 100 MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation children; 50 Daniel Kids families; 50 Community PedsCare families; 30 Foster Closet children; Mission House; Jewish Family & Community Services; Beaches Chapel School; BEAM; and the Carver Center.

Furyk added that her children, now grown, not only return to participate in Hope for the Holidays, they’ve branched out on their own to create their own give back initiatives.

Volunteers will gather at the TPC Sawgrass Parking Lot, 110 Championship Way in the lower Clubhouse parking lots.

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