PGA Wives to Dish Out Heathly Packs

State Street Corporation, representatives of the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation and the PGA TOUR Wives Association announced their “Healthy Packs” initiative, which will provide approximately 2,000 pre-packed reusable bags of healthy snack options to children in need throughout the South Boston, Brockton and Dorchester communities of Massachusetts.

 On Thursday, Sept. 1, as part of the Deutsche Bank Championship in cooperation with EMC, State Street and Stop & Shop employee volunteers will team up alongside members of the PGA TOUR Wives Association and PGA TOUR players to assemble snack packages in Kids Village at in Norton. The snack packages will be delivered to children in the Greater Boston area who do not always have access to healthy food, with the goal of teaching them how to make healthy decisions for snack options.

 Volunteers will be divided into three teams, and each will be assigned three captains – a PGA TOUR player, a PGA TOUR Wives Association member and one representative from State Street, Stop & Shop or the Deutsche Bank Championship.  

 “We are thrilled to once again work with the PGA TOUR Wives Association and The Greater Boston Food Bank to bring the ‘Healthy Packs’ initiative to the Deutsche Bank Championship,” said George A. Russell, Jr., executive vice president and director of Corporate Citizenship at State Street. “The ‘Healthy Packs’ initiative exemplifies our long-standing commitment to serving the communities where we reside and work by providing healthy food to those in need. Active involvement with our communities around the world through our Global Outreach employee volunteer program is one of State Street’s fundamental values.”

“We’re excited to once again be joining our terrific partners, State Street and the PGA TOUR Wives Association, for what we consider a fun and meaningful event,” said Mark McGowan, president of Stop & Shop, New England Division. “Along with the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation Golf Classic and the canned food drive we’re holding at our Mansfield store on Aug. 31, we’re pleased to be able to make a positive impact on children and families in the communities we serve.”

The “Healthy Packs” initiative is now in its third year. It began in 2009 as part of the PGA TOUR’s “Golf Fore Groceries” campaign, a national food drive taking place at TPC clubs throughout the United States as well as at four PGA TOUR events that culminated with the Deutsche Bank Championship. The success of that program led the Deutsche Bank Championship to continue the program for 2010 and again in 2011.

“PGA TOUR Wives Association members are excited to be working with the Deutsche Bank Championship again this year as we are continuing our long-standing relationship with State Street, Stop & Shop and The Greater Boston Food Bank," said Amy Wilson, wife of PGA TOUR pro Mark Wilson and president of the PGA TOUR Wives Association. "The collaborative effort of our partners on this initiative is an excellent example of how golf, its fans, sponsors and communities can unite to support charity and volunteerism on a consistent basis. We are proud to be part of the ‘Healthy Packs’ initiative to help feed those people who need it most.”

“The Deutsche Bank Championship is proud to be able to use the ‘Healthy Packs’ initiative to actively assist young people and their families,” said championship director Eric Baldwin. “We are especially thrilled to have our loyal partners, State Street and the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation, on board again with the PGA TOUR Wives Association to continue their efforts to support The Greater Boston Food Bank and other food pantries throughout the area.”

 In addition to the “Healthy Packs” initiative, the Deutsche Bank Championship is teaming with CBS Radio and WZLX’s “Karlson & McKenzie” show to support Karlson & McKenzie’s “Big Fat Food Fund,” a year-round program that collects food for The Greater Boston Food Bank. Anyone bringing food to the at 377 Chauncy Street in Mansfield on Wednesday, Aug. 31, will receive two free tickets to the Deutsche Bank Championship for Thursday, Sept. 1. Karlson & McKenzie will broadcast live from Stop & Shop that morning from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

 This is the eighth consecutive year that the PGA TOUR Wives have teamed with volunteers from State Street to assist The Greater Boston Food Bank. Each year, The Greater Boston Food Bank delivers more than 34 million pounds of food to 550 member hunger-relief organizations and 30 food bank direct service programs.