Marco Women's Golfers Add Sunshine to Annual Daily Bread Food Pantry Fundraiser

The skies were overcast and gray, but the colorful dress and sunny disposition of the Marco Women’s Golf Association members - nearly 100 strong - created an enthusiastic atmosphere at the well-manicured Rookery Golf Course Wednesday morning, January 26.

The ladies played 18 holes of “step aside” golf. In the step aside format, the golfer who hits the best tee shot steps aside and is not eligible to hit the second shot. Mother Nature also cooperated. After heavy overcast skies, the weather suddenly turned into a perfect Marco Island winter day with blue skies and temperatures pushing into the 70s.

 “The leadership team at the Members Club at Marco couldn't be more proud of our Women's Golf Association for their generosity in this year's Members Club at Marco WGA Charity Event,” said Scott Lien, director of golf at the Members Club at Marco. "We had nearly 100 ladies brave the weather to support Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.”

Lien was impressed with the fundraising ability of the ladies.

"To generate $15,000 in monetary funds and 783 pounds of food for Our Daily Bread is astonishing,” Lien said. “And we know that these funds will make a lasting impact on those in need locally. The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort's golf operations team is genuinely committed to Marriott International's Serve 360 pillar of giving back to our community. With this, we proudly support the residents and businesses of Marco Island and are humbled by the opportunity to assist Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, especially during the pandemic. We know that they will utilize their relationships to help so many of our neighbors.”

The Rookery event is the second fundraiser for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry held by the Women's Golf Association (WGA) at the Members Club at Marco. 

The $15,000 raised will help feed families in Collier County. The 783 pounds of food filled the Our Daily Bread food transportation truck.

The winning foursome was R. Robin Kelleher, Patty Gabardini, Joan Lee and Lynn Marinelli.

“We are thrilled with the turnout for this charity outing,” said Liz Pecora, vice president development & communications at Our Daily Bread Food Pantry. "We can’t do what we do alone and are grateful to be part of such a giving community. Many thanks to Chris Major, Scott Lien, Brandon Rowcliffe and the WGA for supporting Our Daily Bread Food Pantry as the charity for the second year. And to all those behind the scenes and the golfers - thank you."

Perhaps Brandon Rowcliffe, MCM golf pro, said it best: “Everyone was a winner of this event, making a huge difference in our community."

Our Daily Bread Food Pantry started in 2016 with a bold mission: Working to Wipe Out Hunger. A 501(C)(3), the Pantry is on pace to serve almost 200,000 individuals this year, gathering and distributing over 1.5 million pounds of food. This all-volunteer organization has an operational leadership team assisted by five managers and a force of over 200 dedicated volunteers. Operating a fixed base on Marco Island and various mobile pantry outreaches across Collier County (where one in eight adults and one in five children are food insecure), Our Daily Bread Food Pantry exists to share the love of God by reducing hunger and building relationships in our community. If you would like to help or learn more, please call 239-259-5188 or visit ourdailybreadfoodpantry.com.