Led by the brainstorm of a dedicated golf fan who was very much looking forward to his second stint in the volunteer ranks at the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, an army of followers concurred with the decision to donate their uniform package fees back to help the coronavirus battle on the local front, generating more than $15,000 for a special fund at Spectrum Health Lakeland.
Jim McAnaw, a Hole 7 Marshal in the 2018 Championship at Harbor Shores was offered a refund on his uniform fees when the event was forced into cancellation by the COVID-19 pandemic, but immediately wondered aloud on the event’s Volunteer Facebook page if he could forego the reimbursement and instead dispatch the funds to assist frontline medical professionals working around the clock at Spectrum Health Lakeland. Others echoed that sentiment and Championship Director Ryan Ogle’s staff went immediately to work to see if that would be a possibility.
Not only was it a possibility, it became a reality and was offered as an option to all volunteers to either accept a refund or donate to the COVID-19 Response Fund.
McAnaw, who lives in Kalamazoo, was geeked to repeat his hole marshal duties, but it was not to be, and thanks to his brainchild, many followed his lead. In fact, more than 130 volunteers accepted his challenge and followed suit, resulting in more than $15,000 headed to Spectrum Health Lakeland personnel working on emerging needs during the pandemic. McAnaw is a graduate of Western Michigan University, and is employed by Epredia of Kalamazoo, a global company that produces precision cancer diagnostic equipment.
McAnaw told PGA Historian Bob Denney, “This volunteer donation is our chance to give back and help others,” adding, “I had signed up to do something, and when I realized this money was available, I felt it was more important to do something with it than just have it returned.”
Spectrum Health Lakeland has been the Championship’s medical service partner since the beginning, and is the region’s non-profit, community-owned health system. Spectrum Health Lakeland employs more than 4,000 professionals across three hospitals, an outpatient center, a cancer center and 48 physician practices.
The 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, which was scheduled for May 19-24, at the Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, was cancelled on April 2nd in response to the Stay-at-Home executive order enacted on March 23rd for the state of Michigan.
Dr. Loren B. Hamel, MD, President of Spectrum Health Lakeland, says, “Like so many others in our community, we were saddened to hear of the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship’s cancellation, however, the outpouring of support we’ve received from those who chose to donate their volunteer package fees toward Lakeland’s COVID-19 Response Fund is truly inspirational. We are all in this together and these funds will support many emerging needs during this crisis.”
The Spectrum Health Lakeland COVID-19 Response Fund was established to support a number of unexpected healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will help provide personal protection equipment (PPE) and other critical medical supplies and support clinical workers serving on the front lines.
Jeff Fettig, General Chairman of the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, says, “We are fortunate to have such wonderful volunteers who are willing to give back to their community,” and adds, “This donation will have a profound positive impact on the lives of our frontline clinical medical professionals in Southwest Michigan and their safety fighting the pandemic every day. We are proud of our volunteers and the community as a whole that has come together in this time of need.”
