Golden Pantry tees up golf tournament for charity - Online Athens

Golden Pantry tees up golf tournament for charity - Online Athens

It’s been 10 years since Golden Pantry has hosted a golf tournament fundraiser. Once the 2008 financial crisis hit the United States, Golden Pantry halted its Georgia Amateur Classic.

Now, the food store that started its franchise at Five Points 51 years ago is back at it with its Golden Pantry Charity Classic. The charity golf tournament, which will take place on Monday, Sept. 19, will benefit Community Connection of Northeast Georgia and United Way of Northeast Georgia.

“We’re just always trying to figure ways to give back to the community in the most positive way,” said Robert Griffith, president of Golden Pantry.

The idea to raise money for Community Connection 211, a referral agency for those in need of government or community services and a sector of United Way, started when Griffith used its services two years ago and realized how the nonprofit benefits the region.

With 16 full-service kitchens under Golden Pantry’s belt, Griffith said it’s frequent for the food store to have excess, yet edible, food at the end of a work day. Golden Pantry attempted to donate the food to shelters that could use it for those in need, but over time groups lost their willingness to pick up the meals. That’s when Golden Pantry reached out to Community Connection 211, which referred the food store to organizations willing to use the excess food.

Griffith said Community Connection 211 is “a huge service to our communities and I know that it helped us when we were looking for a group to donate food to.”

Golden Pantry Charity Classic will take place at the Georgia Club and will include roughly 120 players — mostly from the food store’s retail partners such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi. The tournament’s original goal was to raise $15,000, but Griffith said it is projected to reach $30,000.

“It’s an easy way to make a lot of people happy and raise a lot of money all in one day,” Griffith said.