A 75-year-old volunteer at the Honda Classic picks up golf balls anywhere he can and hands them out to children, but he won't be able to this year because of coronavirus.
12-HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS.
THEYGIVE HOURS OF THEIR TIME TOMAKE THE TOURNAMENT RUNSMOOTHLY, AND GIVE GUESTS THEBEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE.THERE'S ONE VOLUNTEER- WHO HASSPENT YEARS GOING THE EXTRAMILE TO MAKE THE TOURNAMENTEXTRA SPECIAL FOR THE YOUNGESTGOLF FANS.W-P-T-V NEWSCHANNEL FIVE'SMEGHAN MCROBERTS INTRODUCESYOU TO THIS YEAR'S VOLUNTEEROF THE YEAR.AT 75 YEARS OLD- TOM GIBBS-SAYS HE'S LIVING OUT SOMETHINGTHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON HISBUCKET LIST- AND JUST DOINGSOMETHING HE LOVES- GRABBEDTHE ATTENTION OF TOURNAMENTORGANIZERS- WHO SAID HIS GOODHEART DESERVED SPECIALRECOGNITION.STAKING HIS CLAIM IN THESHADIEST SPOT- RIGHT BY THE11TH HOLE 12:44:05;23“THIS ISA BONUS HERE, SITTING IN THESHADE” (WALKING NATS)75-YEAR-OLD TOM GIBBS- STEPSOUT TO DO A JOB HEPROUDLY FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS-FOR FREESTAND” AS A GOLF COURSEMARSHAL..
12:48:29;27 "PLAYERREADY TO HIT” HETO THE GAME HE LOVES&12:38:33;27“I WAS JUST ALITTLE TOT WHEN I STARTED”WITH THE BEST VIEW OF THEPLAYERS- BUT BETTER YET, HESAYS- HES IN THE MIX WITH ALLTHE FANS.
12:51:09;09“ALLWANT TO KNOW WHONEXT” EXPECIALLY HIS FAVORITEFANS- THE ONES NEWEST TO THEGAME.
12:45:22;22“YOU SEE SOMANY THAT HAVE LITTLE CLUBS,LITTLE THINGS” TOM HAS MADE ANAME FOR HIMSELF AROUND THECOURSE- BECAUSE ALL YEAR LONG-HE COLLECTS GOLF BALLS...ANYWHERE HE CAN.
12:39:53;06“HALF THE GOLF BALLS WE GET ATYARD SALES” SOME HE FINDS-MANY GIVEN TO HIM- 12:39:58;22“MOST PEOPLE GO TO THEIR GOLFBAG, PICK OUT TWO OR THREEBALLS, AND DONATE IT” BUT HEWOULD BRING THEM HERE TO THEHONDA EACH YEAR- TO HAND OUT-TO CHILDREN.
12:40:34;18“NOTHING LIKE SEEING A LITTLEGIRLA PINK BALL” OVER THE YEARS-HEABOUT 300 GOLF BALLS.12:40:39;13“AND THEY ALL SAYTHANK YOU.
THEY ALL SAY THANKYOU” BUT ITS A TRADITION- HEHAS TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THISYEAR.
12:40:58;22“WITH THECORONAVIRUS IT JUST WASNWORTH THE RISK OF SOMETHINGHAPPENING” BUT THE TOURNAMENTSTILL NOTICED HOW TOM OVER THEYEARS WENT ABOVE TO MAKE THETOURNAMENT SPECIAL FOR KIDS.THATTHIS WEEK- WITH THE AWARD FORVOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR.12:42:21;15“THEY PRESENTED MEWITH A PLAQUE AND I CRIED ALITTLE BIT” SO EVEN IF HE'SJUST SETTLING FOR A PASSINGWAVE THIS YEAR 12:41:30;24“AND WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE SEESOME KIDS WALKING BY AND WESAY WELL, THEY WOULD HAVEGOTTEN A PINK ONE, OR A BLUEONE” HIS GOLF BALL COLLECTIONWILL BUILD UP EVEN BIGGER-NEXT YEAR- WHEN HE CAN REVIVEHIS TRADITION.
12:41:10;06“WEYEAR” TAG:TOMVOLUNTEERS AND HIS DAUGHTER ISFLYING IN TODAY FROM COLORADOTO VOLUNTEER- SOME YEARS HEEVEN HANDS OUT BUSINESS CARDSTO RECRUIT MORE VOLUNTEERS-JUST MAKING HIM THAT MUCH MOREOF A TREASURE TO THETOURNAMENT.
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Golfers in the Honda Classic are doing their part to help kids and veterans in Palm Beach County thanks to the First Tee.