Angela Mead wasn’t sure about volunteering for the Meijer LPGA Classic until she attended as a spectator.
The next year, when she saw a chance to volunteer, she quickly signed up.
“That first year I volunteered I was hooked,” said Angela, a 28-year Meijer team member who works as a Merchandise Associate. “It’s definitely one of the highlights of my summer. I look forward to it every year.”
Over the past 7 years, Angela has worked as a marshal, providing crowd control, staffing crosswalks and player gates, and enforcing golf etiquette among spectators. But one of the duties Angela enjoys most is measuring drives to gather tournament statistics.
“Everyone is so nice, and the spectators are just so excited to be there. A lot of times you get a chance to talk to them and share your knowledge about players or statistics you pick up while you're there working the hole. It’s a lot of fun,” Angela said.
Volunteers pay an affordable $30 for a generous package that includes two official tournament golf shirts and a hat or visor. They also receive tournament and parking passes, four additional weekly grounds passes for friends or family and meals and beverages during their scheduled work days.
Helping the hungry
The mission of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give is to feed the hungry through the Meijer Simply Give program, which restocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. Over the past 8 years, the Meijer LPGA Classic has generated more than $8.65 million for food pantries in the communities we serve.
Angela has so much fun volunteering she often invites others to join her. Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles, from hospitality to standard bearers. One of Angela’s colleagues drove a golf cart, delivering ice and water. Another provided shuttles to other volunteers so they didn’t have to take a long walk after their shifts ended.
Angela and her husband, Pat, who is a Meijer Market Director, recruited two golf friends from Indiana. They stayed with the Meads and drove in together for their volunteer shifts. One year, her adult daughter volunteered, and despite a downpour that caused a rain delay, the experience remains a special memory.
“You can’t control the weather but most years we’ve had fantastic weather,” said Angela, noting that the tournament staff goes the extra mile to take care of volunteers by making sure they have enough water, snacks and breaks to maintain their stamina.
“I usually sign up for four shifts. You get to be outside with people and enjoy some really great golf up close,” Angela said.