Galloway Twp., NJ, November 7, 2012 – Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) player and 2012 ShopRite LPGA champion Stacy Lewis is donating $20,000 to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s Southern Branch in an effort to assist the residents of the greater Atlantic City area adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy.
For 23 years, the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the Southern Jersey Shore region have been a favorite tour stop for the professional athletes of the LPGA. Fans, volunteers and residents of the region that support the tournament year after year have come to mean a great deal to many of the players on the tour.
“While the LPGA Tour was in Japan, I was heartbroken to see images of the damage caused by Sandy to the Northeast, especially the area near Atlantic City where we play the ShopRite LPGA Classic,” stated Lewis. “The people who come out to that tournament are so supportive of women’s golf, so I just wanted to find some way to help them through this difficult time.”
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s Southern Branch serves Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and southeastern Burlington Counties from its warehouse in Egg Harbor Township. The FoodBank’s critical service programs include a mobile pantry, emergency assistance and food distribution pantry, Kathleen’s Closet thrift store, Kid’s Division, Kid’s Cafe, Family Meals program, Food Stamp outreach and many more.
“We are grateful and honored to receive Stacy’s very generous contribution,” said Margie Barham, Executive Director of the Southern Branch of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “The area has been hit tremendously hard, and there are so many more people who now need our help and will for a long time to come.”
“As the home of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, and site of Stacy Lewis’ exciting 2012 victory this past June, the greater Atlantic City area was one of the hardest hit regions from Hurricane Sandy,” stated Tim Erensen, Executive Director of the ShopRite LPGA Classic. “The aftermath of this unprecedented storm has left many area residents without the comfort of their homes, causing tremendous financial stress on families and organizations serving those affected. Stacy’s exceptionally generous donation to The Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s Southern Branch comes at a critical time, and will go a long way in providing much needed comfort and assistance to those who call the Atlantic City area home,” Erensen added. “Not only is Stacy’s indomitable spirit and generosity admirable, but her fondness for our tournament and the people of this region is both comforting and heartwarming.”
About Stacy Lewis
Currently ranked the No. 1 American player on the LPGA Tour and the No. 2 player in the world by the LPGA’s Rolex World Rankings, Lewis joined the LPGA tour in 2009 after qualifying on her first attempt. Lewis made her first LPGA tournament win a major by winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011. This year, Lewis has won 4 LPGA tournaments including the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey. If Lewis’s current lead in the LPGA Player of the Year (PoY) Award standings holds through the last two events, she would become the first American player to win the PoY Award in 18 years.
She started playing golf at the age of eight and credits her parents for encouraging her to play even after having back surgery. From the age of 11, Lewis wore a back brace 18 hours a day for nearly eight years to correct a curvature in her spine from scoliosis, removing it only to play golf. As an amateur, Lewis was a four-time All-American at the University of Arkansas, where she won a school record 12 collegiate events, including the NCAA Individual Championship in 2007. . She was also the 2005 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year, and the 2008 SEC Championship Individual Medalist and Player of the Year. Away from collegiate competition, she won the 2006 Harder Hall Invitational, the 2006 Western Amateur and was a semi-finalist at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur. She was the 2007 Southern Amateur Champion and the 2007 Dinah Shore Trophy Award recipient. Lewis was also a member of the victorious U.S. Team at the 2007 at Copa de las Americas and on the victorious 2008 U.S. Curtis Cup team, becoming the first player to go 5-0 in Curtis Cup history. Lewis is a two-time Golfweek and Golf Digest Women’s Amateur Player of the Year (2006-07), and was the top ranked amateur in the Golfweek/Titleist Women’s Amateur Rankings in 2008.
About the ShopRite LPGA Classic
Originally known as the Atlantic City Classic, the tournament began in 1986 and was played at several courses near Atlantic City with the first two and last 12 years played at Seaview. The tournament was officially changed to the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 1992 when Wakefern Food Corp. became the title sponsor. One of the most popular stops on the LPGA Tour, the ShopRite LPGA Classic is played on the historic Bay Course of Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in Galloway, NJ. The tournament has drawn and crowned as champions some of the greatest names in women’s professional golf, including Juli Inkster, Nancy Lopez, Betsy King, Annika Sorenstam, Ai Miyazato, Brittany Lincicome, and 2012 champion Stacy Lewis. More information can be found at www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com, facebook.com/ShopRiteLPGAClassic and on Twitter @ShopRiteLPGA.
About Community FoodBank of New Jersey
Community FoodBank of New Jersey serves those in need statewide. Locally, its Southern Branch based in Egg Harbor Township serves Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and southeastern Burlington counties. For more information on how you can help call 609-383-8843, or visit our website at www.cfbnj.org.
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