PONTE VEDRA, Fla. -- Thousands of fans, caddies, golfers and volunteers turned TPC Sawgrass into a sea of pink Sunday.
“It just warms my heart,” said Donna Deegan, founder of The DONNA Foundation. “The Players has raised more than $400,000 for The DONNA Foundation. And that helps women with everything from their mortgages to their co-pays, to their medical expenses, to their child care, whatever they need while they’re going through chemotherapy.”
Crews worked into the night Saturday to replace thousands of existing flowers throughout TPC Sawgrass with pink flowers. The course, along with the people donning pink, is a visible show of support for individuals and families impacted by breast cancer.
“These women can turn on the TV, if they’re not able to be here in person, and they can see everybody walking around in pink and they can say ‘Somebody’s with me, they’re thinking about me,’” Deegan said. “And I think that means everything.”
Jill Campbell and her cousin, Gretchen Goss, were among the crowd claiming an early spot at the famed 17th hole Sunday. Campbell is a breast cancer survivor.
“Double mastectomy, reconstruction and 18 rounds of chemo, but it’s all good now,” said Campbell, who won her battle six years ago. “I think it made me a better person. Appreciate things more, live each day, don’t take things for granted and just love life.”
Campbell and Goss both traveled to Ponte Vedra from out of town and found out about the Pink Out on their tickets. They immediately wanted to participate.
“Women, of course, wear pink, but to see men wear pink I think is really fabulous,” Campbell said.
“I saw a guy in pink pants with a pink blazer, I’m like … the men are really supportive of this,” Goss said.