Raising a Record $50,000 for the Community Food Club
The 38th Annual Chipping for Charity was one for the books. Hosted at Quail Ridge Golf Club on June 23rd, EHTC's annual golf outing raised $50,000 in support of the Community Food Club, a West Michigan nonprofit grocery store dedicated to providing a dignified, member-based approach to food security for Kent County residents.
This year's donation is the highest fundraising total in the event's nearly 40-year history.
"We're blown away by the generosity of this year's sponsors and attendees and couldn't be happier with the success of this year's outing," said Matt Fegan, Partner at EHTC. "The Food Club is meeting a critical need in our community and we're proud to be supporting their mission."
We’d like to extend our deepest thanks to all the sponsors, in-kind donors, volunteers, and attendees who made this year's Chipping for Charity such a success. The generosity you showed will truly leave a lasting impact on food security in our community.
Our Day on the Course
Golfers and supporters turned out in full force under sunny skies for a day of fun and fundraising. The event featured crowd favorites like a putting contest, Green in One Swing, and Marshmallow Drive, and brought back our popular Beat the Pro and hole-in-one challenges.
Community Food Club staff were also on hand throughout the day, adding their own spin to the fun: golfers who had the worst drive off Hole 2 received a "stress ball banana," a lighthearted nod to the stress of food insecurity and a way to spark conversation at the tee box about the Food Club's mission.
"It's such an honor to be selected," said Chris Vanderzee, Development Director at the Food Club. "To see EHTC and this community step up in such a major way is downright inspirational. It feels like the community rising up to help Kent County flourish. This is how we take care of one another."
Impact
For Chris and AJ Fossel, the Food Club's Executive Director, the day held one particularly unforgettable moment. The pair arrived expecting to raise somewhere around $30,000, in line with past totals. Watching that number climb to $50,000 was, in Chris' words, nothing short of shocking. Thanks to this year's gift, the Food Club expects to move over 150 households off its waitlist and into consistent access to fresh groceries.
Chris shared with us a statistic that tends to catch people off guard: more than 100,000 Kent County residents, or roughly one in seven, experience food insecurity, meaning the need touches far more of our community than most people realize. He noted that the Food Club regularly hosts corporate groups for volunteer shifts right on the shopping floor, offering local businesses a firsthand look at the tangible impact of the store.
More food for thought: The issue in Kent County has never really been a shortage of food; it's a shortage of logistics. According to Chris, roughly a third of what ends up in the Kent County landfill is food waste, much of it perfectly good product that simply couldn't get to the people who needed it. By rescuing and redistributing that food through its member-based model, the Food Club is tackling food insecurity and food waste at the same time, turning a local logistics gap into a source of fresh groceries for families across West Michigan.
Since its inception, Chipping for Charity has raised $450,000 for West Michigan nonprofit organizations. Each year, EHTC selects one beneficiary from dozens of applications submitted through our website. The 2026 outing marked a second year at Quail Ridge Golf Club, a venue that has quickly become a great partner for the event since our recent relocation to Ada.
What's New for the Community Food Club
Our support for the Food Club isn’t ending on the golf course. For those looking to stay involved, we’re pleased to share highlights from their 2026-2027 calendar:
Room at the Table (September 30): A community dinner fundraiser offering a closer look at how the Food Club is tackling food insecurity and food waste in Kent County.
Winter Mini Golf Outing (early 2027): A lighthearted, indoor take on charity golf fundraising, hosted at a downtown Grand Rapids mini golf venue. Details are still coming together, but it's shaping up to be a fun way to support the cause during the winter months.
To learn more about Chipping for Charity or to support the Community Food Club, visit ehtc.com/chipping-for-charity.
