Stricker donates $50,000 to food pantry

Steve Stricker is not playing in the Open Championship this week, instead he returned home and is giving back to his community.

The Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation donated $50,000 to the United Way of Dane County’s Healthy Food for All Children Plan. The program’s goal is to reduce the number of hungry children in Dane County by half by 2023.

The Edgerton native and Madison golfer gave the money to the River Food Pantry on the Northeast side.

This is the first gift from Stricker’s new foundation. Stricker wanted he can make a difference.

“The families … here that aren’t as fortunate … are having a hard time. And this facility right here, the River Food Pantry, is trying to do their part and help families,” said the 12-time PGA tour winner. “Through our foundation we are blessed to be able to give back and it blew me away coming in here today.”

Stricker decided not to play in this week’s major because he is taking a family vacation to Northern Wisconsin. It is also his 20th wedding anniversary with wife Nikki. Sticker said playing a reduced schedule this year is just for moments like this.

“It’s a little bitter sweet not going over there,”Stricker said. “I haven’t missed a major for quite sometime but for all the right reasons. It’s just a part of this reduced schedule that I am doing and I am not playing as much. I am enjoying the times I do play, but I am also enjoying my time at home. I’ll still be watching the British open and see what is going on there starting Thursday.”

Stricker donates $50,000 to food pantry