By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Charity begins at home. That’s what they say. Well, at Quail Valley Golf Club, in Vero Beach, Florida, the club is like home for most of their members, and charity extends to the community around them.
I recently chatted with Don Meadows, the PGA of America Director of Golf at the beautiful 18-hole facility, and he says that philanthropy is strong at Quail Valley. In fact, there’s even a “Charities” tab on the club’s website that highlights the club and its members’ efforts to do good for others across Indian River County.
Now in his 18th season at Quail Valley, Meadows was born in West Virginia, the son of a serviceman, which meant he and his family moved around more frequently than most others when he was a kid. He primarily grew up in California and Virginia before enlisting in the military himself as a young adult. As you can see, that spirit of service was ingrained in Meadows as a young boy.
According to the club’s website, “Quail Valley Charities is a 501(c)(3). Since its inception in 2001, Quail Valley Charities has dedicated its funding to selected non-profit organizations and programs in Indian River County that focus solely on children and their education. The first year witnessed the creation of the Charity Cup, a two-day golf tournament that raised a total of $120,000 – all of which was donated to 12 specifically chosen programs by the QVC Committee.”
Meadows was proud to continue, and help expand upon, what was started just six years before he joined the Quail Valley team, “The club has always focused on doing the right thing within the community and help out in any way we can,” he says, “and it’s been great to see those efforts grow over my almost two decades here at Quail Valley.”
The annual Charity Cup is among the larger charitable events held under the Quail Valley Charities umbrella. The golf tournament originally started as a two-day competition but has since been changed to two one-day events, allowing more people to participate in the festivities.
“The new two-day structure was implemented about a dozen years ago and enables a variety of different skill levels to get involved in the event,” Meadows adds.
The first day is a four-person scramble with the second day being a more traditional two-player better-ball tournament. Meadows says there are three flights – men’s, women’s and mixed couples – so all who want to participate can find a suitable category under which to play. With 120 players on the first day and upwards of 100 competitors on the second day this year, participation is brisk in a fun and motivational setting, knowing they’re playing with a bigger purpose in mind. Meadows says that approximately 50 percent of the field still plays both days. There’s even a junior event on the club’s Par 3 layout, so no one is excluded. This year’s tournament saw 48 juniors register, ranging in ages from 6-16!
There are prizes awarded after each day’s competition, since they’re different formats, and breakfast and lunch are served before and after each round of golf.
Martha Redner is the club’s Director of Membership and the Executive Director of Quail Valley Charities, and she strives to get sponsors to help fund the event so more money can be raised for the charities themselves. According to Meadows, getting sponsors is a team effort, but is led by Redner, and they have several local individuals and companies who have been Charity Cup sponsorship partners for many years.
There’s a title sponsor, a golf sponsor, a putting green sponsor, a tee gift sponsor, an F&B sponsor and a number of other areas surrounding the event where sponsorship monies help generate charitable funds for the tournament. Of course, with each new sponsor, the charitable funds raised increase. As a result, Meadows, Redner and the entire team are sure to go back to the sponsors after the event to convey their appreciation and gratitude for the generosity of others. With little overhead (the club absorbs the labor costs), virtually all of the funds raised go to the vital organizations that benefit from the big hearts of those at Quail Valley.
Over the years, many charities have benefited from this event. Quail Valley Charities typically receives around 45 grant applications from nonprofits in August and the presentations take place every October. Funding is awarded based on these presentations and need, as well. One vital recipient of these charitable funds is the Quail Valley employee scholarship fund, which helps lessen the educational costs of the staff’s children and grandchildren.
The success of Quail Valley Charities stems from the leadership, as well as the motivation of the club’s members. Getting as many individuals involved is vital to ensuring a successful event each year. They even have celebrity chefs come in to add excitement to the dining aspect of the event.
Other events held under the Quail Valley Charities umbrella include Mah Jongg and Bridge games, a one-mile and 5K walk/run, a pheasant shoot at a local ranch, a tennis tournament, wine dinners with special guests and more!
Redner is already planning for 2026. She’s very organized and often defers the credit that she deserves to others. Meadows says that she’s the glue that makes it all work. She’s the face of the event!
