Golf Tournament Raises Over $30,000 for United Fresh Start Foundation

A record number of produce and retail representatives came together for an afternoon of golf and networking during the The 2016 Tip Murphy Legacy Golf Tournament, which was held Aug. 29 at the Oasis Golf Club near Cincinnati. The tournament raised over $30,000 for the United Fresh Start Foundation. Proceeds will be used to purchase salad bars for schools and support the United Fresh Start Foundation’s programs and activities, focused on increasing children's access to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

“We are so pleased with the industry’s continued support for this event,” says Bob Spence, vice president, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. “On behalf of the Tip Murphy Advisory Committee, we would like to thank everyone who came out to support the United Fresh Start Foundation, especially the 18 retailers who were in attendance, and also our other retail supporters who participated in this year's auction prizes.”  

This year’s event attracted retailers, wholesalers, shippers, growers and service providers from throughout the Midwest, with additional colleagues flying in from around the country.  

This is the third consecutive year that the Tip Murphy Legacy Golf Tournament has benefitted the United Fresh Start Foundation. Proceeds from the 2014 and 2015 events provided salad bars to 10 schools, and have supported school foodservice trainings, salad bar media and promotional activities and other programs to connect United Fresh members with leading K-12 school foodservice directors.

“The timing of this event is quite beneficial, helping to support salad bars for schools, just as the new schoolyear begins," says Andrew Marshall, director of foundation programs and partnerships, United Fresh Produce Association. "We appreciate the Tip Murphy Advisory Committee’s interest in continuing to have this event support the United Fresh Start Foundation.”   

To date, the United Fresh Start Foundation and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools partners have supported salad bars for over 4,800 schools in all 50 States, benefitting more than 3 million children every school day.  

Additionally, in June at the United Fresh 2016 convention, the Foundation hosted more than 50 school foodservice buyers from the nation’s largest and most influential school districts at The Produce Forum for School Success. This two-day United Fresh Start Foundation program introduced leading K-12 school foodservice directors to new and innovative produce items for schools, provided opportunities to share best practices with school foodservice colleagues and network produce industry leaders, as well as hear from USDA officials and discuss what school foodservice operators need from their produce industry partners. 

The United Fresh Start Foundation is committed to increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables and helping children achieve the public health goal to make half their plate fruits and vegetables in order to live longer and healthier lives. The Foundation works to create an environment in which kids have easy access to high-quality, great-tasting and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, whenever and wherever they are choosing snacks or a meal.

The 2016 Tip Murphy Legacy Golf Tournament continued the mission of the Tip Murphy Advisory Committee, to honor the life and career of their dear friend, while raising funds for worthwhile produce industry causes. Terrence "Tip" Murphy, a 15-year veteran of the produce industry was Division Vice President of Retail Sales for Ready Pac Foods when he passed away unexpectedly in July 2008 at age 48. His career included 13 years with Chiquita Brands International.   

The 2016 Tip Murphy Legacy Golf Tournament winners include:

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place