SILVIS, Ill. — Every morning of John Deere Classic week, when most people are still thinking about breakfast or just finishing their cup of coffee, one group of volunteers is already preparing for lunch.
They're basically the DoorDash of the golf tournament. One set of volunteers is in charge of bagging lunches and then the Meals on Wheels teams arrives to deliver them to the volunteers out on the course.
"This is like one big concession stand," co-chair of the volunteer tent Sue Rosenthal said.
About 2,000 people volunteer at the tournament over the course of the week. Some aren't able to take a lunch break to get their food themselves.
"They are there for six or seven hours at a time," co-chair of the cart committee Susie Archer said. "Hangry is not good."
"And if something doesn't get into a bag, they will tell us. Volunteers are very vocal, usually," Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal has been helping in the volunteer tent for nine years now, so she's put together a system, building and improving it each year. She's learned it's easier to prep the lunches the day before and then the morning of, they can add the perishable items to the bags.
"But when we first started, we didn't do that, and so that's why we've gotten a whole lot better at doing this," she said.
About 900 meals were prepared for volunteers during Wednesday's Pro Am.
When it comes to Meals on Wheels, there's an app that lets them know how many people are on each hole.
One of the volunteers joked that when she delivers, she's the most popular girl on the course because everyone's happy to see her.