Habitat for Humanity
Verizon Heritage - Hilton Head
By: Kate Rose

During the Verizon Heritage Classic tournament, members of the PGA TOUR Wives Association got together once again to put in some (wo)man hours to help build a house alongside Habitat for Humanity in the Ridgeland area of South Carolina. Habitat staff was delighted to welcome back the our members as last year they had had their preconceived ideas about “TOUR wives” and whether they could work hard, proved wrong!

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization seeking to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness and to break the cycle of poverty fostered by inadequate housing. Through volunteer labor and tax deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner families. Houses are sold at NO PROFIT and financed with affordable NO INTEREST loans. Homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving building fund, which is used to build more houses. In addition to paying closing costs and monthly mortgage payments, each homeowner family invests hundreds of their own labor - “sweat equity” - into the building of their house and the houses of others. Habitat is not a giveaway program; as they say, they give a hand up, not a hand out.”

The house PTWA worked on this year was for Dean Hornbeak, who was there, completing some of his own “sweat equity” hours, alongside us. Dean made the mistake of mentioning that we could pick the color he would eventually paint his house… that’ll be one nice TOUR Wives Pink house coming your way, Dean!! His house is an 1100 square foot three bedroom house which he will share with his two sons, and will be ready in time for Father’s Day in June! His youngest is excitedly looking forward to coming and watching some pro golfers in action this weekend, and we look forward to seeing him and his father there.

Our work today mainly consisted of measuring up, cutting and nailing up the siding on the sides of the house. We really got into a groove of working, and all too soon it was time to put down tools and say goodbye to our South Carolina Habitat friends until next year. Many thanks to all members who came out and worked hard, as always, in giving back to the community! “Inside the PGA TOUR” cameras were there, covering our work in progress, so keep an eye out for the pink shirts on the Golf Channel, coming the week of the British Open!