Duval County

THE PLAYERS: Meet the woman in charge of feeding 2500 volunteers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The PLAYERS Championship isn’t just about golf and good times. It’s also about the community and giving back.

There’s one woman with what you might call an ‘exclusive’ restaurant who gives back to all those who donate their time.

“I’ve been doing it now for 35 years,” Darlene Rigg said. She’s the chairperson of Darlene’s Diner. Her job at the PLAYERS is to make sure everyone is fed and full.

She’s been doing it for nearly four decades. Darlene started as a volunteer and quickly got involved in the kitchen. Now, the diner, where volunteers eat, is named after her.

“I said, I thought you had to be dead to get a building named after you or something,” Darlene joked.

She’s both humble and humorous. Darlene was named PGA Tour Volunteer of the year in 2013. She said this is all her way of giving back. In fact, she dishes out her own cash just to be here.

“People say you pay to work? I say, well, you know, it’s what we do here,” Darlene said.

“As corny as people might think it sounds, I feel honored that I’m a part of something that gives back to the community.”

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