Advertisement

HHI firemen, town staff run Heritage’s most popular food joint. How much is fundraised?

Evan McKenna
·3 min read

At the RBC Heritage, Hilton Head firefighters are dealing with a different kind of heat: the Nashville-style spicy fried chicken sandwich.

It’s the specialty item at the town’s concession stand, one of the most popular and profitable food joints at the annual RBC Heritage golf tournament. Since 2004, the stand has run on a volunteer base of town hall staff, firefighters and paramedics — with a healthy sprinkling of hospitality students from the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB).

All proceeds from food sales will go to the Hilton Head Firefighters’ Association nonprofit, which will disperse funds to other 501(c)(3) organizations in the area. Thanks to its prime location near both the start and middle of the Harbour Town Golf Links course, the stand raises anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 every year, said Kyle Ramsey, a senior firefighter and board member at the nonprofit.

“We’re all in this for fun, to raise money for organizations, but we do get the most traffic,” said Ramsey.

With a historic lineup of some of the world’s greatest golfers, the 2024 Heritage is poised to be one of the largest in the tournament’s 55-year history. The event is expected to bring up to 120,000 spectators to Harbour Town, so charitable concessionaires are hoping for a strong week of fundraising.

Firefighters from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue manned the beer trailer Wednesday morning outside the town government’s RBC Heritage concession stand, which raises funds for the Hilton Head Firefighters’ Association nonprofit. Kyle Ramsey, left, says their location near the course entrance helps drive major foot traffic to the tent.
Firefighters from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue manned the beer trailer Wednesday morning outside the town government’s RBC Heritage concession stand, which raises funds for the Hilton Head Firefighters’ Association nonprofit. Kyle Ramsey, left, says their location near the course entrance helps drive major foot traffic to the tent.

Since 2020, all the tournament’s food has been provided by the SERG Restaurant Group of Hilton Head, which offers some menu staples from the group’s 15 local restaurants.

This year’s tournament marked deputy town manager Josh Gruber’s sixth straight year under the tent. His favorite parts of the volunteer work, he said, were “connecting with folks” and marveling at how far some attendees will travel for the PGA Tour event. He’s met fans hailing from Connecticut to Canada — as well as a family who left their home in Edisto Beach at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning to arrive in time for the pro-am rounds.

For 20 years, the Town of Hilton Head Island’s concession tent at RBC Heritage has been a short walk from the course’s main entrance. The prime location helps the town raise tens of thousands of dollars every year for local charities.
For 20 years, the Town of Hilton Head Island’s concession tent at RBC Heritage has been a short walk from the course’s main entrance. The prime location helps the town raise tens of thousands of dollars every year for local charities.

“I just like people,” said Robin Swift, the town’s cultural affairs coordinator. “It’s fun to talk to them, hear why they’re here. They’ll come up with autographed hats. One lady said she’s been following (a golfer) for 16 years.”

A share of the concession stand’s profits will be used to pay SERG for providing the food, while some goes into a benevolent fund for Hilton Head firefighters in times of need. Everything else is awarded to local organizations through grants: installing AED kits in public buildings and churches, for instance, or supporting the Second Helpings food rescue charity, which “rescues” food that would have been thrown away at grocery stores and delivers it to food pantries across the Lowcountry.

A half-dozen younger volunteers under the tent were especially in their element: They’re representing USCB’s hospitality management program, housed in the newly built campus on the island.

Rebecca Pollard, a senior, said volunteering at the Heritage was a “passion project” for the students. Some of them are studying to organize and cater corporate events, not dissimilar to the tournament’s vast network of food service.

From left to right: USCB hospitality management students Rebecca Pollard, Maya Stovcsik, Riley Niemiec, Carly Rossi and Megan Rutan volunteered Wednesday at the Town of Hilton Head Island’s concession stand at RBC Heritage, one of the tournament’s most profitable food operations. Pollard says the program is vying for its own real estate at the annual event: “If we kill it this year, we’re hoping we can get our own concession stand.”

As crowds of tartan grew larger Wednesday morning, the volunteers slipped back into the event’s familiar electricity.

“The folks that are out here are out here enjoying themselves,” Gruber said. “Everybody’s in a good mood. That makes it fun.”

Pro-am tee-offs began Wednesday morning after Tuesday’s opening ceremony. The tournament kicks off at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Town of Hilton Head Island FOIA compliance officer Faidra Smith (right) and paramedic Ana Piccioli greet attendees Wednesday morning at the town’s RBC Heritage concession stand.
Town of Hilton Head Island FOIA compliance officer Faidra Smith (right) and paramedic Ana Piccioli greet attendees Wednesday morning at the town’s RBC Heritage concession stand.