Twelve-time PGA TOUR winner, winning Ryder Cup captain, and major champion Paul Azinger built a golf career competing at the highest level that few people will ever experience.
Through the Azinger Family Compassion Center, a 12,000-square-foot distribution hub which provides essential resources to families throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties, he and his wife, Toni, are writing a story that stretches far beyond golf and leaves a legacy for everyone to follow.
Take us back to the beginning. How did you first become connected with One More Child, and what drew you personally to our mission?
Paul: My life changed when I started waking up in the morning and asking myself, “How can I make one person’s day better today?” You start looking outward instead of always looking at yourself. Toni and I were praying for God’s guidance and direction. We wanted to invest our time, attention, and resources in helping others in a tangible way.
At what point did your involvement move from supporting the mission to wanting to help create something as significant as the Azinger Family Compassion Center?
Toni: When we saw what was happening at the Compassion Center in Lakeland, I remember thinking, “I can envision my children and grandchildren working there.” We could see families. coming through those doors and receiving help. That made it very personal.
Paul: We prayed about it a lot. We weren’t looking to start something from scratch. We wanted to partner with an organization that already had a successful model of service that we could help bring to our community. We saw that in One More Child.
Since the Azinger Family Compassion Center opened, what has made its impact feel especially real or personal to you?
Paul: Problems like hunger, human trafficking, and families in crisis can become statistics very quickly. But then you meet one person or hear one story, and you realize somebody’s life is different because someone cared enough to help.
Hurricane Ian really brought home what the Compassion Center could mean to an entire community. Homes were devastated, and people were cut off from critical resources. Because we had food, water, and other essential supplies ready to go, we were able to respond quickly. FEMA partnered with us, and it seemed like every pickup truck in the county showed up to help get those resources to people who desperately needed them. It was incredible to see the community come together.
You’ve made it a priority to involve your children and grandchildren in the Compassion Center. What does it mean to serve together as a family?
Toni: That was part of the vision from the very beginning. We want our children and grandchildren to understand that the blessings we’ve received aren’t simply ours to keep. We have an opportunity— and I believe a responsibility — to use what God has given us to serve other people.
There’s something powerful about serving together as a family because we’re not just telling the next generation what matters. We’re living it out alongside them.
Your advocacy has taken you into some very different arenas — from golf events and Traffick Stop to the Florida Human Trafficking Victims’ Fund and conversations in Washington, D.C. What motivates you to keep opening doors for this mission wherever you have influence?
Paul: Advocacy is really about being willing to speak up for those who have no voice. There are vulnerable children and families whose stories may never reach the people in a position to help them. Toni and I are grateful for the opportunity to tell some of those stories and encourage others to get involved.
I’m so proud of Toni. As the co-founder of the Florida Human Trafficking Victims’ Fund, she has done amazing work, not just by increasing awareness about human trafficking, but raising funds to directly support trafficking survivors. One way we do that is through our annual golf tournament each fall.
Paul, golf has given you a platform and relationships around the world. How have you and Toni tried to use those relationships and opportunities to advocate for vulnerable children and families?
Paul: Golf has given me opportunities I never could have imagined. I’ve traveled the world, competed at the highest level, and met people from just about every walk of life. At some point, you have to ask yourself: “What are you going to do with those opportunities?”
Maybe it’s making an introduction, bringing someone to an event, or sharing a story that helps them see a need they didn’t know existed. Golf created relationships for me. Now I have the opportunity to use some of those relationships for a greater purpose.
In 2025, you received the Payne Stewart Award, recognizing your character, sportsmanship, and commitment to giving back. What did that honor mean to you?
Paul: It’s incredibly meaningful because of what Payne represented. He was a great champion and a great competitor, but he’s also remembered for his character, his faith, and the way he treated people. To receive an award that carries his name and recognizes those qualities is incredibly humbling.
If someone reading this is wondering how they could really make a difference, what would you tell them?
Paul: Start where you are. Ask yourself each morning, “How can I make one person’s day better today?” Then pay attention. There will be an opportunity, and you probably won’t have to look very far. You may never know how far that one act of generosity, kindness, or service will go. But you can know that someone’s day — and maybe even their life — is better because you chose to do something.
Toni: There really is a place for everyone. You can volunteer, give, or pray. You can pack food, serve a family, or introduce someone else to the mission. You don’t need a certain platform or a certain amount of money. You just need to be willing to use what you have. That’s when the impact begins to multiply. It becomes more than what one family or one organization can accomplish. It becomes a community of people caring for one another.