Spare for Change, Pays It Forward
Every individual is blessed with a gift. No matter how amazing or ordinary, our gifts are meant to be shared. It’s all about paying it forward, whether it’s the ability to save lives, to build something or the ability to lift others’ spirits. This is certainly the case when it comes to Spare for Change, a non-profit organization from Maui founded by David Havens.
David is a family man and a professional golfer. He was the 2017 Aloha Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year and 2013 Aloha Section PGA Teacher of the Year. His organization’s primary mission is to give underprivileged children, as well as anyone interested in the sport of golf the opportunity to learn and play the game.
My wife and I took our son to the ESPN Honolulu Sports Festival held last month on June 15 at the Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. That’s where we saw David and his team re-fitting individual used golf clubs for the kids standing in line. They were hard at work cutting down the adult-sized clubs, re-gripping them and fitting them to each child. That day they gave away hundreds of golf clubs to children of all ages (as well as some adults). It didn’t seem to phase them how many people were there. It was amazing to watch them operate so quickly and efficiently because at times the line grew quite long.
Spare for Change is growing the game of golf one club at a time, especially for the next generation. That day my 3-year-old son was very excited to receive his very first (and very real) driver which was cut and gripped to his size. It was something to see. I was most proud when the club was handed to him, and he turned around and held it with the correct way to grip it (well, pretty close). Hypothetically speaking, IF my boy ever wins the US Open down the road, we can point back to this moment as one of the first steps towards that achievement. Hey, a dad can dream, right?
The unique concept of Spare for Change is very interesting. I felt compelled to record a bit of their operation that day and share it on my blog “Dad Man Blogging.” For those who haven’t seen David and his team in action before, you can watch them hard at work on my video.
To donate your old clubs and learn how else you can help them, please visit their website at www.spareforchange.org for information and contact details.
Meeting David and learning about Spare for Change was a reminder that everyone is capable of making a difference and giving back. It doesn’t have to be as extreme as curing cancer or requiring us to be more than who we already are. Instead, it starts with everyone looking within themselves to find his or her talents, and then simply paying it forward.
