Giving Causes Joyous Chain Reaction

by Woody

STRAW_CoverWoody’s highly anticipated new book “STRAWBERRIES IN WINTERTIME: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” is NOW available! Order your signed copy HERE!

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Help a Child Have a Ball in Life

Before sharing a story of a small boy and a tall NBA star, as I do annually before kicking of “Woody’s Holiday Ball Drive,” I want to share two other stories about receiving joy by giving.

The first is about two brothers in middle school, in Los Angeles, in poverty. In fact, the brothers faced such hardship that they had only a single pair of shoes between them – shoes that were a tad too small for the older brother and too big for the younger brother. Moreover, the shoes had been repaired with duct tape.

But here is the real tragedy: the brothers alternated wearing the tattered shoes to attend school on alternate days.

Some of the gifts from "Woody's Holiday Ball Drive" last year.

Some of the gifts from “Woody’s Holiday Ball Drive” last year.

My son learned of this heartbreaking misfortune through a letter to his nonprofit organization, Give Running, from a third party who requested two pairs of gently used running shoes. Instead, my son bought two new pairs of in-fashion basketball sneakers in the correct sizes.

The obvious joy was that each brother now had his own pair of well-fitting shoes and could attend school every day, and without embarrassment.

But here is something more: the joy was magnified threefold. You see, my son also received joy in buying the gift shoes and the kind person who made the original request felt joy in delivering them to the brothers.

A similar chain of joy happened on my most recent birthday when a donation was made in my honor to an educational charity allowing me to select a specific teacher recipient. I chose a high school librarian and soon thereafter received my real gift: a warm letter of thanks.

But then something even more wonderful happened. The librarian opted to use my gift to her to help another teacher buy a classroom set of the award-winning YA novel “Chains.”

Here is part of the thank-you letter the librarian received and shared with me: “Thank you so much for your generous donation. I can’t tell you how thrilled the students are that you care enough to support their education. The majority of my students are from lower socio-economic circumstances, English language learners, and potentially the first member of their family to attend college – that’s the goal!”

And so the chain of joy went from the kids to the teacher to the librarian to me and to the person who gave me the original birthday gift.

Which brings me back to the boy and NBA star. About 20 years ago, I was at a local youth basketball clinic when Cedric Ceballos presented autographed basketballs to a handful of lucky attendees.

Leaving the gym afterward, I happened upon a 10-year-old boy who won one of the prized keepsakes – which he was dribbling on the rough blacktop outdoor court and shooting baskets with while perhaps imagining he was Ceballos.

Meanwhile, the real Ceballos’ Sharpie signature was wearing off.

Curious why the boy hadn’t carefully carried the trophy basketball home and put it safely on a bookshelf, I interrupted his playing to ask.

“I’ve never had my own basketball,” he answered matter-of-factly between shots.

That Christmastime, thinking of that boy – and other boys and girls who don’t have their own basketball to shoot, soccer ball to kick, football to throw – my Holiday Ball Drive was born.

This year, with the shoe-sharing brothers and bookless middle schoolers above in mind, I am asking you to multiply your joy by donating a new sports ball in honor of a family member or friend as a gift to them as well.

You can drop balls off at any local Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, youth club or church and they will find a worthy recipient.

Or drop them off (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 19) at the Ventura County Star offices at 550 Camarillo Center Drive or at Jensen Design & Survey at 1672 Donlon St. (near Target on Telephone Road in Ventura) and I’ll take it from there.

And please, no matter where you live, near or far, email me at woodywriter@gmail.com so I can add your generosity to this year’s tally. Together, we can unchain a lot of joy.

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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.

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