Helping people compete for the greater goal
Unlike many other people who get involved to help local nonprofit organizations, Walter Arnett’s desire to help others didn’t stem from a personal tragedy or loss. He simply got tired of being a bystander and wanted to find a way to help.
He worked with five friends to organize a gathering that would help raise money for the Kentucky Children’s Hospital Fund by taking advantage of people’s competitive zeal. The result was a basketball shoot-out between local college students, in which the children were the real winners.
To organize the event, Walter purchased 50 basketballs and built his own racks for the 3-point shoot-out out of ironing boards. He asked for a simple $10 donation to enter and put up his own money as the prize. A total of 60 people competed in the event, which allowed Walter to make a $600 donation to the children’s hospital fund.
The shoot-out sparked a desire within Walter to organize more competitive events in the future to raise money for local charities.
“Competition is fun,” said Walter. “My vision is to hold wacky, all-day competitions across the country and raise money for charities big and small. In the simplest terms, I want to help people compete for the greater goal."