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CNN Sunday Morning
Firefighter/Golfer Raises Money For Children's Charities
Aired May 18, 2003 - 9:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk to a firefighter who is better known as a golfer. Dave Graybill is his name -- a veteran of the fire department in Glendale, Arizona.
He's raising money for children's charities with "Golf Across the USA." But, while golfing, he may also get into the "Guinness Book of Records" after playing the longest ever continuous round of golf.
Dave Graybill joins us now live from Tucson.
Dave, thanks for being with us. This is a great idea. Explain it, basically, to those who don't know about it.
DAVE GRAYBILL, FIREFIGHTER: Well, I just -- I'm the Forrest Gump of golf. I created a 4,080-mile golf course, and creating 18 holes in between, and I start at the Santa Monica Pier and I'll golf my way, all the way to New York City Central Park on November 1.
COOPER: And, I'm sure you get the question all the time. Why?
GRAYBILL: Well, I've always wanted to make a difference, I think firefighters and police officers across the country have always -- are always -- the type of people that go out and create things off the job, and this just happens to be an event that's supported by the police and fire across the country.
COOPER: And, you know, I read a pre-interview with you, and one of the things you were saying is, you know, you're not a rich guy, but you wanted some way to contribute and this is a way figured out to do it.
GRAYBILL: Exactly. I call myself the "poor man's philanthropist" and I just -- it's a way that people can -- you don't have to have a lot of money to make a difference in life and I think this event, even though it's not doing anything for me financially, when this is over, the event will create money to give to the charities. Also, awareness to the country -- that people are having a hard time raising money in charities and maybe off this event, we can do it.
COOPER: Now, you still have firefighters covering your shift, so you're still, I guess, earning a living.
But, how does this work? You're on the road. Tell us a little bit of just the logistics of it all.
GRAYBILL: Well, basically, I -- when I'm on the freeways, I drive in the pull-out lane in the golf cart and every 400 or 500 yards I'll get out and hit a ball out in the desert and drive 400 or 500 yards and hit a ball out into the desert. And I keep doing that until I get close enough to a city where a police and fire truck will pick me up and then escort me through the city until I'm back out on the freeway again.
COOPER: How long have you gone, so far?
GRAYBILL: I teed off April 10 from the Santa Monica Pier and golfed through L.A. and then through the Interstate 15, through Barstow, and on to Vegas, and Vegas on to Phoenix, and now I'm here in Tucson.
COOPER: And how is it going? I mean, what's the response you're getting?
GRAYBILL: You know what? It's unbelievable and I keep telling everybody that I just was fortunate to come up with the idea. I'm very lucky and then to have the support from, again, the public safety of America is very humbling and it's just -- it's getting really hot.
I'm right on the freeway, so you know the semi trucks are flying by and it's great. The shot over the Hoover Dam is my most exciting point.
COOPER: Yes, they actually shut down the Hoover Dam for you?
GRAYBILL: Yes, they did. They shut down the Hoover Dam for about 30 minutes, they stopped traffic on either side and I got to hit about eight balls over to the other side of the canyon.
COOPER: That's amazing. Now who do the -- who do the -- what charities do the money go for?
GRAYBILL: Well, I picked eight children's charities and Alzheimer. And the reason I picked nine charities, because there's nine positions on a little league field. I spend all my time coaching, usually, parents instead of the kids.
And that's why I picked nine. And it's -- they're Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, American Heart, Cancer, Diabetes, At Risk Kids, Children's Miracle Network, the Burn Foundation, Alzheimer's, and also the Ronald McDonald House.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Dave, Robin Meade, here. I've got to ask you, so you're doing all this golf playing, so obviously your stance has to be pretty good or your back's going to be hurting.
GRAYBILL: Well, both.
MEADE: Yes?
GRAYBILL: Yes. I know. My back's hurting a little bit. I've got blisters. My swing's probably going to be pretty good, but hopefully I can -- I can make it. It's going to be really long. I didn't think that it was going to be this grueling when it comes to driving on the freeway. I didn't think it would be that hot and that -- it's stressful, because the other day, when I was driving down the freeway, I'm in the pull-out lane, they had one of those wide -- wide -- they had a motor home and the motor home was coming down the freeway and I just got -- in time to looked back and it was covering my lane and I had to zip off into the dirt before the motor home it came.
COOPER: Hey, Dave, how do people contribute if they want?
GRAYBILL: You can contribute to golfacrosstheusa.org on my website or also contribute to whereisdavegraybill.com -- and you can drop a check off at any fire station across the country and they'll know how to get it to me.
COOPER: Dave Graybill, it's a great idea and we wish you all the best.
GRAYBILL: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
MEADE: Good luck to you.
COOPER: We'd love to talk to you when -- once it's done, see how it went.
GRAYBILL: Thank you.
COOPER: All right, take care
MEADE: All right, take care.
GRAYBILL: OK.
MEADE: Wonder if he's going to want to see a golf club after that again.
COOPER: I know, no matter how much he likes golf, I'm sure this will be it.
MEADE: Once you commit to it, yes, gotta go there with it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 18, 2003 - 9:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk to a firefighter who is better known as a golfer. Dave Graybill is his name -- a veteran of the fire department in Glendale, Arizona.
He's raising money for children's charities with "Golf Across the USA." But, while golfing, he may also get into the "Guinness Book of Records" after playing the longest ever continuous round of golf.
Dave Graybill joins us now live from Tucson.
Dave, thanks for being with us. This is a great idea. Explain it, basically, to those who don't know about it.
DAVE GRAYBILL, FIREFIGHTER: Well, I just -- I'm the Forrest Gump of golf. I created a 4,080-mile golf course, and creating 18 holes in between, and I start at the Santa Monica Pier and I'll golf my way, all the way to New York City Central Park on November 1.
COOPER: And, I'm sure you get the question all the time. Why?
GRAYBILL: Well, I've always wanted to make a difference, I think firefighters and police officers across the country have always -- are always -- the type of people that go out and create things off the job, and this just happens to be an event that's supported by the police and fire across the country.
COOPER: And, you know, I read a pre-interview with you, and one of the things you were saying is, you know, you're not a rich guy, but you wanted some way to contribute and this is a way figured out to do it.
GRAYBILL: Exactly. I call myself the "poor man's philanthropist" and I just -- it's a way that people can -- you don't have to have a lot of money to make a difference in life and I think this event, even though it's not doing anything for me financially, when this is over, the event will create money to give to the charities. Also, awareness to the country -- that people are having a hard time raising money in charities and maybe off this event, we can do it.
COOPER: Now, you still have firefighters covering your shift, so you're still, I guess, earning a living.
But, how does this work? You're on the road. Tell us a little bit of just the logistics of it all.
GRAYBILL: Well, basically, I -- when I'm on the freeways, I drive in the pull-out lane in the golf cart and every 400 or 500 yards I'll get out and hit a ball out in the desert and drive 400 or 500 yards and hit a ball out into the desert. And I keep doing that until I get close enough to a city where a police and fire truck will pick me up and then escort me through the city until I'm back out on the freeway again.
COOPER: How long have you gone, so far?
GRAYBILL: I teed off April 10 from the Santa Monica Pier and golfed through L.A. and then through the Interstate 15, through Barstow, and on to Vegas, and Vegas on to Phoenix, and now I'm here in Tucson.
COOPER: And how is it going? I mean, what's the response you're getting?
GRAYBILL: You know what? It's unbelievable and I keep telling everybody that I just was fortunate to come up with the idea. I'm very lucky and then to have the support from, again, the public safety of America is very humbling and it's just -- it's getting really hot.
I'm right on the freeway, so you know the semi trucks are flying by and it's great. The shot over the Hoover Dam is my most exciting point.
COOPER: Yes, they actually shut down the Hoover Dam for you?
GRAYBILL: Yes, they did. They shut down the Hoover Dam for about 30 minutes, they stopped traffic on either side and I got to hit about eight balls over to the other side of the canyon.
COOPER: That's amazing. Now who do the -- who do the -- what charities do the money go for?
GRAYBILL: Well, I picked eight children's charities and Alzheimer. And the reason I picked nine charities, because there's nine positions on a little league field. I spend all my time coaching, usually, parents instead of the kids.
And that's why I picked nine. And it's -- they're Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, American Heart, Cancer, Diabetes, At Risk Kids, Children's Miracle Network, the Burn Foundation, Alzheimer's, and also the Ronald McDonald House.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Dave, Robin Meade, here. I've got to ask you, so you're doing all this golf playing, so obviously your stance has to be pretty good or your back's going to be hurting.
GRAYBILL: Well, both.
MEADE: Yes?
GRAYBILL: Yes. I know. My back's hurting a little bit. I've got blisters. My swing's probably going to be pretty good, but hopefully I can -- I can make it. It's going to be really long. I didn't think that it was going to be this grueling when it comes to driving on the freeway. I didn't think it would be that hot and that -- it's stressful, because the other day, when I was driving down the freeway, I'm in the pull-out lane, they had one of those wide -- wide -- they had a motor home and the motor home was coming down the freeway and I just got -- in time to looked back and it was covering my lane and I had to zip off into the dirt before the motor home it came.
COOPER: Hey, Dave, how do people contribute if they want?
GRAYBILL: You can contribute to golfacrosstheusa.org on my website or also contribute to whereisdavegraybill.com -- and you can drop a check off at any fire station across the country and they'll know how to get it to me.
COOPER: Dave Graybill, it's a great idea and we wish you all the best.
GRAYBILL: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
MEADE: Good luck to you.
COOPER: We'd love to talk to you when -- once it's done, see how it went.
GRAYBILL: Thank you.
COOPER: All right, take care
MEADE: All right, take care.
GRAYBILL: OK.
MEADE: Wonder if he's going to want to see a golf club after that again.
COOPER: I know, no matter how much he likes golf, I'm sure this will be it.
MEADE: Once you commit to it, yes, gotta go there with it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
