Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Dave Graybill
Aired November 02, 2003 - 08:22 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, golfers should take heart, there's no green fee for this segment, but it's no gimme either. We have the guy who has played a 4,000-mile-long golf course through deserts, across rivers, and down Main Street USA.
Dave Graybill never strayed from his task of hitting a golf ball across the USA. Why? Well, let's ask him. Dave Graybill joins us now live from New York.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
DAVE GRAYBILL, GOLF ACROSS THE USA.: Thank you for having me.
SAN MIGUEL: Congratulations. And when we last spoke with you in April, before you embarked on this -- remind us again why you were doing this?
GRAYBILL: Well, just wanted to give back. A lot of us firefighters and police officers are always trying to come up with good ideas to do things. And I took seven months out of my life to make a difference for eight children's charities and Alzheimer's, and also bring people together, as in firefighters and police officers together to do things that are extraordinary.
SAN MIGUEL: And how successful were you? I mean, how much money did you raise?
GRAYBILL: Well, we're about $50,000. And we have -- P.F. Chang's China Bistro is going to do their lettuce wrap day November 24th. And that money will go to the foundation and they will direct those funds to the charities.
But you've got to remember, I created something without there being a tragedy. Bringing people together -- and to help that golf cart get across America and to New York City.
SAN MIGUEL: And we're not just talking foursomes here. We're talking multiple foursomes, you know, many, many foursomes.
We've got a graphic of some of the people that you actually shot golf with -- LA Little Leaguers, the El Paso Firefighters, Misting System (ph), the Juarez Mexican Firefighters. You actually had a chance to golf with the horse whisperer, Craig Cameron (ph). What was this like just meeting all these people on your quest here?
GRAYBILL: Well, it was the greatest experience of my life. I've been a part of the Olympic team in 1984. Being a part of the fire department is why I'm doing this. But to travel across the country like I did cold turkey and meet the people on such a great cause was very humbling. And the firefighters across America and the police officers across America, you ought to be proud of. They allowed me to do things typically that most people couldn't do because of the cause.
SAN MIGUEL: And we're seeing some of the pictures. We also have a graphic of some of the places that you teed off from, like Hoover Dam, Bank One Ballpark. Hitting from a Southwest Airlines airplane.
You know, you had planned what would be the golfing route here. There's Hoover Dam right there. You said the par would about 142,806. What was your final score, and did you have any deviations you hadn't planned on?
GRAYBILL: Oh, of course. The par is way under that. Again, it's my course, so I can make up my own rules.
But I started out hitting the ball on the highways and freeways. And then the Highway Patrol, as great guys as they are, they couldn't allow me to golf down the freeway with so much traffic. So basically I drove my golf cart right on the freeway. When I got to cities, then I actually started playing golf through the city streets.
SAN MIGUEL: OK. It must have been a fascinating experience. We congratulate you on your success. Dave Graybill, why don't you try relaxing now by maybe going to play 18 or something, or maybe miniature golf this time. Maybe you can try that as well.
Dave Graybill, thanks so much for your time and good luck to you.
GRAYBILL: Thank you very much.
SAN MIGUEL: You bet.
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 November 2, 2003 - 08:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, golfers should take heart, there's no green fee for this segment, but it's no gimme either. We have the guy who has played a 4,000-mile-long golf course through deserts, across rivers, and down Main Street USA.
Dave Graybill never strayed from his task of hitting a golf ball across the USA. Why? Well, let's ask him. Dave Graybill joins us now live from New York.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
DAVE GRAYBILL, GOLF ACROSS THE USA.: Thank you for having me.
SAN MIGUEL: Congratulations. And when we last spoke with you in April, before you embarked on this -- remind us again why you were doing this?
GRAYBILL: Well, just wanted to give back. A lot of us firefighters and police officers are always trying to come up with good ideas to do things. And I took seven months out of my life to make a difference for eight children's charities and Alzheimer's, and also bring people together, as in firefighters and police officers together to do things that are extraordinary.
SAN MIGUEL: And how successful were you? I mean, how much money did you raise?
GRAYBILL: Well, we're about $50,000. And we have -- P.F. Chang's China Bistro is going to do their lettuce wrap day November 24th. And that money will go to the foundation and they will direct those funds to the charities.
But you've got to remember, I created something without there being a tragedy. Bringing people together -- and to help that golf cart get across America and to New York City.
SAN MIGUEL: And we're not just talking foursomes here. We're talking multiple foursomes, you know, many, many foursomes.
We've got a graphic of some of the people that you actually shot golf with -- LA Little Leaguers, the El Paso Firefighters, Misting System (ph), the Juarez Mexican Firefighters. You actually had a chance to golf with the horse whisperer, Craig Cameron (ph). What was this like just meeting all these people on your quest here?
GRAYBILL: Well, it was the greatest experience of my life. I've been a part of the Olympic team in 1984. Being a part of the fire department is why I'm doing this. But to travel across the country like I did cold turkey and meet the people on such a great cause was very humbling. And the firefighters across America and the police officers across America, you ought to be proud of. They allowed me to do things typically that most people couldn't do because of the cause.
SAN MIGUEL: And we're seeing some of the pictures. We also have a graphic of some of the places that you teed off from, like Hoover Dam, Bank One Ballpark. Hitting from a Southwest Airlines airplane.
You know, you had planned what would be the golfing route here. There's Hoover Dam right there. You said the par would about 142,806. What was your final score, and did you have any deviations you hadn't planned on?
GRAYBILL: Oh, of course. The par is way under that. Again, it's my course, so I can make up my own rules.
But I started out hitting the ball on the highways and freeways. And then the Highway Patrol, as great guys as they are, they couldn't allow me to golf down the freeway with so much traffic. So basically I drove my golf cart right on the freeway. When I got to cities, then I actually started playing golf through the city streets.
SAN MIGUEL: OK. It must have been a fascinating experience. We congratulate you on your success. Dave Graybill, why don't you try relaxing now by maybe going to play 18 or something, or maybe miniature golf this time. Maybe you can try that as well.
Dave Graybill, thanks so much for your time and good luck to you.
GRAYBILL: Thank you very much.
SAN MIGUEL: You bet.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
