Youth Golf Alliance successfully contributed to COVID-19 relief throughout California

On July 2, Youth Golf Alliance (YGA), a student-run organization of local high school golf varsity team members, made its sixth and last donation of 1,000 face shields for delivery to the California Disaster Airlift Response Team (CalDART) at the Carlsbad Jet Center. Ever since the shelter-in-place orders began in early April, YGA has offered over 100 tutoring sessions to students from 18 local schools for more than three months. The members have purchased 700 face masks and procured materials to produce 5,070 handmade face shields with the suggested donation from their online tutoring fundraising and a supporting grant of $1,000 from the Alliance of Chinese Americans in San Diego.

Below are some testimonials that warmed the hearts of YGA members, knowing their impact is truly appreciated.

“Thank you to these young athletes! The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department received 300 face shields to use while on calls, thanks to a donation from the San Diego Youth Golf Alliance” -The City of San Diego

“I want to express my appreciation for the donation of 500 face shields. Personal protective equipment is in such great demand and short supply; this will be a tremendous help keeping hundreds of healthcare providers safe. In addition, transportation networks have been overwhelmed, so the donation of the flight to deliver the shields was extremely valuable. Disasters always create so many needs, but they also shine a light on the many donors and volunteers that generously give of their time and resources.” -Director of Pacific Union Conference, Adventist Community Services

“Thank you so much to you and your team for your support! The face shields couldn’t have come at a better time as our clinic members are beginning to prepare for ramping up testing for COVID in our communities.” -Project Manager of Community Health Partnership

“During a time when there is a need in every direction, thank you for choosing to serve and provide for people with developmental disabilities, like Autism. We will take great care and get them into the hands of people who need them as quickly as possible.” -Executive Director of State Council on Developmental Disabilities

“It was just really exciting to see this generation stepping in, and this was all their idea.” - Volunteer Pilot of the California Disaster Airlift Response Team

Leading the COVID-19 relief efforts, Spencer Zhang, the president and founder of Youth Golf Alliance and a rising junior at Canyon Crest Academy, expressed his gratitude and appreciation. “We are truly blessed to have CalDART on our side to allow for the swift delivery of face shields to those in dire need and enable us to reach those more remote areas. We also made sourcing referrals to other organizations that made face shields, including 3D versions to CalDART, to amplify the impact. Many of the pilots invested their own money, time and energy for such a strenuous effort. This has become the source of our daily inspiration to our lives, studies, and even golf competitions.

“I am particularly struck by one comment that our face shields were well received by individuals who are deaf or with hearing problems to be able to communicate with their caregivers in a safe, efficient way by allowing the visibility of facial expressions when they need to read lips. I also want to thank my clubmates and community for supporting our causes since the beginning of the pandemic.”

YGA fills the health emergency need of face shields for 24 organizations, including Palomar Health, HarborView Senior Assist Living, The Springs at Pacific Regent, LightBridge Hospice & Palliative Care, City of San Diego, Interfaith Community, County of San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation, Community Health Partners of San Jose, State Council on Developmental Disabilities in Sacramento, Religious organizations incl both Christian and Islamic relief, Dayle McIntosh Center, Calaveras Unified School District, Redwood Empire Food Bank, EAH Housing, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco Senior Center, San Francisco Unified School District, Project Open Hand, San Francisco Chinatown Health Consortium, Archdiocese of San Francisco, and Border Kindness.

Check their website at youthgolfalliance.weebly.com/ or contact them at youthgolfalliance@gmail.com for more details. — News release