Court Crandall, a Hollywood screenwriter and advertising executive, wanted to help young people and boost the battered image of the city of Compton, a Los Angeles suburb.
His idea, a simple free-throw contest with the winner receiving $40,000 toward the cost of college, netted far more positive, feel-good publicity than any public relations campaign could have possibly mustered thanks to the generosity of Allan Guei.
Guei, a Compton student, won the free throw contest which attracted over 80 applicants who had to have a GPA of at least 3.00. The field was narrowed down to eight participants drawn at random. It’s not that Guei really turned out to be much of a marksman at the free throw line. The 5-foot-9 student only made five out of 10 attempts, but that was good enough to best the other seven nerve-rattled contestants during the event.
And it’s not like Guei lacked basketball ability. Despite his size, Guei, who lead his high school hoops team to the district finals, accepted an offer to attend Cal State Northridge on a full basketball scholarship shortly after the free throw contest.
Still, the 18-year-old student would later stun everybody, Crandall included, when he announced at graduation ceremonies he would forego the $40,000 and donate the winnings to the other seven contestants. And before anybody becomes too cynical, Guei, under NCAA rules, would have been allowed to keep most of his winnings.
It wasn’t done out of self-interest. Guei’s gesture was indeed from the heart.
“They were all smart and wanted to pursue their dreams,” Guei told the Los Angeles Times. “I thought it was the right move to help the others, especially when everything else was taking off for me.”
The college-bound free throw winning Guei plans to study business in school. “Even if I make the NBA, that will open all the doors for me,” Guei said, probably without realizing how many doors he may have already helped open for others.
“Because of what he’s done for us, God will bless him,” contest participant and fellow future Cal State Northridge student Donald Dotson told Yahoo! Sports. “That’s what life is all about; stepping forward to help others. He’s going to go really far in life.”
FROM: "HS student truly pays it forward" by Dave Ruthenberg, Enid News and Eagle, July 6, 2011.
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