New Iowa City group funds little ‘extras’ for kids

IOWA CITY - HAVlife, a Quad Cities-based non-profit that helps struggling youth find their passions, has set its sights on Johnson County, where the group has launched its newest chapter.

Zach Kenyon, chairman of the HAVlife Johnson County board, said the group's mission - to provide financial assistance to youngsters between the ages of 10 and 15 to gain access to athletic, music and arts programs - was a perfect fit for the Iowa City area.

'There're kids who have a lot of talent out there ... the talent is there, they just need a little extra help in terms of funding music lessons, or art lessons, or getting involved in a sports camp that could help them develop that potential and get them to that next level they want to go to,” Kenyon said.

The idea for HAVlife started close to 10 years ago, when organization CEO and Quad Cities resident Mike Vondran's son, Hunter Aaron Vondran, died in an accident at a local water park in 2004.

Dealing with the loss of a child, Vondran didn't know what to do with the close to $16,000 he received in anonymous donations after Hunter's accident.

It was Baron, Hunter's older brother, who came up with the idea, 'Can we give it back?”

Returning anonymous donations was impossible so Vondran began collaborating with acquaintances and friends to create HAVlife, named in Hunter's honor using his initials, in 2007.

About two years ago, HAVlife opened a second chapter in Dubuque, and the organization is on pace to grant $1 million in small scholarships by its 10th year.

'It just kind of exploded, and we have a little bit of a movement going,” Vondran said. 'It's kind of taken on its own momentum.”

HAVlife has served more than 1,500 youths this year alone.

The HAVlife model creates a network of coaches, teachers and counselors - those who work closest with children - to identify those in need of a little help to gain access to such programs as music lessons or athletic camps.

By providing a small scholarship, HAVlife gives those students access to such programming, which has the potential of sparking a passion. The HAVlife Foundation's mission is to prevent lost potential.

'There're little things that can go a long way with those kids that are inexpensive costs in our eyes,” Kenyon said.

HAVlife's Johnson County chapter has established a 12-member board and is creating a local network, Kenyon said.

The next step will be hosting a major fundraiser, in the form of a Martini Shake Off, which has been held by other HAVlife chapters in recent years, to help spread the word.