SPIRE Summer 2019

vision mission

Hastings Embodies Servant Leadership

a priority in their lives, even when times may have been tough.”

in for gift cards. “I just kept saving my points,” Hastings said.

It was not uncommon for Vaughn’s mom to leave him with a babysitter in the middle of the night to help women who were in abusive situations involving domestic violence, or to help children who were in potentially life-threatening situations. She would also go out of her way to help children in need of food or clothing. Jane did not know how much she was shaping the life of her young son at that point but her charitable heart, compassion for others, and servant leadership left a lasting impression on her son. As Vaughn got older, he started his own giving traditions in the early ‘90s. As a young bachelor, he would host an annual Halloween party. In order to gain admission to the party, every guest was asked to bring a new toy. At first, the parties were held in Vaughn’s home but soon the number of guests started to overflow the space and Vaughn had to move the annual event to a public venue. Every toy from each of these parties was donated to Toys for Tots – with his best event collecting over 200 toys for kids in need. Vaughn aged out of Halloween parties in 2015, but his commitment to helping children in need continues. He regularly donates to coat and toy drives. In 2018, he donated $800 in gift cards to the Baptist Children’s Home to help families fostering children seeking adoption. To obtain the $800 in gift cards, Hastings earned points at the location where he donated blood platelets and turned all of his points

Vaughn also started running regular volleyball tournaments called “Spike for a Cause” in the early ‘00s. He started the tournaments because he saw the painful effects of cancer on so many of his friends. The “Spike for a Cause” annual charity event was created to benefit a charity or family in the local volleyball community that was in need, with the focus on the fight against cancer. Early on, the grassroots event raised between $3,500-$7,000, each year, benefitting breast cancer research and other forms of cancer. However, with time, the word soon got out about the annual “Spike for a Cause” event and in 2009, the event raised over $15,000 which was donated to the Colon Cancer Coalition. In 2013, Vaughn worked with the city council in Raleigh, North Carolina. to have the local sand volleyball courts at Raleigh Jaycee Park dedicated to his friend and volleyball mentor, E. Russell “Rusty” Lurwick, whom the local volleyball community lost due to colon cancer earlier that year at the age of 55. Rusty was one of the first people Vaughn met when he moved to Raleigh, and was one of the founders of the outdoor beach volleyball movement in Raleigh. “Rusty was a larger than life character and an awesome volleyball player,” said Hastings. The park dedication plaque placed at the court says, “Rusty was a champion and enthusiast for the sport of volleyball.

V aughn Hastings learned, at a young age, the importance of giving back. He was raised in a very generous and loving household by his mother, Jane, who adopted him when he was a baby. Jane took on many roles throughout her career. She was a pediatric nurse, worked in the field of social work in a drug and alcohol rehab facility, and, at one point, also worked in a psychiatric facility. Throughout her life, she always worked in roles that helped lend a hand. “She was in the business of helping people. Anytime my mom knew someone needed something they didn’t have to ask. She would leave in the middle of the night to help children and people in need. I knew what she was doing was making a difference,” said Hastings. Vaughn’s wife Kathryn added, “Jane was a single mom that always made charity

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