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Meet Your Neighbor: Meet the Neighbor – Todd Gainley
By Callie Thomas
What do you get when you combine Little League Baseball with Justin Timberlake? In this case, it isn’t the makings of a new movie concept, although it would be easy to envision Timberlake playing the role of a baseball coach to a minion of little leaguers. The common denominator in this scenario is resident Todd Gainley, and yes, he IS a Little League Baseball coach, but that’s just one of the many hats he wears to help kids and families throughout the community.
By trade, Gainley wears another hat–that of a Mortgage Sales Manager with U.S. Bank, and he’s been in the financial services industry since graduating from college in 1984. At present, he’s busy putting together a team of loan officers to help better serve the bank branches and the community at large. Aside from fostering his career in finance, you might very well find Gainley out on the school baseball field, donning a baseball cap as coach, stat keeper and parent while motivating young players to give it their all. If that weren’t enough, he’s dedicated his time and talent to help Shriners Hospitals raise awareness and funds to support their mission. The group provides the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment. The organization also supports innovative research and exemplary teaching programs with funds raised through their annual golf event hosted by…you guessed it…Justin Timberlake.
Since 1983, the annual PGA Open has taken place to benefit Shriners Children’s Hospitals. The tournament allows fans to get up close and personal with the PGA Tour players, sometimes going inside the ropes and standing right in the middle of the action. Gainley leads a team of volunteers that support the event. “I have had as many as 18 committees on my team,” he said. “Volunteering is an opportunity to give back and bring something to the community that we might not get to see.”
The 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open starts with community events beginning September 26th and runs through October 3rd, when the Tough Day Challenge wraps up the tournament festivities. The event exemplifies the ongoing commitment between Timberlake and Shriners Hospitals for Children to continue the tradition of the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas. Over 100 well-known golfers will participate in the competition at TPC Summerlin. Every aspect of the event is supported by the volunteers who are responsible for everything from accompanying the professionals during the tour and displaying their scores to managing security, recording distances and more. Gainley is proud of the many wonderful experiences he has had by supporting the group. “One experience in particular is when my son met golf pro Billy Mayfair. He made a point to get eye to eye with my five year old,” he said. “Mayfair gave him a golf ball and made him feel special. That is the theme of volunteers…we work hard to breathe life into the tournament, and at the end of the day, we laugh and share our stories with each other.”
Todd Gainley is a parent that leads by example by lending his talents to the community. “I’m proud of the team we’ve put together at the Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Organization to support children in need. A good friend has always told me that many hands make for light work. Without the 700-1,000 volunteers, the event would not happen and many families would not have the care that the Shriners Hospitals offer.”
