A Friendship that has Stood the Test of Time and Distance
My name is Joe Youngblood and I am a proud Board Member of Big Waves, Inc. Vaughn Sr. (Vaughn) and I met the first day of our freshman year at Lehigh University outside of the pool as we were checking in with our swimming coach. We ultimately joined the same fraternity and roomed together during our junior and senior years. While at Lehigh, we had more good times than I could possibly count, most of which are probably not appropriate for this article! Needless to say, we formed a very close friendship - one that has certainly stood the test of time and distance.
After graduating, it became harder for Vaughn and I to stay in close touch. We were both busy pursuing different career paths, as well as starting families. Ultimately, we each ended up settling down and raising our children close to where we each grew up ourselves – Vaughn in CO and myself in NJ. Although not as often, we still managed to stay in touch as best we could over the years and continued to share some great memories with our families. It certainly helped that Vaughn’s wife Meghan (also a Lehigh alum) is a NJ native as well. While many people may come in and out of our lives, the true test of friendship is whether you can pick back right up where you left off the last time you saw each other. Almost three decades after graduating from Lehigh, Vaughn is definitely that kind of friend.
When Vaughn’s family experienced an unthinkable tragedy in June 2018, I tried to be there for him and his family, as any good friend would be. In feeling like there is never enough we can do to help someone through such a difficult time, I was more than happy and truly honored to help Vaughn and Meghan when they decided to form Big Waves. As a Board member, I now enjoy the opportunity to connect on a much more regular basis with Vaughn and Meghan. I also enjoy working with their wonderful friends, family and community members, as we keep in mind the mission of the foundation, which is to encourage positive mind and body health. I could not be more proud of my friends for creating this ripple of positivity. And of course, events such as the upcoming second annual golf tournament, are great opportunities to see this vision come to life and spend time keeping the memory of Vaughn Jr. alive.
The golf tournament is being held at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster, CO on Friday, August 21, 2020. This is a spectacular event if you are able to attend, and if not, there is also a virtual silent auction being held on the same date with some really amazing prizes. I’m very much looking forward to making the trip out to CO for the tournament again this year and hope to see many of you there!
Written by Joe Youngblood, Big Waves Board Member
