Fuel the Drive, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to golf and tennis for children from low-income families, has announced an ambitious goal to significantly increase the number of kids it assists in 2026. Founded by Terry and Michelle Aikin, the organization seeks to impact at least five times as many young people as it did in 2025.
"We've made some ambitious New Year's resolutions for our foundation," states founder and president Terry Aikin. "Fuel the Drive has been able to help a lot of kids accelerate their personal growth and expand their opportunities, but we're far from satisfied." This year, Aikin continues, "we want to impact at least five times as many young people as we did in 2025."
Founded to remove financial barriers to youth sports participation, Fuel the Drive sponsors children's introduction to golf and tennis by covering essential program costs. Eligible participants receive funding for registration in local PGA Junior League and U.S. Tennis Association programs, along with training guidance and equipment. "The kids' involvement in these sports fuels their personal growth and helps them develop confidence, self-discipline and leadership," says Aikin. "It's so rewarding to watch these kids build their own personal strength and find out what it takes to succeed."
As the children develop their golf or tennis games and compete with peers, they learn to lead, believe in themselves, and create pathways to more successful futures. "Time and again," notes Aikin, "we see that participation in golf and tennis programs contributes to the development of transferable life skills, including self-discipline, teamwork and problem-solving." He shares a success story: "With Fuel the Drive's assistance, Mavarro has played in the PGA Junior League program for the past three years. His father tells us that playing golf has helped Mavarro develop patience and confidence, and he's earned an award for perseverance."
Fuel the Drive has introduced golf to more than 100 children each year for the past three years and has provided access to tennis programs for more than 500 children. Building on this impact, the organization has set a goal to expand its golf programming to serve more than 500 young athletes in 2026. "Cost remains one of the most significant barriers to participation in organized youth sports," states Aikin. "By removing that obstacle, we enable children to engage in structured environments that promote self-confidence, perseverance and personal growth."
To achieve this growth, Fuel the Drive is increasing outreach to enlist more donors. "Our donor base has been very generous, and their contributions have made our impact possible," reports Aikin. "But we're seeking to significantly grow that base in order to achieve our objectives for 2026. So we've just launched a new website and we're expanding our digital outreach to engage partners and community stakeholders and bring more new donors into the fold." With the generous support of new and existing donors, Aikin adds, "we can fuel the drive in a lot more kids so they can achieve a lot more." For more information, visit the organization's website at Fuel the Drive.
