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Donal Drayne spent much of his career catering to high-end clients at one of Tucson’s most grand resorts. Still, it was an ice cream social benefit on its grounds that introduced the hospitality expert to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
His life has never been the same.
“When I go down there and see these kids and a lot of single parents, all they want is someone to give them a laugh and listen to them,” Drayne said. “I enjoy that, believe me.”
Drayne was referring to The Salvation Army Tucson Amphi Corps Community Center, located in midtown Tucson, one of the city’s most challenging neighborhoods.
Thirty-five years after that ice cream social, Drayne has donated thousands of hours and resources to benefit the corps and those it serves through his work on its advisory council, which he was invited to serve on following the 1989 event.
He jumped at the chance to help the community, providing guidance, financial support, volunteer labor and plenty of laughs and smiles. In recent years, at 76, he still fills in washing windows and sweeping floors.
When Corps Officer Captain Kristy Church arrived at the Amphi Corps, she wasn’t sure what to expect from the advisory council. Not every corps has one and those that do have varying degrees of commitment.
She said she was impressed with the caliber of people serving on the Amphi council, which is made up of a variety of people from all aspects of the community, from business to public service.
“When we were meeting with all of our council members, it was evident that they really wanted to do something more than just come to a meeting,” she said.
Drayne has been the epitome of that. When 14 of the center’s teens earned a trip to Disneyland through the annual Encore! music and performing arts competition, he helped bridge a funding gap, then flew out for a day to spend time with the group at the park. He also helps with the seasonal kettle counting and attends various concerts and special events.
“I feel like sometimes some of our kids don’t get the support they need from home,” Church said. “But we have Donal. I just feel like our kids are very blessed to have someone like him to look up to and be an example because he’s all about service.”
“I believe in the mission. It’s easy if you believe in a mission; it’s not work.”
Donal Drayne
His ongoing involvement and influence prompted the corps to nominate Drayne for the prestigious Life Membership award.
“I’ve never wanted to request a life membership for anybody before Donal,” she said. “He still has a good relationship with previous officers that have been at this corps. They all try to claim him. I’m like, ‘No, get in line.’”
To become a life member, an active advisory council member must have served at least 15 years before he or she is nominated.
The nomination then undergoes a vetting process, through which the nominee receives various endorsements, including those of the Divisional Commander, who then forwards the application to the Territorial Community Relations Department. The last step of the process? The Territorial Commander, who gives the approval.
Life Members receive a pin with the designation along with a certificate. Drayne was presented with the award during The Salvation Army’s Tucson-area kettle kickoff event in November 2024 by Southwest Divisional Commander Major Charles Fowler along with Church and her husband, fellow Corps Officer Captain Brent Church.
Drayne—who also serves on various community committees, plus the boards of a local hospital and the Tucson Catholic Foundation—said the responsibilities he learned from his family’s 90-year-old North Ireland dairy farm shaped his worldview.
“Everybody brings something to the table,” he said. “I bring a work ethic from the family business.”
In turn, Drayne has shaped many of the children he’s worked with over three decades. Not long ago, he met the marketing director for one of Arizona’s NCAA bowl games. It turned out they weren’t strangers at all.
As the school-age son of a single mom, the man was enrolled in the Amphi Corps’ after-school program. Twenty years later, he still recognized Drayne and his accent.
“You always engaged us,” he told Drayne.
Drayne said the conversation strengthened his commitment to the Amphi Corps.
“He benefited from our programs and that made my day to hear a feel-good story like that,” he said.
Looking back, Drayne said he’s grateful for the peace he finds at the Amphi Corps, a world away from drama that he said often comes with hospitality work.
“I believe in the mission,” he said. “It’s easy if you believe in a mission; it’s not work. It’s a joy to be around them, and then I love motivating people. I’ve always loved doing that, motivating people and listening to them and just engaging them, making each person feel special. It’s not rocket science for goodness’ sake.”
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