Guitars for Kids all started because of a trip to the mall in 2017.

When Roy Bowen and his girlfriend went to the Fayette Mall to visit the Angel Tree in 2017, Angel Tree organizers told them it was the last day to turn in items. Whatever cards they chose, they would have to shop that night.

One of the cards Bowen pulled off the tree was for a young man who asked for a guitar. Excited because he knew he could make that happen, but not that night, Bowen asked if he could get the guitar and deliver it the next day.

Much to Bowen’s dismay, the items had to be turned in that night, no extensions.

Not happy with that answer, Bowen promised himself he would try to make sure that would never happen again.

Upon returning to work, Bowen, vice president of RS Guitarworks, spoke with his partner Scott Leedy, president of RS Guitarworks, and Lisa Swafford, RS office manager. Together, they put a plan in place and formed Guitars for Kids.

“I’m grateful that they shared it with me… and wanted me to help too because it’s been a big part of my Christmases over the past two years,” Swafford said.

Bowen, founder and director of Guitars for Kids, said Guitars for Kids aims to put a guitar in the hands of underserved children whose only wish for Christmas is to have a guitar under the tree.

Bowen said Guitars for Kids believes by sharing instruments and musical experiences, children who would not otherwise can have the opportunity to experience a kind of freedom and self-discovery an atmosphere of economic hardship often stifles.

Now the program is into its second year, and has grown exponentially. In its inaugural year, Guitars for Kids put 17 guitars under a Christmas tree serving kids in six counties.

This year, it’s putting 75 guitars —  including acoustic, electric and bass guitars — under the tree, serving kids in 16 counties. They serviced guitars for kids as far as Pike County to Bowling Green to Ashland and more.

About 12 students in Clark County received or will receive a guitar.

Guitar for Kids aims to have every guitar delivered by the end of this week.

Bowen said Guitars for Kids, in conjunction with the Salvation Army and the Angel Tree program, contacts schools and other programs asking them to submit one to three names of underserved children who have requested or would benefit from a guitar for Christmas.

“This is what Christmas is about,” Swafford said. “I got to deliver Friday… The teachers, they submit a little story about their kids usually, and this one little boy, it touched my heart as soon as I read it.

“And I got to deliver to him on Friday, and the look on his face… It took him a good 10 minutes to realize this is mine and I get to take it home … I mean, to see his face when it actually happened; it was just awesome. I’m glad I got to deliver to him specifically because he was talking to me through that email.”

Guitars for Kids then raises money to purchase guitars for the kids on the lists.

“We reached out to some of the celebrities we deal with to help us spread the word, and Elliot Easton from The Cars… took it to heart,” Bowen said. “A lot of the celebrities donated, but Elliott donated and made sure everybody knew about the cause.”

Bowen said he also got a lot of help finding students and spreading the word about the cause from Shannon Cox and Trish Torline.

Guitars for Kids accepted students from fourth grade and up. However, Swafford said they try to put juniors and seniors at the highest priority because this may be their only chance to be recommended for the program.

“There were several seniors on there, and they were first on the list,” she said.

Bowen said there is still time to donate as the money will go toward next year’s fund. For less than $200, people can by an electric guitar starter pack or acoustic guitar to make a child’s dream come true, but not everyone can do that, Bowen said, so they appreciate any donations. He said they’ve received donations from all over the country and even abroad, including from Japan, Canada and Germany.

To donate, people can visit the RS Guitarworks website at rs-guitarworks.myshopify.com/products/donate.

Bowen said he hopes people realize how important this program and other similar programs are. Next year, he hopes to deliver more than 100 guitars to music-loving students across the state.

“This building was bought because and my partner (and I) love music,” Bowen said. “We’re making a living and have been at RS for 24 years… so that guitar that I got in 1979 affected my life that much.

“… It was like, with Elliot Easton, he said, I’m lucky enough to be able to make a living with something that I loved doing as a child. He said I’ve got to do this because he said this is the way I’m paying it forward.

“And that’s the thing… you have a child that doesn’t have anything to look forward to and doesn’t have the best upbringing, the best environment. It just hasn’t been that good… this might be their way out of that, whether they’re playing in church or whether they’re writing songs or playing in clubs or if they wind up playing in arenas one day…”

Guitar for Kids just wants to make that difference in a kid’s life, Bowen said, one guitar at a time.