Today we’d like to introduce you to Dusty Foust.
Dusty, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Founded in 2018, Fun with Friends Knoxville (FwF) is a highly active social group in East TN with thousands of members. We have 1-3 meetups almost every single day! All focused around friendship, fun, community, and getting to know the city even better. I’m going to share some of our group stories. However, if you read nothing else, please read the final two paragraphs to really know who and what Fun with Friends Knoxville is.
The concept of the group began in early 2018 with a simple text. I had not heard from my friend, Saeed in a long time. I messaged him asking if he would like to meet for dinner one evening at a new location around town. He mentioned the struggles he was going through mentally, emotionally, and romantically. I told him we would meet, discuss and then forget it all and have some fun. That is exactly what we did. Over dinner he vented, I listened and gave support. Then we played games for the rest of the night. We laughed and had a memorable night. By the end of the evening, he told me, “This is the best night I’ve had in I don’t know how long”.
I said, “Good because we are doing it again next week!” That’s exactly what we did, adding more friends. We made it a weekly meetup and would invite others at the establishments to join us as we played games. After three months of this, and our group grew to 20 people meeting every week, he mentioned that we should start a social group on Facebook. Soon after that, I began putting teams together to play coed social sports together. Realizing the benefits both mentally and physically such activities can have.
Once we created this group and it began to grow, I had a vision of what this could be. How it could not only impact lives for the better but impact the Knoxville community. In 2019, my friend Saeed backed away from the group and hasn’t been active since. Though I still speak with him and ask his advice at times. It was difficult maintaining the meetups, activities, and such alone but I did so for a long time. There was even a moment where I started to give up. In early 2019, months went by and the group was not active at all because I stopped. It was another friend who I met through the group (Randy) who inspired me.
He thanked me and told me how much this group saved him. What it meant to him was being new to the city and much more on a personal level. That conversation was the spark that I needed. See, I’ve always felt there is therapy in friendship and community. This was what I saw in this community and hearing that it benefited someone in the way I envisioned was what I needed. It goes back to how the group was even founded. By two people needing a mental break from all of the stress of life for just 1 evening. To clear the mind by simply having fun with friends. Sometimes if we can get just a moment to do something like this, it gives us mental clarity on so much more happening around us. After that conversation with Randy, I hit reset. I had a bigger vision and decided to start working towards it.
In late 2019, I began working on our official Fun with Friends Knoxville logo. I am a graphic designer by trade. Once I had this created, it was finding shirts that were comfy and people wanted to reach for and wear. We already frequented so many establishments around town and would bring in 20 or more each visit. I met with many and some of them extended discounts to us to where if members wear their FwF Knoxville shirt in, they will get a discount on food/drinks. Now we are at over 12 locations that do this. Next, I wanted to implement two aspects I had wanted to for a while. A community outreach division and our very own coed sports division.
I recruited some friends to help and we set the name Fun with Friends Helping Hands for our community outreach. After that, we began working with many charity organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Cupid’s Charity, Alzheimer’s Association and so many more. Even doing some of our own projects such as park cleanups and sending letters of love to nursing homes. If someone has an organization they wish to work with and it fits our focus of community then someone takes lead and we run with it. Now, as of this interview, we are officially a 501c3. one of our very own first FwF Helping Hands initiatives will be for veterans and another for underprivileged children.
Around that same time, I knew the group needed some sort of funding to grow. The shirt sales don’t make much and what it does bring in covers maintaining the websites alone. We already had all of these teams playing sports in other leagues. So many that Fun with Friends Knoxville teams were overtaking them. Therefore, I started our own and named it simply Fun with Friends Sports. I wanted the focus of our leagues to be in the name, fun, and community. I also wanted to start some leagues that anyone could jump in, regardless of skill level.
We now have an adult kickball league, softball, bowling, cornhole, volleyball, water pong, dodgeball, kid’s kickball league, and are starting a basketball league. We have also done table shuffleboard and arcade leagues, which are on hiatus right now. We are a true social league so it’s a great mix of people and talent. No matter if you have the competitive spirit or you’re just there to meet others, our league is a fit for you! The thing I love to see is those who already know how to play help those who don’t. It’s not about outdoing them but helping them get better too.
It’s a beautiful community of people and we help local establishments out by having our leagues there. We bring in around 80 people to Hexagon Brewing Co every Monday AND Tuesday. Same for Strike and Spare Family Bowl every Thursday. Fun with Friends Sports has invested $8,000 so far into bettering the local park that we play softball/kickball at. Building roofs over the dugouts, replacing benches, improving the field, adding trash cans that we maintenance, etc. In 2022, we are working with the city to donate and build a kid’s play place next to the area we play softball at.
That way the parents in the group can keep an eye on while they participate and give our children something fun to do as well. It’s simply about hopefully leaving something for the future to enjoy. We plan to expand the league more in 2022 and also put more focus on the kid’s division of it. We have a great team of commissioners, refs, and umpires that I am truly honored to be part of this family with. I did this for a long time alone and am so very grateful for them. We could not continue to grow without them. A lot of what we make from our coed league goes back into the community or to fund other FwF ventures, such as our many free to the public events.
In 2021, FwF expanded again to begin Fun with Friends Productions and Fun with Friends Events. The first venture in the productions aspect is our bi-weekly Facebook live show! A talk show that goes live on our Facebook group page then later edited for our LIVE YouTube channel. On LIVE we showcase not only our FwF community but the Knoxville and surrounding areas. We have highlighted local artists, local businesses, and much more. Our goal is to keep the show fun but we also spread awareness and light to serious matters as well. We had an entire show in September focused on suicide prevention/awareness. All of our shows can be found on our YouTube channel as they are edited. As of this interview, we are coming up on episode 14 of the show.
Fun with Friends Events focus is going to be our major events. The ones we hold annually cost us to hold, even if they are free to the public. These aren’t our typical daily/weekly/monthly meetups. These are our annual kid’s events, our FwF Adult Prom, Halloween party, FwFriendsgiving, Christmas Party, Summer Bash, FwF Impact Awards Gala, and NYE Bash, along with SO many more. Some of these are ticketed events since we have to rent/buy but most are held open to the public. The big focus right now is our first annual Fun with Friend Impact Awards. This is a true red carpet event with photographers, live bands, DJ, award show ceremonies, catered food, etc. Awards will be given to not only those within our FwF community but our Knoxville and surrounding areas community. Anyone nominated will be able to attend for free and receive VIP treatment. It will run from 7-12:30 AM Dec 31, 2021.
You do not have to be a member of our community to join in on the fun either. You can find us on Facebook, fwfknoxville.com, or fwfsportsknoxville.com. Believe me, when I say, we aren’t done. I have so much more in store that will not only better some lives but better our Knoxville community.
Hopefully, all of this gives the reader an idea of OUR story. One of the focuses that I have for our group is that despite our differences, we are the same at our core. When we were 11 making friends, we didn’t care about someone’s political, religious, or otherwise affiliation. We only cared if they were kind to us and wanted to be our friends. We need to get back to that. Community is important and can change so much. Not just within us but outward.
FwF Knoxville is about helping create friendships in a safe and welcoming environment. This group is all about getting Knoxville locals together for all sorts of group outings. We hope to help new residents find their homes, place, and people here in Knoxville. It is not the easiest to make friends as an adult. We also understand the anxieties and so much more that come into play when entering a new group of people. Many of us have been in those shoes. Driving to a place only to turn around and go back home due to anxiety. Putting yourself out there to meet people only to be ignored or treated as an outsider.
We’ve felt that and we try hard to make sure we are different in this aspect. We call our group a community because that’s what it is. We aren’t simply a meet-up group, a sports group, a charity organization. We are a community of friends. Again, there is therapy in friendship and it’s a powerful thing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first two years were probably the most challenging as far as the group dynamic and aspect. I do feel many were mistaking what the group was supposed to be at first. We had internal conflicts, divides, and much more. There was a moment that many of us “leaders” within the group left for a vacation together that first year (2018). When we came back, things had imploded within our small community. Soon after that was when I stepped away for a little while and Saeed left. When I hit that reset, which I mentioned, was when I decided to return with a very clear explanation, guidelines, and more. Something anyone can read and know exactly what we are and are not about. I needed to set a tone and environment.
On top of that, there have been other bumps and roadblocks but nothing too severe. As with anything, it’s all been a growing process. The biggest challenge just for me personally has been balancing. Thankfully, I have a very loving, understanding, and supportive wife. She sees my vision and the good that I wish to do regarding this. It still has not always been easy for her. I honestly know that I could not have done any of this without her support and love. It’s important to be with someone like this. Of course, she wants more of my time and I want more of her’s. Yet she understands the goal and bigger picture. In return, I’ve also always supported her in anything she’s wished to do and her growth.
I think the most challenging was when it was just me doing ALL of the events, sports, etc. Those first two years were a lot but now I have an absolutely amazing team of event coordinators, commissioners, moderators, and friends who help. Time is really the only thing of value that we have to give and it costs us the most. I realize this and sincerely love my friends who dedicate their time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Honestly, I wear many hats. I went to school for graphic design. Soon after graduation, I got a job as an in-house designer for Regal Entertainment Group. I worked there for around nine years while building an online retail shop on the side. All of my life, I was an avid comic book collector and reader. The artwork and creativity are what drew me in but the stories held me.
I started and maintain an online comic and collectibles shop called The Vault Collectibles. It grew and my wife wanted to go back to work as a respiratory therapist. I gave up my 9-5 to focus on my business. Still doing freelance graphic design jobs as they would come. You can find my online portfolio on my personal Facebook page. Now I also manage all of the Fun with Friends Knoxville and its subsidiaries with the exception of FwF Helping Hands.
In each area, I’m most proud of different things. I’ve always been proud of my online retail shop, I knew I was doing well when I saw that my competition was buying from me That was a proud moment. Design speaking, I’ve been most proud of my Fun with Friends family of logos. It’s my baby though, so I know I’m biased on that. I’m really happy with my creative growth. Being creative you can see it in your history of work. I also pride myself on original content. What you get from me, you won’t see anywhere else. I don’t use clip-art or recycled art from online stock sites.
Everything comes from my imagination onto paper then computer. Regarding Fun with Friends Knoxville, I’m proud of the people. There are times at events where I just step back and watch. See individuals whose paths likely wouldn’t have ever crossed laughing and having fun. That always brings tears to my eyes and is what I get out of all of this. They make me proud.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck has not been a factor for me. If I’m being real, I have no luck. I even make jokes about it. In our leagues, we play a game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who will go first. 99.9% of the time, I lose. This sums up the luck I’ve had in life. Other than being lucky enough to have the partner that I have, everything else has just come from hard work and devising plans.
Above all my best advice and where it all began for me is simple. What changed for me was when I truly accepted myself, took time to look within, and started listening to the universe. Paying attention to the signs we all tend to dismiss.
Pricing:
- 8 games/weeks of either softball, kickball, cornhole $38 each
- 8 games/weeks of water pong $35
- 8 games/weeks of basketball $45
- 7 games/weeks of bowling $68
- More leagues and pricing at fwfsportsknoxville.com. All FwF Social meetups are free to attend unless noted.
Contact Info:
- Email: superfriend@fwfknoxville.com
- Website: fwfknoxville.com and fwfsportsknoxville.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/funwithfriendsknoxville/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/funwithfriendsknoxville
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0hXDn7gb23u_-pH-fQ0ynQ
