AUBRIE GERBER

AGERBER@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Daniel Spolar, a 47-year-old general contractor turned Realtor, is a pinball enthusiast.

So much so, in 2011 he and some buddies bought an 800-square-foot warehouse space to store a few machines. A retreat where they could hang out, play pinball, drink a few beers and refurbish old machines.

"We sat down and said, 'What do we want from this?' and everyone said we don't care if it's just the three hanging out having fun," Spolar said.

Spolar then began to attend pinball world championships held throughout the United States.

"It was a great thing for people to get together and have a common passion," Spolar said. "When I came back I was like, 'We've got to do this.'"

Today, small-scale charity tournaments are held at the warehouse, which nearly tripled to a 2,000-square-foot sanctioned IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) tournament venue named Pinball Asylum. Housing over 90 pinball machines, this hidden speakeasy is an invitation-only joint that's currently a registered 501(c)(3) charity.

What was once a place for reliving childhood memories has fueled Spolar's passion for a greater cause — Project Pinball, a charity he founded to raise money to place pinball machines in children's hospitals while continuing routine monthly maintenance.

"It brings a deeper meaning for what we're doing in the community," Spolar said.

After touring the Chrissy Brown Inpatient Hematology/Oncology Unit at Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida in south Fort Myers, Spolar's wife noticed a run-down, inoperable 2007 Spider-Man pinball machine resting in the corner.

For eight months, the hospital looked for someone to fix the machine. Spolar's wife immediately gave the hospital his number and the repairs began.

The machine was played until it could run no more — 21,332 times within two years to be exact; something Spolar had never seen.

"What this told me was that the kids, family and doctors loved the machine so much that they played it and played it until it gave out and broke," Spolar said.

Three weeks, 112 hours, and more than $1,000 worth of parts later, the machine was up and running with a promise that every month, routine maintenance would be done to keep the machine working.

"The charity wasn't formed because a pinball machine was broken, it only happened after people started sharing stories how this one machine was so important to their life," Spolar said.

Doctors, patients and parents came to him and said, "Wow, we are so thankful for what you guys do."

"It was all that testimony that it started giving us the idea that, 'Holy cow, this is therapeutic!'— Nurses would use the machine as a tool to help get the kids out of bed and teenagers would use the machine to get out their emotions and frustrations," Spolar said.

Since 2013, Project Pinball has hosted six tournaments and has placed three refurbished pinball machines in children's hospitals throughout Fort Myers, Tampa and Jacksonville. A brand new X-Men pinball machine will make its debut at a children's hospital in Pittsburgh next month.

These machines aren't cheap either, with used machines costing anywhere from $400 to $1,000 and new ones typically costing $5,000.

Spolar isn't stopping here.

Teaming with the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association), 36 Project Pinball tournaments are scheduled to take place in July spanning across the U.S., with Pinball Asylum hosting one on Saturday.

Spolar is working with Project Pinball's co-directors, Jason Cody and Joe Said, to create a wheelchair-accessible pinball machine and a pinball program for children with autism.

"This is only the beginning because with support like this, it has to get bigger," Spolar said.

If you go

• What: IFPA/ Project Pinball Charity Campaign Pinball Tournament

• When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Pinball Asylum in Fort Myers

• Price: Tournament entry fee: $40 for unlimited play, $10 for spectators

• Website: pinballasylum.com

• Note: Pinball Asylum is currently not open to the public. Contact Daniel Spolar at 287-5497 to register for the tournament and get directions to the location.

How to help

Project Pinball Charity Group

• What: A nonprofit raising money to help place pinball machines in children's hospitals.

• To donate: Call Daniel Spolar at 287-5497 or visit projectpinball.org