We've had a busy but fun couple of days. On Saturday night, we made a visit to Lyle Higginbotham's 15th birthday party celebration. A few weeks ago, Lyle decided to invite all of his friends and family to an outdoor screening of "Darius Goes West," and he asked everyone to buy a DVD (or t-shirt) instead of giving him a present. The weather didn't exactly cooperate, so the movie showed in the garage, but everyone still had a lot of fun. Darius and most of the crew showed up late-night for an informal Q&A, after which we threw Lyle into the swimming pool (Harmon and Sam quickly followed). The night was a huge success, with over $500 raised. Happy birthday, Lyle, and thanks for your continuing dedication to DGW.
This morning, we got up bright and early and headed to Eaton Academy in Roswell, Georgia. This was a surprise visit to a group of middle and high schoolers all of whom watched DGW last week. They were so excited to see us, and even though we got hopelessly lost (Mapquest led us astray) and were quite late, we had an awesome time. Most of these students had written Darius letters, and some of them read them aloud. They asked great questions, and they made us feel so at home. Before we hit the road to head home, they fed us a huge lunch (lasagne and garlic bread), which was delicious. Special thanks to Fran for organizing our visit and shout outs to Jennifer, Brian, Matt, and all the other amazing teachers we met today.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
DGW LOVES CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL, TOO!!!
Following our trip last week to Coile Middle School, Darius and crew visited an assembly at Clarke Middle School yesterday. It was awesome!
The assembly was organized by Social Studies teacher Mr. Kraft and the newly formed "Know About It" club. (That's right--a "Know About It" club! These guys are really excited to get involved in the cause!) Student-made banners and posters welcomed the crew, and there was even a spot for Darius Goes West on Clarke Middle School's "Wall of Fame"!
After a question-and-answer session mc'd by students, crew members pledged their support to the "Know About It" club. Then, Darius rapped for the crowd. As the assembly ended, students swarmed Darius to get a word in with him or shake his hand.
Thanks so much to Dory MacMillan and the "Know About It" club for organizing, to Mr. Kraft for including Darius Goes West in his curriculum and inviting us to the assembly, and to the Clarke Middle School eighth grade for your energy and enthusiasm!
Seeing the dedication of students at Clarke and Coile Middle Schools this past week has been truly inspiring and uplifting. If our visits to these local schools are any indication, the future of Athens is in great hands!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
DGW LOVES COILE MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!
Last week, Coile Middle School's eighth graders watched Darius Goes West in class. As a surprise for the students, Ms. MacNeill invited the crew to an assembly in the auditorium. We went last Friday afternoon. It was a blast!
None of the students knew about the visit beforehand. With everyone sitting in the auditorium, the curtains to the stage parted, revealing Darius and crew lined up. The crowd went wild!
After a quick intro, the crew answered questions from the students. We fielded great questions, and the students got to find out a lot about Darius, the crew, the trip, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and disability rights. It was great!
Then, with two Coile students beat-boxing, Darius gave an impromptu rap. When he finished, the auditorium shook with applause! The crew stayed after, answering individual questions and signing autographs from adoring fans. Seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of those students was truly moving, and we all really had a blast.
Thank you so much, Coile and Ms. MacNeill!
None of the students knew about the visit beforehand. With everyone sitting in the auditorium, the curtains to the stage parted, revealing Darius and crew lined up. The crowd went wild!
After a quick intro, the crew answered questions from the students. We fielded great questions, and the students got to find out a lot about Darius, the crew, the trip, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and disability rights. It was great!
Then, with two Coile students beat-boxing, Darius gave an impromptu rap. When he finished, the auditorium shook with applause! The crew stayed after, answering individual questions and signing autographs from adoring fans. Seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of those students was truly moving, and we all really had a blast.
Thank you so much, Coile and Ms. MacNeill!
Monday, August 11, 2008
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY 2008
Two days...four packed screenings...a couple of standing ovations...a wild and crazy after party...and a megawatt grin on Darius's face from start to finish. DGW Day 2008--actually a two-day celebration--was AWESOME The first release of DGW "extras" was a huge hit. For those of you who missed them, one "extra"---of D's graduation---is on youtube now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwe1vw8rebQ Watch for others coming soon.
The after-party at Farm 255 was a blast! The Nappy Roots put on a great show, and Darius wowed the crowd with his own rapping skills. Best of all, we raised over $7,000 for DMD research by the end of the weekend!
DGW Day 2008 marked the official launch of our "One Million DVDs...One Year" campaign. Please help us spread the word by sending this link of "The Vehicle" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yoOlicmww to everyone you know and encouraging them to buy one or more DVDs of DARIUS GOES WEST. Remember, for every $20 DVD purchased, $17 goes to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research, and $3 goes to making more DVDs. If we reach our goal of selling one million DVDs, we will raise a whopping $17 million for research!!! DVDs can be ordered by visiting our website at www.dariusgoeswest.org or by calling 1-888-8-DARIUS.
Thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters for a memorable and magical weekend. Each year, our celebration gets bigger and better, and if we sell one million DVDs, DGW Day 2009 promises to be a blowout!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
A SURPRISE VISIT TO DUBLIN - AND MORE!
This week, we drove 2.5 hours to Dublin, Georgia, where the movie was shown to a group of Wilkinson County high school students attending a "Manufacturing Dreams" summer camp at the Heart of Georgia Technical College. The campers didn't know we were coming, so we hung out in the parking lot for a while, eating subway sandwiches and waiting for the credits to roll. When Darius and the rest of the crew burst into the room, the campers almost fell out of their chairs! It was awesome!
At first, most of our audience was shy, but once we all got treated to huge ice cream sundaes, everyone started asking questions. Since the group was small, we were able to have a great discussion, and we were so glad we went. Thanks, Alissa Sypsa, for inviting us!
We also have some good news to share. Darius has "new" wheels! Our one-year loan from Dodge on the DGW Sprinter van recently expired, and they offered to sell it to us at a deep, deep discount. Since this is the only way Darius can get around, we begged a few of our donors for help, and now the van is ours!
More good news: many on the DGW crew have signed a one-year lease on an awesome house on Oak Grove Rd. This 5 bedroom/3 bath house is surrounded by 15 acres and will be the perfect setting for us to work together on our "One million DVDs in one year" initiative.
We're busy gearing up for DGW Day (July 19) and will be sending out detailed information on this special event soon. Hope to see you there!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
At first, most of our audience was shy, but once we all got treated to huge ice cream sundaes, everyone started asking questions. Since the group was small, we were able to have a great discussion, and we were so glad we went. Thanks, Alissa Sypsa, for inviting us!
We also have some good news to share. Darius has "new" wheels! Our one-year loan from Dodge on the DGW Sprinter van recently expired, and they offered to sell it to us at a deep, deep discount. Since this is the only way Darius can get around, we begged a few of our donors for help, and now the van is ours!
More good news: many on the DGW crew have signed a one-year lease on an awesome house on Oak Grove Rd. This 5 bedroom/3 bath house is surrounded by 15 acres and will be the perfect setting for us to work together on our "One million DVDs in one year" initiative.
We're busy gearing up for DGW Day (July 19) and will be sending out detailed information on this special event soon. Hope to see you there!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
CONGRATS TO LOGAN!
Last Thursday, Logan received his Master's degree (Ed.M) from Harvard University's "Technology, Innotivation, & Education" program. J.K. Rowling was the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremonies! If you're a big Harry Potter fan, here's a link to her speech:
http://www.news.harvard.edu
Logan and two of his fellow grads, Chris Spence (designer of the new DGW website) and Marisa Segel are now in the process of launching their own educational media company. It's called--are you ready for this--Goslabi Productions! DGW will be one of its first clients as it makes plans to fulfill its ambitious new "Sell one million DVDs in one year" campaign.
We have lots of other great news to share with you...
* We've secured Nappy Roots, an awesome hip-hop band out of Atlanta, to play at the DARIUS GOES WEST Day after-party on Saturday, July 19, at Farm 255. Exact details/times for all events will be announced soon, but mark your calendar now and plan to party with us!
* DGW will soon be close captioned, thanks to the generosity of the Disability Resource Center at UGA! We've had several requests for this edition of our movie, but we didn't have the funds to make it happen. Needless to say, we are thrilled! Kudos to Leigh Jagor, for instigating this endeavor!
* DGW is now a course at UGA! Jerry Hale, Ph.D., will be teaching a course in the fall called "Darius Goes West: A Case Study in Internpersonal Communication." Jerry is a huge supporter of ours and head of UGA's Department of Speech Communication.
* Darius opened his first bank account this week using several checks he had received from friends, family and DGW supporters for graduation. Thanks, Athens First, for rolling out the red carpet for him during this transaction and giving him a crash course on how to handle a checking account.
* Traveling journalist Cindy Freeman was recently in Athens as part of her journey to discover interesting and inspiring Americans. She interviewed Darius and his mom while in town. Check out her blog about Big Daddy at www.seegirlgo.com. Her segment on DGW should be up and running soon.
Happy summer everyone!
Know about it!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
WYOMING...WOW!
Eight of us have just returned from an amazing five days/four nights in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Logan had been invited to be the keynote speaker at the Jackson Hole Community School graduation. Our hostess and HUGE DGW supporter, Sophie Craighead, rolled out the red carpet for us BIG time...
We arrived in Jackson Hole on Tuesday, where Sophie met us at the tiny but picturesque airport. Unfortunately, Darius was not able to make this trip because the planes that fly into Jackson Hole are too small to be accessible. Besides, he was perfectly happy staying home and recuperating from his own graduation. Sophie had rented two cars for us, and we followed her into town, where she had rented us six hotel rooms at the Trapper Inn. This was an awesome place to stay, because it was only a block from Jackson Square, which has that "Old West" feel and is chock full of restaurants, shops, and bars. Our hotel was also surrounded by magnificent mountains.
After having lunch with Sophie, most of us took naps, then we had a long meeting to discuss our new goal of selling one million DVDs in one year. In fact, we had strategy meetings almost every day while in Jackson Hole, so expect some announcements soon. That night, we walked into town and had an incredible dinner at The Blue Lion. They had the best rack of lamb any of us had ever tasted!
On Wednesday, Sophie arranged for all of us to go whitewater rafting. It was a blast! The weather was still chilly out in Wyoming, and the water was even colder, so we had to wear wet suits. That didn't stop any of us from jumping in at the end of the trip. Exhilirating! That evening, we drove out to Kelly, WY to the Craighead's incredibly beautiful home for dinner, hosted by Sophie and husband Derek, who is a world-renown naturalist. After appetizers on the patio, framed by the Tetons, we were treated to an awesome smorgasbord: buffalo burgers, black angus hot dogs, elk steaks, potato salad, beans, tossed salad, etc. Dessert was an incredibly yummy banana cream pie. We were sooooo full. We hung out at the Craighead's playing foosball and Guitar Hero with Sophie and Derek's awesome kids, Scotty and Sage. The Craigheads had invited a few friends to join us for dinner. Two of the youngest guests, Riley and Chase George, presented Logan with envelopes containing personal donations (from their allowances) to Charley's Fund. They were so adorable, and we were so touched and impressed by their generosity!
Our screening was at the beautiful Community Arts Center theater on Thursday evening, where the house was packed with Jackson Hole Community School students and their families and friends. We got a standing ovation! Before the Q&A started, we brought Sophie to the stage and presented her with a framed photo of us whitewater rafting as a (very small) token of our (huge) appreciation for her hospitality. Logan also showed "The Vehicle" and told the audience about our new goal: to sell 1 million DVDs in one year.
The screening was immediately followed by a "Celebrate Your Life" diinner party that was so much fun. We sold LOTS of DVDs, and everyone there was so warm and friendly. After that, we walked to a nearby brew pub before heading to bed.
Friday evening was graduation, where Logan did a great job giving the keynote speech. There were only nine graduating seniors at this small but innovative school, so the ceremony felt very personal. We cheered especially loud when Scotty Craighead received his diploma. The class of 2008 presented us with donations they had collected among themselves for Charley's Fund...a grand sum of $69.69. LOL. The graduation ceremony was followed by a really nice reception. From there, we headed into Teton Village, where new DGW supporter Julie Choi and her husband treated us to an amazing, multi-course dinner at the Japanese restaurant they own. Yes, we had lots of sushi...and, of course, goslabi!
Friday morning, we flew home. It was so difficult to say goodbye to everyone in Jackson Hole and to leave this beautiful town. But we have incredible memories that will definitely last a lifetime.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
We arrived in Jackson Hole on Tuesday, where Sophie met us at the tiny but picturesque airport. Unfortunately, Darius was not able to make this trip because the planes that fly into Jackson Hole are too small to be accessible. Besides, he was perfectly happy staying home and recuperating from his own graduation. Sophie had rented two cars for us, and we followed her into town, where she had rented us six hotel rooms at the Trapper Inn. This was an awesome place to stay, because it was only a block from Jackson Square, which has that "Old West" feel and is chock full of restaurants, shops, and bars. Our hotel was also surrounded by magnificent mountains.
After having lunch with Sophie, most of us took naps, then we had a long meeting to discuss our new goal of selling one million DVDs in one year. In fact, we had strategy meetings almost every day while in Jackson Hole, so expect some announcements soon. That night, we walked into town and had an incredible dinner at The Blue Lion. They had the best rack of lamb any of us had ever tasted!
On Wednesday, Sophie arranged for all of us to go whitewater rafting. It was a blast! The weather was still chilly out in Wyoming, and the water was even colder, so we had to wear wet suits. That didn't stop any of us from jumping in at the end of the trip. Exhilirating! That evening, we drove out to Kelly, WY to the Craighead's incredibly beautiful home for dinner, hosted by Sophie and husband Derek, who is a world-renown naturalist. After appetizers on the patio, framed by the Tetons, we were treated to an awesome smorgasbord: buffalo burgers, black angus hot dogs, elk steaks, potato salad, beans, tossed salad, etc. Dessert was an incredibly yummy banana cream pie. We were sooooo full. We hung out at the Craighead's playing foosball and Guitar Hero with Sophie and Derek's awesome kids, Scotty and Sage. The Craigheads had invited a few friends to join us for dinner. Two of the youngest guests, Riley and Chase George, presented Logan with envelopes containing personal donations (from their allowances) to Charley's Fund. They were so adorable, and we were so touched and impressed by their generosity!
Our screening was at the beautiful Community Arts Center theater on Thursday evening, where the house was packed with Jackson Hole Community School students and their families and friends. We got a standing ovation! Before the Q&A started, we brought Sophie to the stage and presented her with a framed photo of us whitewater rafting as a (very small) token of our (huge) appreciation for her hospitality. Logan also showed "The Vehicle" and told the audience about our new goal: to sell 1 million DVDs in one year.
The screening was immediately followed by a "Celebrate Your Life" diinner party that was so much fun. We sold LOTS of DVDs, and everyone there was so warm and friendly. After that, we walked to a nearby brew pub before heading to bed.
Friday evening was graduation, where Logan did a great job giving the keynote speech. There were only nine graduating seniors at this small but innovative school, so the ceremony felt very personal. We cheered especially loud when Scotty Craighead received his diploma. The class of 2008 presented us with donations they had collected among themselves for Charley's Fund...a grand sum of $69.69. LOL. The graduation ceremony was followed by a really nice reception. From there, we headed into Teton Village, where new DGW supporter Julie Choi and her husband treated us to an amazing, multi-course dinner at the Japanese restaurant they own. Yes, we had lots of sushi...and, of course, goslabi!
Friday morning, we flew home. It was so difficult to say goodbye to everyone in Jackson Hole and to leave this beautiful town. But we have incredible memories that will definitely last a lifetime.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
THE GRADUATE!
It's official! Darius O'Brien Weems graduated from Clarke Central High School last night, and it was nothing short of magical! We wish all of you could have been there.
D's mom, Jamie, and a few friends and family arrived at the University of Georgia Colisem in a stretch limo (paid for by 13th crew member, Anita Hill). Lucky them, since parking was a HUGE hassle! As the soon-to-be graduates marched in to take their seats, Jamie was already crying. By the time they handed out diplomas and got to the W's, she was bawling like a baby. Actually we all had tears in our eyes, and here's why: When Darius rolled across the stage to receive his diploma, all of us in his cheering section stood up to hoot and holler. THEN, within seconds, the ENTIRE graduating class (of 250) AND almost every single person in the coliseum (thousands) gave him a standing ovation!!!
We had cameras rolling, so we'll share this footage on our website soon. Meanwhile, check out the front page article in today's Athens Banner-Herald, and be sure to watch their video coverage of last night. As always, our favorite reporters, Julie Phillips and Melissa Hanna, did an awesome job. If you agree, please rate the story and/or leave a comment...
http://onlineathens.com/stories/052408/news_20080524053.shtml
Today, the crew hosted a picnic for Darius and his family and friends to celebrate this wonderful occastion. Daniel's dad, Lee Epting, who's a famous caterer in the Southeast, donated the BBQ, and it was awesome. We had the party at a local park, and since there were lots of kids, we played basketball, baseball, and had an awesome water balloon fight.
Thanks to everyone who has sent Big Daddy notes of congrats, either by e-mail or snail mail. He appreciates your good wishes more than you could ever realize.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
D's mom, Jamie, and a few friends and family arrived at the University of Georgia Colisem in a stretch limo (paid for by 13th crew member, Anita Hill). Lucky them, since parking was a HUGE hassle! As the soon-to-be graduates marched in to take their seats, Jamie was already crying. By the time they handed out diplomas and got to the W's, she was bawling like a baby. Actually we all had tears in our eyes, and here's why: When Darius rolled across the stage to receive his diploma, all of us in his cheering section stood up to hoot and holler. THEN, within seconds, the ENTIRE graduating class (of 250) AND almost every single person in the coliseum (thousands) gave him a standing ovation!!!
We had cameras rolling, so we'll share this footage on our website soon. Meanwhile, check out the front page article in today's Athens Banner-Herald, and be sure to watch their video coverage of last night. As always, our favorite reporters, Julie Phillips and Melissa Hanna, did an awesome job. If you agree, please rate the story and/or leave a comment...
http://onlineathens.com/stories/052408/news_20080524053.shtml
Today, the crew hosted a picnic for Darius and his family and friends to celebrate this wonderful occastion. Daniel's dad, Lee Epting, who's a famous caterer in the Southeast, donated the BBQ, and it was awesome. We had the party at a local park, and since there were lots of kids, we played basketball, baseball, and had an awesome water balloon fight.
Thanks to everyone who has sent Big Daddy notes of congrats, either by e-mail or snail mail. He appreciates your good wishes more than you could ever realize.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
BACK TO THE BIG APPLE - AND MORE
May 19,2008
We've just returned from a quick trip to New York City, where we were honored at Matt's Promise. This is an event held annually in memory of Matthew Wiederkehr, one of Benjy Seckler's (Charley's dad) best friends, who lost his battle with colon cancer a few years ago. When he died, Matt's Promise was founded. This foundation is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people affected by terminal illnesses. Charley's Fund was the primary beneficiary of the night's proceeds.
The gala was held at the very upscale Cipriani Wall Street. Almost everyone there was decked out in black tie attire, but we (Darius, Sam, Logan, Daniel, Jason, Collin, Andrew. TBarn, and Dylan) wore our "uniform" (DGW shirts and khakis) so we could stand out. LOL. Even before the amazing dinner was served, we had an awesome surprise. L.L. Cool J dropped by and strolled straight to ouir table to introduce himself to Darius! Cameras were everywhere while they a brief chat. We're trying to talk him into playing at our "Run DMD" concert in NYC in the fall (along with Run DMC), so fingers crossed!
After an unbelievable dinner, Darius and the crew took the stage to be recognized/honored. Logan gave a short speech about promises (like the one he made to D's big brother, Mario, to look after Darius). Next, Logan unveiled our new promotional trailer, "The Vehicle," and announced DGW's new campaign to sell one million DVDs for DMD research over the next year. You can see the new trailer at our new website at www.dariusgoeswest.org (please pass it on to everyone you know!). "The Vehicle" got a standing ovation!
THEN, at the auction, which followed, auctioneer (and huge DGW supporter) Randy Reiff asked, "Who in the audience wants to buy DVDs for all 600 here tonight?" Three people donated $12,000 to make this happen. That's 1,800 DVDs sold!!! Other auction hits: Two couples paid $11,000 each for dinner for four at a fancy NY restaurant where it's impossible to get reservations....and someone else paid $13,000 for a Golden Retriever puppy that Andrew escorted on to the stage! For a minute there, we thought everyone was bidding on a date with Carson!
After the auction, Squeeze (known for their hit, "Tempted by the Fruit of Another") played, and we were all dancing, including Darius (with some cute high school girls who were there). We all had a blast, and we're pretty sure this event raised at least $500,000 for DMD research!
We saw several familiar faces at Matt's Promise--like Lex Sidon, Pearl August, Aaron Charlop-Powers, and Amy Coenen. We also made many new friends--like Jen Portnoy (she's the one behind the "Run DMD" event), Mark Spiegel, and Spencer Spinnell, to name just a few. Many, many thanks to Randy Reiff, Candace Jarkow, Keinan Lee-Zampi, Jen Wiederkehr, and everyone else involved in making this night so memorable for all of us.
While in the Big Apple, we were also treated to lunch at Google headquarters, where gourmet chefs spoiled us. Thanks, Spencer Spinnell and everyone else at Google for hosting us!
Sam and TBarn flew straight from New York City to Denver, CO, then drove to Aspen to host a Q&A at a screening hosted by Kate Bishop at the Wheeler Opera House. Despite being totally sleep deprived, the guys managed to have their "game on," and the crowd loved them and the movie.
Don't forget D's graduation from Clarke Central High School is this Friday night at 8:30 PM. If you're in town, please join us to hoot and holler as Big Daddy receives his diploma. Thanks to the generosity of DGW supporter Anita Will, Jamie and her family will travel to the UGA coliseum in A Touch of Elegance stretch limo!
One more thing: we just got word that we have won yet another film festival award. This latest one. a "Best Documentary" award, comes from Viewfinders International Film Festival for Youth in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was selected by a jury of young people. That makes 28!!!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
MAY DAYS
May 10, 2008
Our week began and ended on a high note...
On Monday afternoon, we went to the Oconee County 4-H Club's Fun-A-Thon, a yearly event they hold to raise money for favorite causes. This year, they decided to make Charley's Fund their cause, and they invited us to join the fun. We had a blast! Darius, Sam, Collin, Kevin, and John Harmon were greeted by a giant colorful sign that read, "Welcome Darius and the crew" (see the pictures we just posted). After meeting many of the 4-Hers and helping to blow up balloons, we headed outside for a series of crazy relay races. Everyone was divided into four teams, and each team was captained by a DGW crew member. Darius was named the official judge and whistle blower. Races involved jumping rope, sitting on water balloons, throwing rotten eggs into buckets, and eating lots of whipped cream. It was an awesome afternoon, and we thank Joey Bristol and the Oconee County 4-H club for having us...AND for raising money for DMD research!
On Friday, Sam, Ben, John Harmon, and Collin drove Darius three hours south to visit Jenkins County High School in Millen, GA. The students were watching the movie in their classrooms as we arrived, then all 400 of them packed the gym for a Q&A. They didn't know we would be there, so it was a big surprise. This was one of the liveliest audiences we've ever had, especially when we started throwing t-shirts into the crowd! Darius was having so much fun that he agreed to do some freestyle rapping for the crowd, and when he did, he brought down the house!
Thanks to Becky, Mandy, and Robin (of Jenkins County Family Connection) for inviting us to Millen, and extra special thanks to Mandy for convincing Cindy's Cafe to stay open past 3:00 so we could get a great meal before heading back to Athens...AND for picking up the tab!
This week, Darius and most of the crew head to NYC for Matt's Promise, an annual fundraiser that benefits Charley's Fund. At this year's event, Darius and the crew are the honorees. A live band will play, dinner should be awesome, and Logan will unveil a brand new Darius Goes West trailer.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Our week began and ended on a high note...
On Monday afternoon, we went to the Oconee County 4-H Club's Fun-A-Thon, a yearly event they hold to raise money for favorite causes. This year, they decided to make Charley's Fund their cause, and they invited us to join the fun. We had a blast! Darius, Sam, Collin, Kevin, and John Harmon were greeted by a giant colorful sign that read, "Welcome Darius and the crew" (see the pictures we just posted). After meeting many of the 4-Hers and helping to blow up balloons, we headed outside for a series of crazy relay races. Everyone was divided into four teams, and each team was captained by a DGW crew member. Darius was named the official judge and whistle blower. Races involved jumping rope, sitting on water balloons, throwing rotten eggs into buckets, and eating lots of whipped cream. It was an awesome afternoon, and we thank Joey Bristol and the Oconee County 4-H club for having us...AND for raising money for DMD research!
On Friday, Sam, Ben, John Harmon, and Collin drove Darius three hours south to visit Jenkins County High School in Millen, GA. The students were watching the movie in their classrooms as we arrived, then all 400 of them packed the gym for a Q&A. They didn't know we would be there, so it was a big surprise. This was one of the liveliest audiences we've ever had, especially when we started throwing t-shirts into the crowd! Darius was having so much fun that he agreed to do some freestyle rapping for the crowd, and when he did, he brought down the house!
Thanks to Becky, Mandy, and Robin (of Jenkins County Family Connection) for inviting us to Millen, and extra special thanks to Mandy for convincing Cindy's Cafe to stay open past 3:00 so we could get a great meal before heading back to Athens...AND for picking up the tab!
This week, Darius and most of the crew head to NYC for Matt's Promise, an annual fundraiser that benefits Charley's Fund. At this year's event, Darius and the crew are the honorees. A live band will play, dinner should be awesome, and Logan will unveil a brand new Darius Goes West trailer.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Monday, May 5, 2008
DARIUS GOES WEST...AS IN KANYE WEST!
May 5, 2008
It's been a busy but exciting week for DGW. Friday, we had a late-night screening at Athens Cine as part of the Battle Against Poverty Festival. We were so honored that they selected our movie as one of two to screen that night. The place was almost packed, and we had a great Q&A.
In the audience was D's friend, Terese, from Atlanta. He and Terese have been talking on the phone for almost a year, but they had never met in person. On Friday afternoon, 13th crew member, Richard Hamel, drove to Atlanta to pick Terese up and bring her to Athens for a weekend visit. We were a little worried that Darius might go shy on us at the Q&A Friday night, but having Terese in the audience made him more talkative than ever! When a history professor in the crowd asked what kind of relationship DGW had with MDA, Ben started to answer the question. Then, Darius piped in, insisting, "I'll take that one," and gave an elaborate answer. We were so proud! After the screening, Darius gave Terese a tour of downtown Athens.
On Sunday evening, Sam and 13th crew members Martin Suiza and Chris Williams took Darius to the Arena at Gwinnett Place for the Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour. This concert not only featured Kanye, but Rihanna, N.E.R.D., and Lupe Fiasco. It started at 7:30 PM and went on until midnight, and it was amazing! During one of the intermissions, Darius needed to go to the restroom and was directed to the facilities backstage. While there, a woman working backstage recognized him, then let Big Daddy get his picture taken with Kanye West!!! West's people will e-mail it to us, and we'll post it when we get it. Meanwhile, we've posted pictures from the weekend, including one of Terese!
We have an equally busy week ahead of us. Tomorrow, we visit the Oconee County 4-H Club. After watching the movie, these kids decided to have a "Fun-A-Thon" and donate all proceeds to Charley's Fund! Then, on Friday, we head to Jenkins County High School in Millen, GA for a Q&A.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
It's been a busy but exciting week for DGW. Friday, we had a late-night screening at Athens Cine as part of the Battle Against Poverty Festival. We were so honored that they selected our movie as one of two to screen that night. The place was almost packed, and we had a great Q&A.
In the audience was D's friend, Terese, from Atlanta. He and Terese have been talking on the phone for almost a year, but they had never met in person. On Friday afternoon, 13th crew member, Richard Hamel, drove to Atlanta to pick Terese up and bring her to Athens for a weekend visit. We were a little worried that Darius might go shy on us at the Q&A Friday night, but having Terese in the audience made him more talkative than ever! When a history professor in the crowd asked what kind of relationship DGW had with MDA, Ben started to answer the question. Then, Darius piped in, insisting, "I'll take that one," and gave an elaborate answer. We were so proud! After the screening, Darius gave Terese a tour of downtown Athens.
On Sunday evening, Sam and 13th crew members Martin Suiza and Chris Williams took Darius to the Arena at Gwinnett Place for the Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour. This concert not only featured Kanye, but Rihanna, N.E.R.D., and Lupe Fiasco. It started at 7:30 PM and went on until midnight, and it was amazing! During one of the intermissions, Darius needed to go to the restroom and was directed to the facilities backstage. While there, a woman working backstage recognized him, then let Big Daddy get his picture taken with Kanye West!!! West's people will e-mail it to us, and we'll post it when we get it. Meanwhile, we've posted pictures from the weekend, including one of Terese!
We have an equally busy week ahead of us. Tomorrow, we visit the Oconee County 4-H Club. After watching the movie, these kids decided to have a "Fun-A-Thon" and donate all proceeds to Charley's Fund! Then, on Friday, we head to Jenkins County High School in Millen, GA for a Q&A.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
SAVE THE DATES!
May 1, 2008
It's May! Can you believe it? Wasn't it just Christmas?
May is a special month for DGW because DARIUS WILL GRADUATE from Clarke Central High School ON FRIDAY, MAY 23! If you live in or near Athens, please consider coming to the UGA Colliseum and being a part of his cheering section! And if you come, wear a DGW t-shirt for sure! We're almost positive that this year's graduation is at 8:00 PM...we'll confirm this in a later blog.
If you can't make it, please consider sending Darius a congratulatory card. This is a particularly special event for Big Daddy and his family, since D's older brother, Mario, passed away (six years ago) just two months shy of his high school graduation. You can mail cards to:
Darius Goes West/135 Pine Tops Court/Athens, GA 30606
Another important date to save is the weekend of July 18-20. This will be DARIUS GOES WEST DAY (actually, DGW weekend). Saturday, July 19, will be the day we plan to celebrate the most, but we'll have activities planned from Friday through Sunday. As always, we plan to show the movie (for free) at Athens Cine. Logan also hopes to release some trip footage that didn't make it into the movie. In addition to Athens Cine, Farm 255 has signed on as our venue sponsor, and that's where we'll be celebrating on Saturday night with, hopefully, one or more bands playing. So, plan to be there.
We are looking for corporate sponsors for DGW Day. If you know anyone who might be interested, please contact us right away. Their name/logo will appear in all publicity materials (newspaper ads, flyers, event banner, etc.).
We continue to stay busy. On Monday night, we had an awesome screening at Lakeside High School in Atlanta, where we raised $400 for DMD research. Thanks, Kelly Douglas and daughters Ashley and Madison, for organizing this event. Tomorrow (Friday) night, we have a screening at 10:00 PM at Athens Cine, as part of the Battle Against Poverty Festival.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
It's May! Can you believe it? Wasn't it just Christmas?
May is a special month for DGW because DARIUS WILL GRADUATE from Clarke Central High School ON FRIDAY, MAY 23! If you live in or near Athens, please consider coming to the UGA Colliseum and being a part of his cheering section! And if you come, wear a DGW t-shirt for sure! We're almost positive that this year's graduation is at 8:00 PM...we'll confirm this in a later blog.
If you can't make it, please consider sending Darius a congratulatory card. This is a particularly special event for Big Daddy and his family, since D's older brother, Mario, passed away (six years ago) just two months shy of his high school graduation. You can mail cards to:
Darius Goes West/135 Pine Tops Court/Athens, GA 30606
Another important date to save is the weekend of July 18-20. This will be DARIUS GOES WEST DAY (actually, DGW weekend). Saturday, July 19, will be the day we plan to celebrate the most, but we'll have activities planned from Friday through Sunday. As always, we plan to show the movie (for free) at Athens Cine. Logan also hopes to release some trip footage that didn't make it into the movie. In addition to Athens Cine, Farm 255 has signed on as our venue sponsor, and that's where we'll be celebrating on Saturday night with, hopefully, one or more bands playing. So, plan to be there.
We are looking for corporate sponsors for DGW Day. If you know anyone who might be interested, please contact us right away. Their name/logo will appear in all publicity materials (newspaper ads, flyers, event banner, etc.).
We continue to stay busy. On Monday night, we had an awesome screening at Lakeside High School in Atlanta, where we raised $400 for DMD research. Thanks, Kelly Douglas and daughters Ashley and Madison, for organizing this event. Tomorrow (Friday) night, we have a screening at 10:00 PM at Athens Cine, as part of the Battle Against Poverty Festival.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
OH, CANADA!
April 20, 2008
We have just returned from an amazing trip to Toronto, Canada and Buffalo, New York. It was exhausting, and we had some car trouble along the way, but we had a blast...
On Tuesday at 10:30 PM, Sam, Darius, Barbara, and DGW "13th crew member" Chris Williams hit the road for Nashville to pick up Jason. From there, it was supposed to be a 12-hour drive to Toronto, but it turned into about 16 hours for us. In Louisville, KY, a truck in front of us "lost" some of its scrap metal load, which cracked our windshield (the crack is about the size of a baseball). We had to stop and call the company to complain. They said they would cover the costs of a new windshield, but it would come out of that driver's "last paycheck." Apparently, it is company policy that drivers cover their loads with a tarp, and this dude had not done that. Soon after that, the van started losing power periodically, and the "check engine" light came on. In Cincinnati, we wasted over an hour trying to find a Dodge dealership that could work on a Sprinter van. We finally found one, and the mechanic there said he thought the check engine light referred to routine maintenance needing to be scheduled. The dealership was packed, so we decided not to wait, and the van seemed fine by then, so we drove on to Toronto.
By 6:30 PM, we had crossed the border and stopped to look at Niagara Falls (Canadian side). It was magnificent (check out our pictures). Darius called it "the Grand Canyon with water!"
We finally pulled into Toronto around 8:00 PM, found our hotel, grabbed showers, and headed out to find a place to eat dinner. We were starving! The film festival put us up at a great hotel right in downtown Toronto (a city that is a lot like New York City, but soooo clean and soooo cool!). We got lost looking for the restaurant we wanted to go to, though, and Darius's chair was running out of juice. Finally, we found it and stuffed our faces. We were joined at dinner by Cathy McKee, director of the Calgary Reel Fun Film Festival and a great friend of DGW's, as well as a film distributor/DGW fan we'd met last year in Cleveland, Ryan Bruce Levey. It was awesome to see both of them again and to catch up. After dinner, we all crashed.
Thursday morning, we were due at the Toronto Arts Centre for two back-to-back screenings and Q&As at the Sprockets International Youth Film Festival. We started out in plenty of time (honest!), but, unfortunately, someone had left a light on in the van, and the battery was dead. We had to pay a cab driver $15 to give us a jump, but the cables we had sucked, so it didn't work fast enough for him. Luckily, a really nice guy was leaving the parking lot (he normally drives a tow truck), and he offered to help. He had some powerful jumper cables, so the job was done in a flash.
By then, we were running late, and even though we only had to travel 7 miles to the venue, the traffic was horrible. By the time we got there, many of the kids who had come to see the movie had left. One class (from Earl Haig High School) stayed behind to greet us, though, so we had an impromptu Q&A in the lobby. After that, students wanted to buy DVDs and t-shirts, but because the Arts Centre wouldn't allow us to sell DGW merchandise inside (without taking a cut), we had to go across the street and sell stuff out of suitcases (check out the picture). It was hilarious!
While the second screening was going on, we grabbed some lunch and ate it outside the Arts Centre. It was such a beautiful day, which Canadians told us was very rare for this time of year. Our second screening was packed, and the Q&A went really, really well. Milton, Ontario DGW fans Priscilla and Tanveer (who had showm DGW at their school a month or so ago) came with their principal to meet Darius, and we gained tons of new supporters.
After the second screening, we decided to walk over to Earl Haig Secondary School for a visit to Lydia Hughes' and Patty Koutrabis' class. They had been at our first screening and invited us to pop in. We were so glad we did! The class we visited had two students who do salsa dancing, but they were too shy to perform in front of us. So, Darius said, "If you'll salsa dance, I'll rap for ya'll!" They did, and he did! It was so much fun! The kids in this class are now talking about sharing the movie with their entire school (1,200 students) and raising money for Charley's Fund. Know about it!
Thursday afternoon, we took D shoe shopping (what else???) in Toronto. Thursday night, we were treated to dinner by al the festival folks at Sprockets. It was great hanging out with Allen, Elizabeth, Tony, and Ryan, and dinner was delicious. After dinner, we met up again with Cathy McKee and her actor friend, Julian, and hit the streets of Toronto. It was a late night, and we had an awesome time.
Friday morning, we packed our bags and headed to Monarch Park school in Toronto, where DGW fan and occupational therapist Mona Sidler-Hosios had invited us to visit one of her classes. The kids were all waiting outside for us to arrive! While there, we answered questions about the movie (they had seen it the week before), found the music room, where Jason (on drums) jammed with one of the students, Liz (on guitar), then were treated to pizza and cookies for lunch. The class also gave us all glass coffee mugs with their school logo on them. We were so touched! Before leaving, the kids challenged the crew to participate in a wheelchair hockey game in the gym. It was hilarious (check the pictures) watching Sam, Jason, and Chris roll around on office chairs!
Around 1:00 PM, we left Toronto and shuffled off to Buffalo. Once there, the guys all took a nap while Barbara got an oil change in the van. We had a community screening scheduled for 7:00 PM, organized by DGW fan Chris Muller. She has a 23-year-old son, Ben, who has DMD, and she and her husband, Rick, founded and runs what is called The Independence Foundation. Through this inredible organization (check it out at www.theindependencefoundation.org), Ben is a homeowner and lives independently with two roommates! We were invited to have dinner at Ben's house before the screening, and we were blown away by how awesome and roomy it was. Also, Chris and her daughter had prepared a homecooked meal for us: barbecue chicken, potatoes, pasta salad, and tossed salad. It was so delicious!
The screening in Buffalo was fantastic. About 200 people showed up (despite that it was spring break), and Darius and the crew got a long standing ovation at the end. The Q&A was fun, and afterwards, lots of folks bought DVDs and t-shirts. Best of all, ticket sales generated $1,000 for Charley's Fund!
We decided to hit the road for home right after the screening. It was a loooonnng drive, especially since we kept losing power in the van and had to stop often to let it rest for a few minutes. We limped into Nashville by noon and got back to Athens by 6:00 PM.
This week, we have a screening at Georgia College in Milledgeville and another one at UGA (for Jerry Hale's classes). In between, we must find time to get the van serviced, the windshield replaced, and get D's chair fixed. Never a dull moment!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
We have just returned from an amazing trip to Toronto, Canada and Buffalo, New York. It was exhausting, and we had some car trouble along the way, but we had a blast...
On Tuesday at 10:30 PM, Sam, Darius, Barbara, and DGW "13th crew member" Chris Williams hit the road for Nashville to pick up Jason. From there, it was supposed to be a 12-hour drive to Toronto, but it turned into about 16 hours for us. In Louisville, KY, a truck in front of us "lost" some of its scrap metal load, which cracked our windshield (the crack is about the size of a baseball). We had to stop and call the company to complain. They said they would cover the costs of a new windshield, but it would come out of that driver's "last paycheck." Apparently, it is company policy that drivers cover their loads with a tarp, and this dude had not done that. Soon after that, the van started losing power periodically, and the "check engine" light came on. In Cincinnati, we wasted over an hour trying to find a Dodge dealership that could work on a Sprinter van. We finally found one, and the mechanic there said he thought the check engine light referred to routine maintenance needing to be scheduled. The dealership was packed, so we decided not to wait, and the van seemed fine by then, so we drove on to Toronto.
By 6:30 PM, we had crossed the border and stopped to look at Niagara Falls (Canadian side). It was magnificent (check out our pictures). Darius called it "the Grand Canyon with water!"
We finally pulled into Toronto around 8:00 PM, found our hotel, grabbed showers, and headed out to find a place to eat dinner. We were starving! The film festival put us up at a great hotel right in downtown Toronto (a city that is a lot like New York City, but soooo clean and soooo cool!). We got lost looking for the restaurant we wanted to go to, though, and Darius's chair was running out of juice. Finally, we found it and stuffed our faces. We were joined at dinner by Cathy McKee, director of the Calgary Reel Fun Film Festival and a great friend of DGW's, as well as a film distributor/DGW fan we'd met last year in Cleveland, Ryan Bruce Levey. It was awesome to see both of them again and to catch up. After dinner, we all crashed.
Thursday morning, we were due at the Toronto Arts Centre for two back-to-back screenings and Q&As at the Sprockets International Youth Film Festival. We started out in plenty of time (honest!), but, unfortunately, someone had left a light on in the van, and the battery was dead. We had to pay a cab driver $15 to give us a jump, but the cables we had sucked, so it didn't work fast enough for him. Luckily, a really nice guy was leaving the parking lot (he normally drives a tow truck), and he offered to help. He had some powerful jumper cables, so the job was done in a flash.
By then, we were running late, and even though we only had to travel 7 miles to the venue, the traffic was horrible. By the time we got there, many of the kids who had come to see the movie had left. One class (from Earl Haig High School) stayed behind to greet us, though, so we had an impromptu Q&A in the lobby. After that, students wanted to buy DVDs and t-shirts, but because the Arts Centre wouldn't allow us to sell DGW merchandise inside (without taking a cut), we had to go across the street and sell stuff out of suitcases (check out the picture). It was hilarious!
While the second screening was going on, we grabbed some lunch and ate it outside the Arts Centre. It was such a beautiful day, which Canadians told us was very rare for this time of year. Our second screening was packed, and the Q&A went really, really well. Milton, Ontario DGW fans Priscilla and Tanveer (who had showm DGW at their school a month or so ago) came with their principal to meet Darius, and we gained tons of new supporters.
After the second screening, we decided to walk over to Earl Haig Secondary School for a visit to Lydia Hughes' and Patty Koutrabis' class. They had been at our first screening and invited us to pop in. We were so glad we did! The class we visited had two students who do salsa dancing, but they were too shy to perform in front of us. So, Darius said, "If you'll salsa dance, I'll rap for ya'll!" They did, and he did! It was so much fun! The kids in this class are now talking about sharing the movie with their entire school (1,200 students) and raising money for Charley's Fund. Know about it!
Thursday afternoon, we took D shoe shopping (what else???) in Toronto. Thursday night, we were treated to dinner by al the festival folks at Sprockets. It was great hanging out with Allen, Elizabeth, Tony, and Ryan, and dinner was delicious. After dinner, we met up again with Cathy McKee and her actor friend, Julian, and hit the streets of Toronto. It was a late night, and we had an awesome time.
Friday morning, we packed our bags and headed to Monarch Park school in Toronto, where DGW fan and occupational therapist Mona Sidler-Hosios had invited us to visit one of her classes. The kids were all waiting outside for us to arrive! While there, we answered questions about the movie (they had seen it the week before), found the music room, where Jason (on drums) jammed with one of the students, Liz (on guitar), then were treated to pizza and cookies for lunch. The class also gave us all glass coffee mugs with their school logo on them. We were so touched! Before leaving, the kids challenged the crew to participate in a wheelchair hockey game in the gym. It was hilarious (check the pictures) watching Sam, Jason, and Chris roll around on office chairs!
Around 1:00 PM, we left Toronto and shuffled off to Buffalo. Once there, the guys all took a nap while Barbara got an oil change in the van. We had a community screening scheduled for 7:00 PM, organized by DGW fan Chris Muller. She has a 23-year-old son, Ben, who has DMD, and she and her husband, Rick, founded and runs what is called The Independence Foundation. Through this inredible organization (check it out at www.theindependencefoundation.org), Ben is a homeowner and lives independently with two roommates! We were invited to have dinner at Ben's house before the screening, and we were blown away by how awesome and roomy it was. Also, Chris and her daughter had prepared a homecooked meal for us: barbecue chicken, potatoes, pasta salad, and tossed salad. It was so delicious!
The screening in Buffalo was fantastic. About 200 people showed up (despite that it was spring break), and Darius and the crew got a long standing ovation at the end. The Q&A was fun, and afterwards, lots of folks bought DVDs and t-shirts. Best of all, ticket sales generated $1,000 for Charley's Fund!
We decided to hit the road for home right after the screening. It was a loooonnng drive, especially since we kept losing power in the van and had to stop often to let it rest for a few minutes. We limped into Nashville by noon and got back to Athens by 6:00 PM.
This week, we have a screening at Georgia College in Milledgeville and another one at UGA (for Jerry Hale's classes). In between, we must find time to get the van serviced, the windshield replaced, and get D's chair fixed. Never a dull moment!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Monday, April 7, 2008
"SHE'S GOT BRAIDS!"
April 7, 2008
We had a really busy weekend. The crew split up, one group heading north, the other heading south. Darius, Collin, Jason, and 13th crew member Martin Suiza flew to New Brunswick, New Jersey. Logan, Ben, Sam, Harmon, and Andrew drove to Savannah. All of us had a blast...
In New Jersey, Darius and the crew were keynote speakers at a Neighbors, Inc. conference. Unfortunately, their plane was delayed for several hours on Friday, and they didn’t get to their hotel rooms until well after midnight. Nevetheless, they stayed awake watching TV and eating pizza until 5:00 AM...and STILL made it to breakfast at 8:30 the next morning.
The folks at Neighbours, Inc. really rolled out the red carpet for DGW! Aside from flying everyone there (including D’s mom, Jamie), they provided first-class lodging, great meals, and one of the best audiences ever for a screening of DARIUS GOES WEST. After the Q&A, Darius got a standing ovation, and we sold out of the 35 DVDs we’d brought with us in 20 minutes (then kicked ourselves for not packing more)! Everyone at the conference was super-friendly and so accommodating. Special thanks to Verna, Patti, and Anne for inviting us there and making us feel so welcome.
On Saturday night, we went out to dinner for sushi (no wasabi for Big Daddy)! Earlier that day, some women Jamie had met took her out to get her hair done, and guess what? SHE HAS BRAIDS! Check out the pictures of her new "do" in our gallery. More New Jersey pictures will be added later.
Savannah was equally amazing. At the last minute, we convinced Andrew to come with us. Thirteenth crew members Lynn Massey joined the fun, as did Annie Timmins.We also invited three of Eve Carson’s closest friends: Anna and Tim from UNC-Chapel Hill, and Amble (who is Sam’s older brother) from Athens. We rented a cottage at Tybee Island and decided to treat it as a "heal and chill" weekend.
Right as we pulled into Savannah, we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch, then discovered we had a flat tire. The spare was also flat! Fortunately, there was a tire store two doors down, so we were back on the road in no time.
On Saturday night, we drove downtown to do a Q&A at the Hyatt, which was part of the Southern States Communication Association Conference, spearheaded by Athens’ own, Jerry Hale. The crowd was small, but they were so enthusiastic...plus they bought a ton of DVDs! Right after the Q&A, we went across the street to watch the Final Four basketball game. We were all bummed when UNC lost. The rest of the night was a lot of fun, though, especially our extremely competitive game of "Trivial Pursuit." The weather was great on Sunday, so we hung around and worked on our tans (see beach pictures and more in our gallery). Special thanks to Marty Johnston, who paid for Logan’s airline ticket to Savannah and treated us all to lunch on Sunday!
All in all, it was an amazing weekend for DGW, and we raised almost $1,000 for Charley’s Fund.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
We had a really busy weekend. The crew split up, one group heading north, the other heading south. Darius, Collin, Jason, and 13th crew member Martin Suiza flew to New Brunswick, New Jersey. Logan, Ben, Sam, Harmon, and Andrew drove to Savannah. All of us had a blast...
In New Jersey, Darius and the crew were keynote speakers at a Neighbors, Inc. conference. Unfortunately, their plane was delayed for several hours on Friday, and they didn’t get to their hotel rooms until well after midnight. Nevetheless, they stayed awake watching TV and eating pizza until 5:00 AM...and STILL made it to breakfast at 8:30 the next morning.
The folks at Neighbours, Inc. really rolled out the red carpet for DGW! Aside from flying everyone there (including D’s mom, Jamie), they provided first-class lodging, great meals, and one of the best audiences ever for a screening of DARIUS GOES WEST. After the Q&A, Darius got a standing ovation, and we sold out of the 35 DVDs we’d brought with us in 20 minutes (then kicked ourselves for not packing more)! Everyone at the conference was super-friendly and so accommodating. Special thanks to Verna, Patti, and Anne for inviting us there and making us feel so welcome.
On Saturday night, we went out to dinner for sushi (no wasabi for Big Daddy)! Earlier that day, some women Jamie had met took her out to get her hair done, and guess what? SHE HAS BRAIDS! Check out the pictures of her new "do" in our gallery. More New Jersey pictures will be added later.
Savannah was equally amazing. At the last minute, we convinced Andrew to come with us. Thirteenth crew members Lynn Massey joined the fun, as did Annie Timmins.We also invited three of Eve Carson’s closest friends: Anna and Tim from UNC-Chapel Hill, and Amble (who is Sam’s older brother) from Athens. We rented a cottage at Tybee Island and decided to treat it as a "heal and chill" weekend.
Right as we pulled into Savannah, we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch, then discovered we had a flat tire. The spare was also flat! Fortunately, there was a tire store two doors down, so we were back on the road in no time.
On Saturday night, we drove downtown to do a Q&A at the Hyatt, which was part of the Southern States Communication Association Conference, spearheaded by Athens’ own, Jerry Hale. The crowd was small, but they were so enthusiastic...plus they bought a ton of DVDs! Right after the Q&A, we went across the street to watch the Final Four basketball game. We were all bummed when UNC lost. The rest of the night was a lot of fun, though, especially our extremely competitive game of "Trivial Pursuit." The weather was great on Sunday, so we hung around and worked on our tans (see beach pictures and more in our gallery). Special thanks to Marty Johnston, who paid for Logan’s airline ticket to Savannah and treated us all to lunch on Sunday!
All in all, it was an amazing weekend for DGW, and we raised almost $1,000 for Charley’s Fund.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
ANOTHER AWARD, ETC.
April 2, 2008
Major kudos to Julie Phillips, our favorite reporter at the Athens Banner-Herald. She just won a third place Associated Press award for one of the many stories she wrote last year about DARIUS GOES WEST. The headline was "Western Union," and if you go to www.onlineathens.com, you can find it in the archives.
We’re busier than ever. On Tuesday, Jason and Sam went to Big Rapids, Michigan for a screening at Ferris University. They anticipated a crowd of about 100 students; instead, the place was packed with over 300 students. Woo-hoo! They were an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. Thanks, Matt Eickhoff, for organizing this event, for a great dinner, and for doing an awesome job pulling in a great crowd. Thanks, too, for the generous donation to Charley’s Fund.
This weekend, the crew is splitting up. Jason, Collin, Darius, his mom Jamie, and 13th crew member Martin Suiza fly to New Brunswick, NJ for a screening at the Neighbours, Inc. state conference. They’re expecting a huge crowd...up to 600! Meanwhile, Logan, Sam, Ben, Harmon, and Barbara are driving to Savannah to do a Q&A at the state conference of Speech Education Professionals. We have rented a cottage on Tybee Island and plan to do some major chilling!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Major kudos to Julie Phillips, our favorite reporter at the Athens Banner-Herald. She just won a third place Associated Press award for one of the many stories she wrote last year about DARIUS GOES WEST. The headline was "Western Union," and if you go to www.onlineathens.com, you can find it in the archives.
We’re busier than ever. On Tuesday, Jason and Sam went to Big Rapids, Michigan for a screening at Ferris University. They anticipated a crowd of about 100 students; instead, the place was packed with over 300 students. Woo-hoo! They were an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. Thanks, Matt Eickhoff, for organizing this event, for a great dinner, and for doing an awesome job pulling in a great crowd. Thanks, too, for the generous donation to Charley’s Fund.
This weekend, the crew is splitting up. Jason, Collin, Darius, his mom Jamie, and 13th crew member Martin Suiza fly to New Brunswick, NJ for a screening at the Neighbours, Inc. state conference. They’re expecting a huge crowd...up to 600! Meanwhile, Logan, Sam, Ben, Harmon, and Barbara are driving to Savannah to do a Q&A at the state conference of Speech Education Professionals. We have rented a cottage on Tybee Island and plan to do some major chilling!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
WE LOVE OUR FANS!
March 26, 2008
Darius gets tons of fan e-mails, and we all love that. He can’t always respond, but he reads them all...sometimes over and over again, so thanks to everyone who’s been writing to him. And please keep ’em coming!
Just today, he got this special note from a student who saw DGW at Fayerweather Street School while we were in Boston last week...
Hey, darius!
i just saw your video at the showing of it at Fayerweather street school, and i have to say i am pretty darn speechless. you seem to have a great love for life, and i want you to know i respect you completely for that. I also have been doing a lot of research of DMD, and ive learned a lot about it, and i want to help get funding to find a cure. It is because of you that i have found a passion for learning about the disease.
thank you so much for sharing your amazing journey,
michaela
Fan mail like this is especially meaningful to us--not only because someone took the time to write it, but because it tells us we are doing our job: raising awareness of DMD and inspiring students to help us raise funds for a cure.
Speaking of Fayerweather Street School, while there, a young fan presented Darius with a hand-written card she had made him. On the outside, it said, "Open to see a happy letter;" on the inside, it said...
Dear Darius,
You are brave and cool! You are independent and everyone loves you about that. You are a person I’d never forget. You are cool and brave.
Love your biggest fan,
Cheyenne
Darius was so touched by this card that he thanked Cheyenne personally during the Q&A and said he planned to hold on to this letter forever. Ahhhhh. (We’ve just posted a picture of Cheyenne and other photos from this screening, so check them out!)
We’ll close this blog with some awesome news we got today. We won the Audience Choice Award at the East Lansing Film Festival (that’s where Sam and Collin went a couple of weeks ago). Since we haven’t been to a film festival in a while, we almost forgot how great winning feels.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Darius gets tons of fan e-mails, and we all love that. He can’t always respond, but he reads them all...sometimes over and over again, so thanks to everyone who’s been writing to him. And please keep ’em coming!
Just today, he got this special note from a student who saw DGW at Fayerweather Street School while we were in Boston last week...
Hey, darius!
i just saw your video at the showing of it at Fayerweather street school, and i have to say i am pretty darn speechless. you seem to have a great love for life, and i want you to know i respect you completely for that. I also have been doing a lot of research of DMD, and ive learned a lot about it, and i want to help get funding to find a cure. It is because of you that i have found a passion for learning about the disease.
thank you so much for sharing your amazing journey,
michaela
Fan mail like this is especially meaningful to us--not only because someone took the time to write it, but because it tells us we are doing our job: raising awareness of DMD and inspiring students to help us raise funds for a cure.
Speaking of Fayerweather Street School, while there, a young fan presented Darius with a hand-written card she had made him. On the outside, it said, "Open to see a happy letter;" on the inside, it said...
Dear Darius,
You are brave and cool! You are independent and everyone loves you about that. You are a person I’d never forget. You are cool and brave.
Love your biggest fan,
Cheyenne
Darius was so touched by this card that he thanked Cheyenne personally during the Q&A and said he planned to hold on to this letter forever. Ahhhhh. (We’ve just posted a picture of Cheyenne and other photos from this screening, so check them out!)
We’ll close this blog with some awesome news we got today. We won the Audience Choice Award at the East Lansing Film Festival (that’s where Sam and Collin went a couple of weeks ago). Since we haven’t been to a film festival in a while, we almost forgot how great winning feels.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY - WOW!
March 25, 2008
Yesterday afternoon, we drove 3.5 hours to Rock Hill, SC to do a screening at Winthrop University. Megan Cox and the Council for Exceptional Children had invited us, and she thought maybe 20-30 people would be there. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive and find a crowd of about 80, and what an enthusiastic crowd they were!
Aside from giving us a standing ovation, this audience may have broken the record for the most questions asked. Many were ones we’d never heard before, and we always love that. Darius had his game on and was cracking jokes (as were Sam, Collin, and Harmon), and the audience was loving it.
Afterwards, in the lobby, folks bought $485 worth of DVDs and DGW merchandise and gave $40 in outright donations to Charley’s Fund! Darius loved hanging with his new fans, especially the female ones (check out the pictures). We also enjoyed seeing Leslie Trier’s family there....her mom Patsy, her aunt Susan, and her sister, Betsy. (Leslie is the director of Project START, formerly known as Project REACH, where Logan first met Darius).
Once we’d packed everything up, Betsy took us to the White Horse restaurant for an awesome dinner (Leslie had promised to pick up the tab). This was an unexpected but awesome surprise!
It was a long drive home, and we didn’t tuck Big Daddy in until after 2:00 AM, but Winthrop was definitely worth the trip. In fact, as we were leaving, there was talk of inviting us back next fall.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Yesterday afternoon, we drove 3.5 hours to Rock Hill, SC to do a screening at Winthrop University. Megan Cox and the Council for Exceptional Children had invited us, and she thought maybe 20-30 people would be there. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive and find a crowd of about 80, and what an enthusiastic crowd they were!
Aside from giving us a standing ovation, this audience may have broken the record for the most questions asked. Many were ones we’d never heard before, and we always love that. Darius had his game on and was cracking jokes (as were Sam, Collin, and Harmon), and the audience was loving it.
Afterwards, in the lobby, folks bought $485 worth of DVDs and DGW merchandise and gave $40 in outright donations to Charley’s Fund! Darius loved hanging with his new fans, especially the female ones (check out the pictures). We also enjoyed seeing Leslie Trier’s family there....her mom Patsy, her aunt Susan, and her sister, Betsy. (Leslie is the director of Project START, formerly known as Project REACH, where Logan first met Darius).
Once we’d packed everything up, Betsy took us to the White Horse restaurant for an awesome dinner (Leslie had promised to pick up the tab). This was an unexpected but awesome surprise!
It was a long drive home, and we didn’t tuck Big Daddy in until after 2:00 AM, but Winthrop was definitely worth the trip. In fact, as we were leaving, there was talk of inviting us back next fall.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
BACK FROM BOSTON
March 22, 2008
We returned from Boston late last night. It took us 21 hours to get home, which was way better than the 23 hours it took us to get there. It will take us a couple of days to catch up on sleep, something we didn’t get too much of while in Bean Town. But we had a blast...
Jason Hees, Alison Firor (Logan’s co-editor), Barbara (Logan and Ben’s mom), and 13th crew member Justin Bell made the looonnng drive to Cambridge, MA, where we were greeted by cold weather and a few snow showers! We arrived at our hotel at 2:00 AM on Tuesday and couldn’t wait to fall into the comfy beds at the Hyatt Regency. Thank you, Shawn Tuttle, at Harvard for providing us with awesome accommodations!
Our screening at Harvard was early Tuesday evening. Before that, we cruised the campus, strolled through Harvard yard, and had lunch with some of Logan’s friends, including Chris Spence, who is the genius behind our new (coming soon) DGW website. The screening was at 5:30, and there was a great crowd (about 165 people or so). One of Logan’s favorite professors (David Dockterman) introduced the film. Afterwards, we got a standing ovation and had a great Q&A. As expected, we were asked many scientific questions, so we were grateful to have Charley’s Fund director of research and strategic planning, George Vella, Ph.D., participate in the Q&A. The best news: we sold over $1,100 worth of DVDs and DGW merchandise after the screening! From there, Shawn treated us all to an awesome dinner at Legal Seafood, where we had the best clam chowder! She also gave us all gift bags, so Darius is now sporting a Harvard cap!
Did we mention that when the film was introduced there was talk of looking into giving Darius an honorary degree to Harvard? How cool would that be?
On Wednesday, we had a free day, but the weather was rainy and cold, so we slept in. In the afternoon, we took Darius into Boston and had a late lunch at an Irish pub, then explored the aquarium. Wednesday night, we ate at this cool restaurant called Fire and Ice in Cambridge, where you pile your choice of raw meats and vegetables into a big bowl, then have it cooked before your eyes on some hot grills. It was all-you-can-eat, and it was delicious. After that, Logan had to leave us to write a paper, but the rest of us hung out with some of his friends and had a great time.
Thursday we had a screening at Fayerweather Street School. From the second we walked into this place, we knew it was going to be a great audience. The classrooms were very open, and almost every inch of wall space was filled with wonderful artwork and cool projects the students were working on. Jason even managed to ’break into" the music room and show off his drumming skills after the screening. Scot Oxholm (math and film studies teacher) was our host with the most, and he managed to attract an audience of about 75 (a combination of students and parents). They gave us a really long standing ovation afterwards and asked tons of great questions. They also bought lots of DVDs and DGW merchandise. That, combined with the $5 donation each person made to see the film, brought the night’s total to around $1,200!
We decided to leave for home after that screening so we would have the weekend to recuperate and enjoy Easter.
A few hours before leaving for Boston, we had a great Q&A at Athens First United Methodist Church with their youth group. There was a huge crowd! They had watched the first half of the movie beforehand and finished it before Darius and some of the guys arrived. They fed us pizza, asked great questions, and lifted everyone’s spirits with a friendship circle and a prayer for Darius. Afterwards, we collected $32 in donations for Charley’s Fund and sold $380 worth of DGW merchandise. Thank you, Amy Valdez Barker, for this wonderful invitation. We always love a hometown crowd!
Overall, in terms of fundraising, it’s been a great week!
On Monday, many of us head up to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC for a screening hosted by the Council for Exceptional Children. Check out all the new pictures we’ve posted from our latest events.
Know about it!
We returned from Boston late last night. It took us 21 hours to get home, which was way better than the 23 hours it took us to get there. It will take us a couple of days to catch up on sleep, something we didn’t get too much of while in Bean Town. But we had a blast...
Jason Hees, Alison Firor (Logan’s co-editor), Barbara (Logan and Ben’s mom), and 13th crew member Justin Bell made the looonnng drive to Cambridge, MA, where we were greeted by cold weather and a few snow showers! We arrived at our hotel at 2:00 AM on Tuesday and couldn’t wait to fall into the comfy beds at the Hyatt Regency. Thank you, Shawn Tuttle, at Harvard for providing us with awesome accommodations!
Our screening at Harvard was early Tuesday evening. Before that, we cruised the campus, strolled through Harvard yard, and had lunch with some of Logan’s friends, including Chris Spence, who is the genius behind our new (coming soon) DGW website. The screening was at 5:30, and there was a great crowd (about 165 people or so). One of Logan’s favorite professors (David Dockterman) introduced the film. Afterwards, we got a standing ovation and had a great Q&A. As expected, we were asked many scientific questions, so we were grateful to have Charley’s Fund director of research and strategic planning, George Vella, Ph.D., participate in the Q&A. The best news: we sold over $1,100 worth of DVDs and DGW merchandise after the screening! From there, Shawn treated us all to an awesome dinner at Legal Seafood, where we had the best clam chowder! She also gave us all gift bags, so Darius is now sporting a Harvard cap!
Did we mention that when the film was introduced there was talk of looking into giving Darius an honorary degree to Harvard? How cool would that be?
On Wednesday, we had a free day, but the weather was rainy and cold, so we slept in. In the afternoon, we took Darius into Boston and had a late lunch at an Irish pub, then explored the aquarium. Wednesday night, we ate at this cool restaurant called Fire and Ice in Cambridge, where you pile your choice of raw meats and vegetables into a big bowl, then have it cooked before your eyes on some hot grills. It was all-you-can-eat, and it was delicious. After that, Logan had to leave us to write a paper, but the rest of us hung out with some of his friends and had a great time.
Thursday we had a screening at Fayerweather Street School. From the second we walked into this place, we knew it was going to be a great audience. The classrooms were very open, and almost every inch of wall space was filled with wonderful artwork and cool projects the students were working on. Jason even managed to ’break into" the music room and show off his drumming skills after the screening. Scot Oxholm (math and film studies teacher) was our host with the most, and he managed to attract an audience of about 75 (a combination of students and parents). They gave us a really long standing ovation afterwards and asked tons of great questions. They also bought lots of DVDs and DGW merchandise. That, combined with the $5 donation each person made to see the film, brought the night’s total to around $1,200!
We decided to leave for home after that screening so we would have the weekend to recuperate and enjoy Easter.
A few hours before leaving for Boston, we had a great Q&A at Athens First United Methodist Church with their youth group. There was a huge crowd! They had watched the first half of the movie beforehand and finished it before Darius and some of the guys arrived. They fed us pizza, asked great questions, and lifted everyone’s spirits with a friendship circle and a prayer for Darius. Afterwards, we collected $32 in donations for Charley’s Fund and sold $380 worth of DGW merchandise. Thank you, Amy Valdez Barker, for this wonderful invitation. We always love a hometown crowd!
Overall, in terms of fundraising, it’s been a great week!
On Monday, many of us head up to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC for a screening hosted by the Council for Exceptional Children. Check out all the new pictures we’ve posted from our latest events.
Know about it!
Friday, March 14, 2008
"BACK IN THE SADDLE"
March 14, 2008
We are still raw with grief from the loss of Eve Carson and continue to honor her memory in many ways...
* There is a memorial service at UNC-Chapel Hill next Tuesday, and many from Athens (and the DGW crew) will attend. Shirtworks (provider of all DGW shirts) have created and donated 50 special shirts for Athenians to wear to this service, and we are so grateful for their (never-ending) kindness. These red shirts have a picture of Eve on the front; on the back is one of her favorite quotes (as listed on her Facebook page):
"Not for 5 minutes... will I be kept from the wonder..."
-- Binx Bollings
* Logan has volunteered to create a website about Eve, and he’s getting help from DGW "13th crew member" and fellow Harvard student, Chris Spence. Many of Eve’s friends are sending Logan material for this loving tribute.
* Another huge DGW supporter, Geri Bidwell, who lives in Santa Barbara, CA, ordered 50 DVDs of our film and plans to send them out to 50 college student body presidents along with a note about Eve and how supportive she was of DGW. Geri will encourage these college leaders to host screenings on their campus like Eve did at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The crew honors Eve by continuing our efforts to find a cure for DMD, and we’ve been busy...
* Last Sunday morning, eight of us traveled to Atlanta for an early morning Q&A at the Bregman Conference. The audience was filled with young adults who had special needs and who "strive to thrive" (the theme of this year’s conference). We couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic audience. Normally at a Q&A, when we ask if anyone has questions, it takes a while for people to raise their hands. At this event, every hand in the room flew up! The microphone was passed around, and Darius was asked the cutest questions: "Do you work out?" "Do you have a girlfirend?" "What’s your favorite food?" With every response from Darius or the crew, there was applause, and when we said goodbye, we got a thunderous standing ovation!
* On Tuesday/Wednesday, Jason and Daniel flew to Pittsburgh for a Q&A at the Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center state conference. This was another amazing crowd who asked great questions and gave Daniel and Jason an incredibly warm welcome. Afterwards, there was a party with karaoke, and Daniel and Jason did a duet of "Whoop, There It Is." Too bad we don’t have a videotape of that. It would get a ton of hits on youtube.com
* On Friday morning, Collin and Sam flew to East Lansing, Michigan for the East Lansing Film Festival. DGW screens there tomorrow afternoon. They’re having a blast in this college town, where tomorrow is a huge St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Hmmm....hope the guys make it to the screening! Funny story about this festival: Last year, we applied to it and got rejected. This year, they wrote and invited us to submit our film. When we told them we’d been rejected last year, they said they had a new selection committee this year and had heard a lot of good things about DGW. Not only were we accepted, but they agreed to host two crew members. Sweet!
* On Sunday evening, we’ve been invited to have dinner and host a Q&A with the youth group at First United Methodist Church. We’re looking forward to that and hope we get a good turn out.
* Fiinally, late Sunday night (actually about 2:00 AM Monday), Jason, Allison, Barbara,, and 13th crew member Justin Bell will load Darius in the van and head to Boston. We have a Harvard-wide screening on Tuesday, then a high school screening on Thursday at Fayerweather St. School. If you have friends or family in the Boston area, please send them our way!
This week marked the anniversary of the loss of Mario Robinson, Darius’s beloved older brother. On Thursday, Sam and Daniel took Darius, his mom, and other family members to visit Mario’s grave. This was the first time Darius had been there since Mario’s funderal, and it meant a lot for him to be able to pay tribute to him.
Know about it!
We are still raw with grief from the loss of Eve Carson and continue to honor her memory in many ways...
* There is a memorial service at UNC-Chapel Hill next Tuesday, and many from Athens (and the DGW crew) will attend. Shirtworks (provider of all DGW shirts) have created and donated 50 special shirts for Athenians to wear to this service, and we are so grateful for their (never-ending) kindness. These red shirts have a picture of Eve on the front; on the back is one of her favorite quotes (as listed on her Facebook page):
"Not for 5 minutes... will I be kept from the wonder..."
-- Binx Bollings
* Logan has volunteered to create a website about Eve, and he’s getting help from DGW "13th crew member" and fellow Harvard student, Chris Spence. Many of Eve’s friends are sending Logan material for this loving tribute.
* Another huge DGW supporter, Geri Bidwell, who lives in Santa Barbara, CA, ordered 50 DVDs of our film and plans to send them out to 50 college student body presidents along with a note about Eve and how supportive she was of DGW. Geri will encourage these college leaders to host screenings on their campus like Eve did at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The crew honors Eve by continuing our efforts to find a cure for DMD, and we’ve been busy...
* Last Sunday morning, eight of us traveled to Atlanta for an early morning Q&A at the Bregman Conference. The audience was filled with young adults who had special needs and who "strive to thrive" (the theme of this year’s conference). We couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic audience. Normally at a Q&A, when we ask if anyone has questions, it takes a while for people to raise their hands. At this event, every hand in the room flew up! The microphone was passed around, and Darius was asked the cutest questions: "Do you work out?" "Do you have a girlfirend?" "What’s your favorite food?" With every response from Darius or the crew, there was applause, and when we said goodbye, we got a thunderous standing ovation!
* On Tuesday/Wednesday, Jason and Daniel flew to Pittsburgh for a Q&A at the Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center state conference. This was another amazing crowd who asked great questions and gave Daniel and Jason an incredibly warm welcome. Afterwards, there was a party with karaoke, and Daniel and Jason did a duet of "Whoop, There It Is." Too bad we don’t have a videotape of that. It would get a ton of hits on youtube.com
* On Friday morning, Collin and Sam flew to East Lansing, Michigan for the East Lansing Film Festival. DGW screens there tomorrow afternoon. They’re having a blast in this college town, where tomorrow is a huge St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Hmmm....hope the guys make it to the screening! Funny story about this festival: Last year, we applied to it and got rejected. This year, they wrote and invited us to submit our film. When we told them we’d been rejected last year, they said they had a new selection committee this year and had heard a lot of good things about DGW. Not only were we accepted, but they agreed to host two crew members. Sweet!
* On Sunday evening, we’ve been invited to have dinner and host a Q&A with the youth group at First United Methodist Church. We’re looking forward to that and hope we get a good turn out.
* Fiinally, late Sunday night (actually about 2:00 AM Monday), Jason, Allison, Barbara,, and 13th crew member Justin Bell will load Darius in the van and head to Boston. We have a Harvard-wide screening on Tuesday, then a high school screening on Thursday at Fayerweather St. School. If you have friends or family in the Boston area, please send them our way!
This week marked the anniversary of the loss of Mario Robinson, Darius’s beloved older brother. On Thursday, Sam and Daniel took Darius, his mom, and other family members to visit Mario’s grave. This was the first time Darius had been there since Mario’s funderal, and it meant a lot for him to be able to pay tribute to him.
Know about it!
Friday, March 7, 2008
IN MEMORY OF EVE CARSON
March 7, 2008
We are mourning the loss of Eve Carson, 22, beloved big sister of DGW crew member, Andrew Carson. Eve was killed in Chapel Hill, NC on March 5, 2008. She was valedictorian of Clarke Central High School and student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was expected to graduate in May. Eve was the epitome of everything good in this world and a HUGE Darius Goes West supporter.
You've likely seen stories about Eve on CNN and other national televison shows, as her senseless murder has captured national media attention. Here is a link to a news story and another link to a heartfelt message written by the Vice Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill...
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/03/06/unc_0307.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2008/03/07/University/There.Is.Only.One.Eve.Carson-3258563.shtml
If you live in or near Athens, we're having a candlelight vigil to honor Eve's memory in front of Clarke Central High School tonight (March 7) at 10:00 PM.
The world has lost an incredible human being. Eve Carson will be sorely missed.
Know about it.
We are mourning the loss of Eve Carson, 22, beloved big sister of DGW crew member, Andrew Carson. Eve was killed in Chapel Hill, NC on March 5, 2008. She was valedictorian of Clarke Central High School and student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was expected to graduate in May. Eve was the epitome of everything good in this world and a HUGE Darius Goes West supporter.
You've likely seen stories about Eve on CNN and other national televison shows, as her senseless murder has captured national media attention. Here is a link to a news story and another link to a heartfelt message written by the Vice Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill...
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/03/06/unc_0307.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2008/03/07/University/There.Is.Only.One.Eve.Carson-3258563.shtml
If you live in or near Athens, we're having a candlelight vigil to honor Eve's memory in front of Clarke Central High School tonight (March 7) at 10:00 PM.
The world has lost an incredible human being. Eve Carson will be sorely missed.
Know about it.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
BACK-TO-BACK SCREENINGS
March 2, 2008
We've had a busy but awesome week. On Thursday, we drove up to Young Harris College in the North Georgia mountains. It was supposed to be a two-hour drive, but three quarters of the way there, the highway was closed (a truck had turned over), and we had to take a detour on the Richard Russell scenic highway. It was very curvy, and with Darius in the back of the van, we had to take it slow. We barely made it in time.
It was well worth the trip, though! When we arrived at Young Harris, the screening room that was supposed to be limited to 100 students was packed with about 150 students (don't tell the fire department!). There were folks in the aisles and all over the floor! They were laughing so loud while the movie played. Afterward, they gave Darius and the crew a long standing ovation, then asked some great questions. They also bought DVDs and t-shirts and donated $205 to Charley's Fund. Woo-hoo! Thank you,Thomas Kloepfer for arranging this screening, for attracting such an awesome crowd, and for being such a perfect host!
We didn't get home from Young Harris until well after midnight, but that didn't stop us from showing up at the Classic Center in Athens on Friday for a DGW screening at the Council for Exceptional Children state conference. This screening was also packed, mostly with special ed teachers (or students studying to be SPED teachers), and wow, what a receptive audience. Halfway through the movie, one of the attendees had to leave the room to get rolls of toilet paper for all the folks who were laughing and crying so hard! They, too, gave Darius and the crew a standing ovation and bought lots of "Know About It" DVDs, DGW t-shirts and wrist bands after the show. Thank you DGW crew member John Harmon, (who's a special ed major at Georgia College), for organizing this screening!
WE NOW HAVE DGW BUMPER STICKERS for sale at our online DGW store (to access it, go to www.dariusgoeswest.com and click on "Get a DVD and some DGW stuff") or call 1-888-8DARIUS. These sell for $5 plus shipping, and there are two kinds. One has white writing on a black background and says "Goslabi...Know About It." The other has black writing on a white background and says "DGW...Know About It." Both have our website listed below the sayings. As usual, all proceeds go to Charley's Fund for DMD research.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
We've had a busy but awesome week. On Thursday, we drove up to Young Harris College in the North Georgia mountains. It was supposed to be a two-hour drive, but three quarters of the way there, the highway was closed (a truck had turned over), and we had to take a detour on the Richard Russell scenic highway. It was very curvy, and with Darius in the back of the van, we had to take it slow. We barely made it in time.
It was well worth the trip, though! When we arrived at Young Harris, the screening room that was supposed to be limited to 100 students was packed with about 150 students (don't tell the fire department!). There were folks in the aisles and all over the floor! They were laughing so loud while the movie played. Afterward, they gave Darius and the crew a long standing ovation, then asked some great questions. They also bought DVDs and t-shirts and donated $205 to Charley's Fund. Woo-hoo! Thank you,Thomas Kloepfer for arranging this screening, for attracting such an awesome crowd, and for being such a perfect host!
We didn't get home from Young Harris until well after midnight, but that didn't stop us from showing up at the Classic Center in Athens on Friday for a DGW screening at the Council for Exceptional Children state conference. This screening was also packed, mostly with special ed teachers (or students studying to be SPED teachers), and wow, what a receptive audience. Halfway through the movie, one of the attendees had to leave the room to get rolls of toilet paper for all the folks who were laughing and crying so hard! They, too, gave Darius and the crew a standing ovation and bought lots of "Know About It" DVDs, DGW t-shirts and wrist bands after the show. Thank you DGW crew member John Harmon, (who's a special ed major at Georgia College), for organizing this screening!
WE NOW HAVE DGW BUMPER STICKERS for sale at our online DGW store (to access it, go to www.dariusgoeswest.com and click on "Get a DVD and some DGW stuff") or call 1-888-8DARIUS. These sell for $5 plus shipping, and there are two kinds. One has white writing on a black background and says "Goslabi...Know About It." The other has black writing on a white background and says "DGW...Know About It." Both have our website listed below the sayings. As usual, all proceeds go to Charley's Fund for DMD research.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
CATCHING OUR BREATH...AND CATCHING YOU UP
February 22, 2008
We've been busy! Sam, Jason, Barbara and Logan have just returned from San Francisco (see pictures we've just posted). We had a free day there to do some sightseeing (we rode the cable cars down to Fisherman's Wharf and had some great seafood) and meet up with DGW co-editor Allison Firor. She introduced us to her new boyfriend, and you'll never guess what his name is: Darius! What are the odds of that?! Day 2 of our trip, we drove through Napa Valley up to Pacific Union College, where some 200 college students watched the movie. PUC really rolled out the red carpet for us...treating us to dinner, filling our rental car with gas, giving us t-shirts, and then providing one of the best audiences ever. They laughed soooo loud! After the Q&A, we sold DVDs and took up donations for Charley's Fund, raising over $500! Special thanks to Stephen Eyer and Juli Miller for arranging this screening.
Day 3 in San Francisco started with a visit to San Francisco Children's Hospital, where teenage patients had been watching the movie all week. There, we met (among others) Ben, who had just gotten his first wheelchair (so he especially loved the movie), and Darien, who asked lots of questions about Darius and how he was doing. We gave all the kids temporary DGW tattoos and DGW wristbands. Later that night, we had a screening at the Bridge Theater, organized by Keith Zwolfer of the San Francisco Film Society. Despite the rain, we had a huge crowd. Many, many teachers showed up to enjoy the movie AND the awesome wine and cheese spread, provided compliments of Theo Gund. Tracy Seckler was also in town to help with the Q&A. The audience was incredibly enthusiastic and afterwards, we sold a whopping $2,000 worth of DVDs, t-shirts, and other DGW/Charley's Fund merchandise.
While we were gone, Collin, Ben, and Darius had an awesome lunch at the Moose Lodge, where DGW was presented with a check for $1,200 for DMD research. This check represented the proceeds of a raffle they had a month or so ago. Thank you, Moose Lodge for your kindness and generosity!
On Wednesday morning, Collin, Ben, and Darius hit the road again, bright and early, so that Darius and Collin could appear on Good Day Atlanta to publicize his appearance at Disability Day. If you missed it, here's a link:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?c..5668943
Finally, Thursday morning, Sam, Kevin, Darius, and Barbara went back to Atlanta for Disability Day. When we left Athens, it wasn't raining a bit; when we got to Atlanta, it was raining a lot....and we didn't take any rain gear! By the time we found a parking space and got to the Capitol steps, the crowd had thinned out (mostly because it was so rainy and cold), but Darius wowed them with his short speech. He also led the "My vote is for real" chant, got to meet some of our legistlators, and met the ambassador from Ecuador. From the steps of the Capitol, we went to the Freight Depot for lunch. There were about 2,000 people there, including Mark Johnson (who's in the movie). Darius went up on stage and spoke briefly again. He was awesome, and we were so proud. We've posted pictures, so check them out.
Other news...
* Martin Bashir was recently asked to moderate a debate at Columbia University, for which he was offered a $500 honorarium. He decided to donate the money to Charley's Fund!
* We did not advance in the Volvo For Life Contest. We felt a little bit at a disadvantage here because the judges were not sent copies of our movie. But we're not losers here. After all, we already won $25,000 for Charley's Fund.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
We've been busy! Sam, Jason, Barbara and Logan have just returned from San Francisco (see pictures we've just posted). We had a free day there to do some sightseeing (we rode the cable cars down to Fisherman's Wharf and had some great seafood) and meet up with DGW co-editor Allison Firor. She introduced us to her new boyfriend, and you'll never guess what his name is: Darius! What are the odds of that?! Day 2 of our trip, we drove through Napa Valley up to Pacific Union College, where some 200 college students watched the movie. PUC really rolled out the red carpet for us...treating us to dinner, filling our rental car with gas, giving us t-shirts, and then providing one of the best audiences ever. They laughed soooo loud! After the Q&A, we sold DVDs and took up donations for Charley's Fund, raising over $500! Special thanks to Stephen Eyer and Juli Miller for arranging this screening.
Day 3 in San Francisco started with a visit to San Francisco Children's Hospital, where teenage patients had been watching the movie all week. There, we met (among others) Ben, who had just gotten his first wheelchair (so he especially loved the movie), and Darien, who asked lots of questions about Darius and how he was doing. We gave all the kids temporary DGW tattoos and DGW wristbands. Later that night, we had a screening at the Bridge Theater, organized by Keith Zwolfer of the San Francisco Film Society. Despite the rain, we had a huge crowd. Many, many teachers showed up to enjoy the movie AND the awesome wine and cheese spread, provided compliments of Theo Gund. Tracy Seckler was also in town to help with the Q&A. The audience was incredibly enthusiastic and afterwards, we sold a whopping $2,000 worth of DVDs, t-shirts, and other DGW/Charley's Fund merchandise.
While we were gone, Collin, Ben, and Darius had an awesome lunch at the Moose Lodge, where DGW was presented with a check for $1,200 for DMD research. This check represented the proceeds of a raffle they had a month or so ago. Thank you, Moose Lodge for your kindness and generosity!
On Wednesday morning, Collin, Ben, and Darius hit the road again, bright and early, so that Darius and Collin could appear on Good Day Atlanta to publicize his appearance at Disability Day. If you missed it, here's a link:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?c..5668943
Finally, Thursday morning, Sam, Kevin, Darius, and Barbara went back to Atlanta for Disability Day. When we left Athens, it wasn't raining a bit; when we got to Atlanta, it was raining a lot....and we didn't take any rain gear! By the time we found a parking space and got to the Capitol steps, the crowd had thinned out (mostly because it was so rainy and cold), but Darius wowed them with his short speech. He also led the "My vote is for real" chant, got to meet some of our legistlators, and met the ambassador from Ecuador. From the steps of the Capitol, we went to the Freight Depot for lunch. There were about 2,000 people there, including Mark Johnson (who's in the movie). Darius went up on stage and spoke briefly again. He was awesome, and we were so proud. We've posted pictures, so check them out.
Other news...
* Martin Bashir was recently asked to moderate a debate at Columbia University, for which he was offered a $500 honorarium. He decided to donate the money to Charley's Fund!
* We did not advance in the Volvo For Life Contest. We felt a little bit at a disadvantage here because the judges were not sent copies of our movie. But we're not losers here. After all, we already won $25,000 for Charley's Fund.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Monday, February 25, 2008
JULIA ROBERTS KNOWS ABOUT IT!
February 25, 2008
Today was a great day for DGW! Months ago, our agent sent "Darius Goes West" to Julia Roberts. She loved the film and asked how she could help. In fact, she offered to "present" the movie, and today, Logan met the "Pretty Woman" in Los Angeles to make that happen! (Picture expected tomorrow).
Basically, "presenting" a movie is like endorsing it. We're hoping a new DVD of DGW will be released in a couple of months that will possibly have Julia Roberts' picture on the cover, and will say something like: "Julia Roberts presents...Darius Goes West: The Roll of His LIfe." She will also give an introduction at the start of the movie...that's what Logan was doing today: directing the filming of that intro. Having Julia Roberts present should open lots of doors for us, so woo-hoo!
Thanks to our agent, Jon Levin at CAA, and to our executive producer, Julia Eisenmann for making this happen! And HUGE thanks to Julia Roberts for being so warm, gracious, and willing to help (that's a Georgia girl for you!).
Other cool news: Sam and Jason spent the weekend in Calgary, Canada at the ReelFun Film Festival, where DGW was the opening film. Cathy McKee, festival director, really rolled out the red carpet for them. Just before the movie showed, Sam and Jason were made honorary Calgarians via a white hat ceremony which is a very big deal (reserved mostly for heads of state, movie stars, Olympic athletes, etc.). On Sunday night, Cathy's son took Sam and Jason up to Banff to a pricey buffet that consisted of cook-your-own alligator, kangaroo, rattlesnake, buffalo, shark, ostrich, frog legs, and wild boar, ....with chocolate fondue for dessert. HA! The audience for the film was awesome, and Sam and Jason both said they wished they could have stayed a couple of weeks. We'll post pictures as soon as we get 'em.
On Thursday night, we head to Young Harris College for a screening, then have another one on Friday at the Council For Exceptional Children (CEC) State Conference at the Classic Center in Athens.
Know about it!
Today was a great day for DGW! Months ago, our agent sent "Darius Goes West" to Julia Roberts. She loved the film and asked how she could help. In fact, she offered to "present" the movie, and today, Logan met the "Pretty Woman" in Los Angeles to make that happen! (Picture expected tomorrow).
Basically, "presenting" a movie is like endorsing it. We're hoping a new DVD of DGW will be released in a couple of months that will possibly have Julia Roberts' picture on the cover, and will say something like: "Julia Roberts presents...Darius Goes West: The Roll of His LIfe." She will also give an introduction at the start of the movie...that's what Logan was doing today: directing the filming of that intro. Having Julia Roberts present should open lots of doors for us, so woo-hoo!
Thanks to our agent, Jon Levin at CAA, and to our executive producer, Julia Eisenmann for making this happen! And HUGE thanks to Julia Roberts for being so warm, gracious, and willing to help (that's a Georgia girl for you!).
Other cool news: Sam and Jason spent the weekend in Calgary, Canada at the ReelFun Film Festival, where DGW was the opening film. Cathy McKee, festival director, really rolled out the red carpet for them. Just before the movie showed, Sam and Jason were made honorary Calgarians via a white hat ceremony which is a very big deal (reserved mostly for heads of state, movie stars, Olympic athletes, etc.). On Sunday night, Cathy's son took Sam and Jason up to Banff to a pricey buffet that consisted of cook-your-own alligator, kangaroo, rattlesnake, buffalo, shark, ostrich, frog legs, and wild boar, ....with chocolate fondue for dessert. HA! The audience for the film was awesome, and Sam and Jason both said they wished they could have stayed a couple of weeks. We'll post pictures as soon as we get 'em.
On Thursday night, we head to Young Harris College for a screening, then have another one on Friday at the Council For Exceptional Children (CEC) State Conference at the Classic Center in Athens.
Know about it!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
DGW IN THE NEWS + BIG NEWS!
January 23, 2008
Lots of recent articles have come out about Darius Goes West, and we thought we'd share them with you...
A profile on our director, Logan Smalley, appears in this month's issue of Harvard Ed (College of Education) magazine. Here's the link...
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2008/winter/appian/student.html
An article on DGW,written by Logan's mom and "Know About It" program director, Barbara Smalley, appears in the January/February issue of Athens Parent magazine. Check it out...
http://www.athensparent.com/articles/featuregen/dariusgoeswest.html
Then, there's a triple play of articles penned by Penne Elk of Swampland.com. She recently saw DGW for the first time and decided to write (a) a review of the movie, (b) an interview with Logan, and (c) a feature story about DGW. How cool is that? Here are those links...
http://www.swampland.com/articles/view/rivervue/493
http://www.swampland.com/articles/view/rivervue/492
http://www.swampland.com/reviews/view/rivervue/363
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...
Many of the crew traveled to Gatlinburg, TN for a long (MLK) holiday weekend of fun. When we found out the house we rented was accessible, we decided to take Darius with us. We all had a blast. Check out the pictures!
SHOUT OUTS:...
* Congrats to DMD moms in New Hampshire, Lori Safford and Linda Currier, who each organized screenings of Darius Goes West in their hometowns. With the help of their generous communities, together Linda and Lori raised $3,500 for Charley's Fund! The Safford and Currier families managed to talk a local theater into donating venue space at no charge and convinced printers to provide flyers and tickets free of charge. We hope others will follow their lead by orgniazing a screening where they live. You can screen the film in a theater for 200+ people, or show it in your house for 20 friends...either way helps make a diffeence!
* Kudos to Andover Phillips Academy (just outside of Boston), who hosted Logan at a screening and Q&A this past Sunday. DGW 13th crew member Geri Bidwell (an alum of the school where daughter Lucy, who helped organize this special evening, now attends) supplied tons of sushi for this event, then pledged $1,000 to Charley's Fund for any student or teacher in attendance who would take the "Goslabi Dare." This challenge entailed eating a teaspoon of wasabi...just like Big D did on the trip. Three brave souls stepped up, so Geri made a donation of $3,000! And when a fourth volunteer stepped up, another alum, Brot Bishop, threw an extra $1,000 into the pot. (Check out the pictures!). Woo-hoo!
BIG NEWS...
We just found out that Run DMC, a world-famous rap group, has agreed to do a benefit concert for Charley's Fund. October 2 is the date; NYC is the place. We hope you'll consider joining us for "Run DMD," an evening with Run DMC and Big D! Darius will even take the stage and do a little rapping himself! Thanks to DGW 13th crew member, Jen Portnoy for making this happen! We are pumped about this one!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Lots of recent articles have come out about Darius Goes West, and we thought we'd share them with you...
A profile on our director, Logan Smalley, appears in this month's issue of Harvard Ed (College of Education) magazine. Here's the link...
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2008/winter/appian/student.html
An article on DGW,written by Logan's mom and "Know About It" program director, Barbara Smalley, appears in the January/February issue of Athens Parent magazine. Check it out...
http://www.athensparent.com/articles/featuregen/dariusgoeswest.html
Then, there's a triple play of articles penned by Penne Elk of Swampland.com. She recently saw DGW for the first time and decided to write (a) a review of the movie, (b) an interview with Logan, and (c) a feature story about DGW. How cool is that? Here are those links...
http://www.swampland.com/articles/view/rivervue/493
http://www.swampland.com/articles/view/rivervue/492
http://www.swampland.com/reviews/view/rivervue/363
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...
Many of the crew traveled to Gatlinburg, TN for a long (MLK) holiday weekend of fun. When we found out the house we rented was accessible, we decided to take Darius with us. We all had a blast. Check out the pictures!
SHOUT OUTS:...
* Congrats to DMD moms in New Hampshire, Lori Safford and Linda Currier, who each organized screenings of Darius Goes West in their hometowns. With the help of their generous communities, together Linda and Lori raised $3,500 for Charley's Fund! The Safford and Currier families managed to talk a local theater into donating venue space at no charge and convinced printers to provide flyers and tickets free of charge. We hope others will follow their lead by orgniazing a screening where they live. You can screen the film in a theater for 200+ people, or show it in your house for 20 friends...either way helps make a diffeence!
* Kudos to Andover Phillips Academy (just outside of Boston), who hosted Logan at a screening and Q&A this past Sunday. DGW 13th crew member Geri Bidwell (an alum of the school where daughter Lucy, who helped organize this special evening, now attends) supplied tons of sushi for this event, then pledged $1,000 to Charley's Fund for any student or teacher in attendance who would take the "Goslabi Dare." This challenge entailed eating a teaspoon of wasabi...just like Big D did on the trip. Three brave souls stepped up, so Geri made a donation of $3,000! And when a fourth volunteer stepped up, another alum, Brot Bishop, threw an extra $1,000 into the pot. (Check out the pictures!). Woo-hoo!
BIG NEWS...
We just found out that Run DMC, a world-famous rap group, has agreed to do a benefit concert for Charley's Fund. October 2 is the date; NYC is the place. We hope you'll consider joining us for "Run DMD," an evening with Run DMC and Big D! Darius will even take the stage and do a little rapping himself! Thanks to DGW 13th crew member, Jen Portnoy for making this happen! We are pumped about this one!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A VALENTINE FOR DARIUS
February 14, 2008
Last, night, we had a special screening of DGW at the Georgia Museum of Art. We billed it "A Valentine for Darius." Despite the frigid temperatures outside--and competition from the Dave Brubeck quartet nextdoor at Hodgson Hall, some 70 people showed up. And what an enthusiastic and receptive crowd they were! Afterwards, D's mom, Jamie, joined Darius and a few other crew members (including DGW cameraman Dylan Wilson, who was in town) on stage for a great Q&A. This was the first event where we had DVDs for sale. This, combined with ticket and DGW t-shirt sales, enabled us to raise $1,300! Thanks to all the staff at GMOA for letting us use your beautiful facilitiy, and a special shout out to Jenny Collard Williams for being the perfect hostess, as well as to Martin Suiza, Amy Gellins, and Dory MacMillan for helping to sell tickets and DGW merchandise.
Unfortunately, Darius had to go to this event in his manual chair. Once again, both of his wheelchairs are acting up, and today, we took them back to the shop for repairs. The good news: his doctor has written him a prescription for a new chair, so in a month or so, he should have some more reliable wheels. Woo-hoo!
A handful of us (Sam, Logan, Jason, and Barbara) are off to San Francisco on Saturday. We have a screening at Pacific Union College in Napa Valley, a hospital visit (where we will deliver DGW DVDs to bedridden children), and a screening for teachers (and other invitees) at the Bridge Theater hosted by the wonderful folks at the San Francisco Film Festival. We return on Wednesday, then take Darius on Thursday to Atlanta to speak on the Capitol steps for Disability Day. Busy, busy, busy!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Last, night, we had a special screening of DGW at the Georgia Museum of Art. We billed it "A Valentine for Darius." Despite the frigid temperatures outside--and competition from the Dave Brubeck quartet nextdoor at Hodgson Hall, some 70 people showed up. And what an enthusiastic and receptive crowd they were! Afterwards, D's mom, Jamie, joined Darius and a few other crew members (including DGW cameraman Dylan Wilson, who was in town) on stage for a great Q&A. This was the first event where we had DVDs for sale. This, combined with ticket and DGW t-shirt sales, enabled us to raise $1,300! Thanks to all the staff at GMOA for letting us use your beautiful facilitiy, and a special shout out to Jenny Collard Williams for being the perfect hostess, as well as to Martin Suiza, Amy Gellins, and Dory MacMillan for helping to sell tickets and DGW merchandise.
Unfortunately, Darius had to go to this event in his manual chair. Once again, both of his wheelchairs are acting up, and today, we took them back to the shop for repairs. The good news: his doctor has written him a prescription for a new chair, so in a month or so, he should have some more reliable wheels. Woo-hoo!
A handful of us (Sam, Logan, Jason, and Barbara) are off to San Francisco on Saturday. We have a screening at Pacific Union College in Napa Valley, a hospital visit (where we will deliver DGW DVDs to bedridden children), and a screening for teachers (and other invitees) at the Bridge Theater hosted by the wonderful folks at the San Francisco Film Festival. We return on Wednesday, then take Darius on Thursday to Atlanta to speak on the Capitol steps for Disability Day. Busy, busy, busy!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Friday, February 8, 2008
DARIUS IS A UGA IDOL
February 8, 2008
Last night, Darius was named the first ever honorary UGA Idol at a competition that presented 16 awesome (college student) singers competing against one another for the real title of UGA Idol. The event, a takeoff on American Idol, took place at Hodgson Hall on the University of Georgia's campus and drew a packed house of about 500 people. Af the end of the competition, while the judges were deliberating, the two-minute DGW trailer was shown, then Darius rolled out (to a standing ovation) and did some crowd-pleasing, freestyle rapping. He was in the zone! (Check out the pictures we've posted). After his performance, the president of Hillel (sponsors of the event) presented Darius with his honorary UGA Idol certificate.
This isn't the only honor thrown Darius' way this week. He's also been invited to speak on the steps of the Capitol on February 21 as part of the 10th Annual Disability Day. The theme this year is not only multicultural advocacy but also the importance of the disability community's participation in the voting process. Having just turned voting age himself, Darius will lead the crowd in the "My Vote Is For Real" chant at the end of the rally. The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities has sponsored Disability Day for the past nine years, and last year this event boasted attendance of more than 1,800 people! While at the Capitol, we plan to hand-deliver copies of our film to many of our elected officials.
There's a nice review of DGW at Moving Pictures magazine. You can check it out by following this link:
http://www.movingpicturesmagazine.com/reviews/movies/dariusgoeswest
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Last night, Darius was named the first ever honorary UGA Idol at a competition that presented 16 awesome (college student) singers competing against one another for the real title of UGA Idol. The event, a takeoff on American Idol, took place at Hodgson Hall on the University of Georgia's campus and drew a packed house of about 500 people. Af the end of the competition, while the judges were deliberating, the two-minute DGW trailer was shown, then Darius rolled out (to a standing ovation) and did some crowd-pleasing, freestyle rapping. He was in the zone! (Check out the pictures we've posted). After his performance, the president of Hillel (sponsors of the event) presented Darius with his honorary UGA Idol certificate.
This isn't the only honor thrown Darius' way this week. He's also been invited to speak on the steps of the Capitol on February 21 as part of the 10th Annual Disability Day. The theme this year is not only multicultural advocacy but also the importance of the disability community's participation in the voting process. Having just turned voting age himself, Darius will lead the crowd in the "My Vote Is For Real" chant at the end of the rally. The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities has sponsored Disability Day for the past nine years, and last year this event boasted attendance of more than 1,800 people! While at the Capitol, we plan to hand-deliver copies of our film to many of our elected officials.
There's a nice review of DGW at Moving Pictures magazine. You can check it out by following this link:
http://www.movingpicturesmagazine.com/reviews/movies/dariusgoeswest
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE FOR TRACY
February 5, 2008
This Friday, February 8 is the last day to help Tracy Kramer Seckler (Charley's mom) win the Smart Cookie Award and $35,000 for Charley's Fund. Charley's Fund is the beneficiary of all proceeds from Darius Goes West. All money they raise goes directly to DMD research.
If you haven't voted, please go here to vote:
www.cookiemag.com/go/smartcookie
If you have already voted, please forward this e-mail to everyone you know. We won the Volvo for Life vote for Darius. Together we can help Charley's Fund win $35,000!
Know about it!
This Friday, February 8 is the last day to help Tracy Kramer Seckler (Charley's mom) win the Smart Cookie Award and $35,000 for Charley's Fund. Charley's Fund is the beneficiary of all proceeds from Darius Goes West. All money they raise goes directly to DMD research.
If you haven't voted, please go here to vote:
www.cookiemag.com/go/smartcookie
If you have already voted, please forward this e-mail to everyone you know. We won the Volvo for Life vote for Darius. Together we can help Charley's Fund win $35,000!
Know about it!
Monday, February 4, 2008
SUPER INTERVIEW FOLLOWING THE SUPER BOWL
February 4, 2008
As reported yesterday, Fox Five News (Atlanta) reporter Julia Harding (with cameraman Jason) came to Athens yesterday to film Darius and the crew for a segment that aired last night AFTER THE SUPER BOWL AND ON THE SAME CHANNEL! It must have been watched by many, many people, because almost immediately, fan e-mails were pouring in. Woo-hoo!
Ben, Sam, Daniel, Collin, and Kevin met at Darius's house, where the segment was filmed in Darius and Jamie's new living room (see pictures we just posted! Only Ben, Sam, Daniel, and Darius were interviewed (due to time constraints), and only Daniel, Darius, and Ben (mistakenly identified as Sam...HA!) appeared on the segment.
Thank you, Julia, for giving Dodge a plug, for showing the Delta, Shirtworks, and ABC Printing logos by filming the DGW van, and for telling everyone that DVDs are for sale at our website.
Let's hope we see a spike in sales!
If you missed the segment or live outside of Atlanta, here's a link:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?c..5668943
If you like what you see, please send an e-mail to the reporter at this e-mail address: julia.harding@foxtv.com
Know about it!
As reported yesterday, Fox Five News (Atlanta) reporter Julia Harding (with cameraman Jason) came to Athens yesterday to film Darius and the crew for a segment that aired last night AFTER THE SUPER BOWL AND ON THE SAME CHANNEL! It must have been watched by many, many people, because almost immediately, fan e-mails were pouring in. Woo-hoo!
Ben, Sam, Daniel, Collin, and Kevin met at Darius's house, where the segment was filmed in Darius and Jamie's new living room (see pictures we just posted! Only Ben, Sam, Daniel, and Darius were interviewed (due to time constraints), and only Daniel, Darius, and Ben (mistakenly identified as Sam...HA!) appeared on the segment.
Thank you, Julia, for giving Dodge a plug, for showing the Delta, Shirtworks, and ABC Printing logos by filming the DGW van, and for telling everyone that DVDs are for sale at our website.
Let's hope we see a spike in sales!
If you missed the segment or live outside of Atlanta, here's a link:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?c..5668943
If you like what you see, please send an e-mail to the reporter at this e-mail address: julia.harding@foxtv.com
Know about it!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
DGW ON FOX FIVE NEWS
February 2, 2008
We got a call from reporter at Fox 5 News in Atlanta today. She heard about our movie and is coming to interview us tomorrow in Athens at D's house. The segment is scheduled to air tomorrow (Sunday) right after the Super Bowl!
Sorry for the late notice, but we hope if you live in Atlanta or Athens you'll watch...and we'd love it if you'd send the station an e-mail afterwards and tell them thanks for the coverage.
DGW is playing (pay per view) on Delta Airlines this month (and last month). We just got an e-mail from a new fan who watched it on a flight a couple of days ago. She said that she was crying so hard by the end of the movie that the flight attendants asked if there was anything they could do for her!
This week, Collin and Sam traveled to Cincinnati Country Day School for "Diversity Day." The entire Upper School there (about 200 students) watched DGW, then gave Sam and Collin a standing ovation. Sam and Collin hung out for the rest of the day, mingling with the students, before heading back to Athens. Both said this was one of their favorite screenings ever! Meanwhile, Darius, Daniel, Ben, and Barbara led a discussion of the film with students taking one of Jenny Manders' classes at UGA's Institute for Human Development and Disability. This group had watched the movie earlier in the week and asked great questions. They were a diverse group...all different majors.
Don't forget our special screening of DGW at the Georgia Museum of Art on February 13. "A Valentine for Darius" will start at 7:00 PM. Tickets (available at the door) are $15, and all proceeds go to Charley's Fund. Darius and the crew will be there for a Q&A.
Know about it!
We got a call from reporter at Fox 5 News in Atlanta today. She heard about our movie and is coming to interview us tomorrow in Athens at D's house. The segment is scheduled to air tomorrow (Sunday) right after the Super Bowl!
Sorry for the late notice, but we hope if you live in Atlanta or Athens you'll watch...and we'd love it if you'd send the station an e-mail afterwards and tell them thanks for the coverage.
DGW is playing (pay per view) on Delta Airlines this month (and last month). We just got an e-mail from a new fan who watched it on a flight a couple of days ago. She said that she was crying so hard by the end of the movie that the flight attendants asked if there was anything they could do for her!
This week, Collin and Sam traveled to Cincinnati Country Day School for "Diversity Day." The entire Upper School there (about 200 students) watched DGW, then gave Sam and Collin a standing ovation. Sam and Collin hung out for the rest of the day, mingling with the students, before heading back to Athens. Both said this was one of their favorite screenings ever! Meanwhile, Darius, Daniel, Ben, and Barbara led a discussion of the film with students taking one of Jenny Manders' classes at UGA's Institute for Human Development and Disability. This group had watched the movie earlier in the week and asked great questions. They were a diverse group...all different majors.
Don't forget our special screening of DGW at the Georgia Museum of Art on February 13. "A Valentine for Darius" will start at 7:00 PM. Tickets (available at the door) are $15, and all proceeds go to Charley's Fund. Darius and the crew will be there for a Q&A.
Know about it!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
"V" IS FOR VICTORY...AND FOR VOLVO!
January 15, 2008
We LOVE our fans!
Thanks to all of you, ABC's Nightline coverage of DGW aired twice. Thanks to all of you, The Today Show featuring Darius and Logan had record ratings. Thanks to all of you, our segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show was repeated. And now, thanks to all of you...drum roll, please...Darius has been named a finalist in the Volvo for Life contest! YOU voted for him--time and time again--and it paid off...not just for Darius, but for Charley's Fund, which is guaranteed $25,000 (for DMD research). Now, as finalists, we have a shot at $100,000!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Our fans rock!
Special thanks to Julie Phillips at the Athens Banner-Herald for nominating Darius for this awesome honor.
Everything is in the judges' hands now, so all we can do is keep our fingers (and toes) crossed. Whatever the outcome, we are already winners, thanks to all of you!
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
We LOVE our fans!
Thanks to all of you, ABC's Nightline coverage of DGW aired twice. Thanks to all of you, The Today Show featuring Darius and Logan had record ratings. Thanks to all of you, our segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show was repeated. And now, thanks to all of you...drum roll, please...Darius has been named a finalist in the Volvo for Life contest! YOU voted for him--time and time again--and it paid off...not just for Darius, but for Charley's Fund, which is guaranteed $25,000 (for DMD research). Now, as finalists, we have a shot at $100,000!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Our fans rock!
Special thanks to Julie Phillips at the Athens Banner-Herald for nominating Darius for this awesome honor.
Everything is in the judges' hands now, so all we can do is keep our fingers (and toes) crossed. Whatever the outcome, we are already winners, thanks to all of you!
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
YOU VOTED FOR DARIUS...NOW VOTE FOR TRACY!
January 13, 2007
Thanks to everyone who voted for Darius in the Volvo For Life contest. We hope we advance to the next round and should hear something within the next week or so (fingers crossed). Now we're asking you to cast one more vote--this time for Tracy Seckler, Charley's mom. She is a national finalist for an award given by Cookie Magazine.
The Smart Cookie Award recognizes, celebrates, and supports mothers who are making a significant difference in the world. In addition to some high-profile honorees (last year, Sharon Stone and Cynthia Nixon were chosen), the award also recognizes an "everyday extraordinary mom," who is elected by the visitors of Cookie's website, as the people's choice. Please visit this link and vote for Tracy Seckler now. You can only vote once. If Tracy wins the online vote, $35,000 goes to Charley's Fund for DMD research! So, VOTE, and please tell everyone you know to do the same. Here's where to go:
www.cookiemag.com/go/smartcookie
To learn more about Tracy and Charley's Fund, you can also visit www.charleysfund.org
Other news: We had an awesome housewarming party for Jamie and her family last Thursday night. It was a great turnout, and everyone brought food to stock the Weems' fridge and pantry (we'll post pictures soon). Kudos to Jenny Manders for organizing this wonderful evening of food, fun, and fellowship. And big thanks to Buffalo's for donating 100 wings. Yum! Jamie got some great gifts, and she and Darius want to thank everyone who attended the party and who helped build their house. They LOVE their new digs.
Know about it!
Thanks to everyone who voted for Darius in the Volvo For Life contest. We hope we advance to the next round and should hear something within the next week or so (fingers crossed). Now we're asking you to cast one more vote--this time for Tracy Seckler, Charley's mom. She is a national finalist for an award given by Cookie Magazine.
The Smart Cookie Award recognizes, celebrates, and supports mothers who are making a significant difference in the world. In addition to some high-profile honorees (last year, Sharon Stone and Cynthia Nixon were chosen), the award also recognizes an "everyday extraordinary mom," who is elected by the visitors of Cookie's website, as the people's choice. Please visit this link and vote for Tracy Seckler now. You can only vote once. If Tracy wins the online vote, $35,000 goes to Charley's Fund for DMD research! So, VOTE, and please tell everyone you know to do the same. Here's where to go:
www.cookiemag.com/go/smartcookie
To learn more about Tracy and Charley's Fund, you can also visit www.charleysfund.org
Other news: We had an awesome housewarming party for Jamie and her family last Thursday night. It was a great turnout, and everyone brought food to stock the Weems' fridge and pantry (we'll post pictures soon). Kudos to Jenny Manders for organizing this wonderful evening of food, fun, and fellowship. And big thanks to Buffalo's for donating 100 wings. Yum! Jamie got some great gifts, and she and Darius want to thank everyone who attended the party and who helped build their house. They LOVE their new digs.
Know about it!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
DGW ON MTV!
January 9, 2008
The headline is for real! Only we're talking about MTV/Canada.
Tonight at 6:30 PM, Darius and Logan appeared on MTV Live, a show produced by MTV/Canada and based in Toronto. The three-minute segment was taped via webcam at Athens Academy (thanks, Jarrard!), and within seconds of airing, we were getting fan mail. Woo-hoo!
We were quite surprised when we got the call a few days ago. They said they had read about our film and seen Darius and Logan on The Today Show. They asked for a copy of the movie so they could show clips from it, and we thought for sure when they saw it, they would back out. But they didn't!
Canada loves DGW. In fact, another huge TV show out of Toronto, called "The Hour" (think "60 Minutes, only edgier) wants to interview Darius for their show. Since the movie is playing at the Sprockets International Children's Film Festival on April 17 in Toronto, we decided to take Darius to Canada, and he will be interviewed for "The Hour" while there. Darius Goes (Extreme) North! Thanks to new DGW fan Mona Sidler-Hosios for making this happen!
We're making news all over the place...
* Check out the awesome review on DVDTalk by film critic David Walker. He saw our film in Portland, OR at the Longbaugh Film Festival and has been a huge DGW fan ever since. To access it, go to www.dvdtalk.com and put "Darius Goes West" in the search box. Please leave a comment!
* We also love what Canadian blogger Dave Hingsburger had to say about DGW:
DGW
Last year when Lynne Seagle came to do a presentation here in the Toronto area, we had dinner together at a Irish Pub style restaurant. Lynne was full of stories about the most recent staff retreat that had been held for her organization called Hope House which serves people with intellectual disabilities in Virginia. She went on and on about a film that she had seen and told the story of how she came to get rights to show the film at the staff retreat. That was the first time I had heard of Darius Goes West. Lynne spoke of her staff watching the film and alternately laughing, crying and cheering.
When Lynne wrote me a few days ago asking for my home address because she had something she wanted to send me, I thought that she was probably going to send me the new sexuality policy that we'd worked on together or a draft of our plans to do a workshop day together. Both things I wanted, so when the package arrived, I tossed it aside for a few minutes because I was talking to my boss on the phone.
As soon as I was done, I ripped open the package to find a note from Lynne and a DVD copy of Darius Goes West. All I remembered about what Lynne had said about the movie was that it was about a group of young men who take another young man with Muscular Dystrophy on a road trip to California to see if they can get his wheelchair 'pimped' on the MTV programme Pimp My Ride. A wonderful concept. We had company staying with us and everyone gathered around the television.
We popped it in and pushed play. Within seconds my eyes began to fill and I had to look away. I wished I was seeing this on my own. Why didn't Lynne warn me about ... oh yeah ... she did. But no shame here, everyone was reacting the same way. The movie is full of laughs, real laughs ... but it's also full of moments of real, true, tenderness. It encourages the viewer to reevaluate what community means, what caring means ... they were documenting two road trips - the one made by the 15 year old man with Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy to California, but they were also documenting the journey that each was making in relation to the other. At first the young men travelling with Darius learned little lessons about the big issue of assessibility - but they began to learn big lessons about the little issue in life.
All the money from the sale of the DVD is going to raise money for research into MD, that's cool, but even if it wasn't - this isn't a DVD you buy to support a charity, this is a DVD you buy because for the time watching it, you are with Darius as he goes west. And for 90 minutes, there's no better place to be.
Note to Readers: I don't know how to buy this film, I looked it up on the web, but I'm not all that good at these kind of searches. It's not on Amazon ... so if you know or if you are a computer whizz that can find these ... could you post in the comments section about purchase information. This is a must see, must experience, movie.
Note to Lynne - Thanks.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
The headline is for real! Only we're talking about MTV/Canada.
Tonight at 6:30 PM, Darius and Logan appeared on MTV Live, a show produced by MTV/Canada and based in Toronto. The three-minute segment was taped via webcam at Athens Academy (thanks, Jarrard!), and within seconds of airing, we were getting fan mail. Woo-hoo!
We were quite surprised when we got the call a few days ago. They said they had read about our film and seen Darius and Logan on The Today Show. They asked for a copy of the movie so they could show clips from it, and we thought for sure when they saw it, they would back out. But they didn't!
Canada loves DGW. In fact, another huge TV show out of Toronto, called "The Hour" (think "60 Minutes, only edgier) wants to interview Darius for their show. Since the movie is playing at the Sprockets International Children's Film Festival on April 17 in Toronto, we decided to take Darius to Canada, and he will be interviewed for "The Hour" while there. Darius Goes (Extreme) North! Thanks to new DGW fan Mona Sidler-Hosios for making this happen!
We're making news all over the place...
* Check out the awesome review on DVDTalk by film critic David Walker. He saw our film in Portland, OR at the Longbaugh Film Festival and has been a huge DGW fan ever since. To access it, go to www.dvdtalk.com and put "Darius Goes West" in the search box. Please leave a comment!
* We also love what Canadian blogger Dave Hingsburger had to say about DGW:
DGW
Last year when Lynne Seagle came to do a presentation here in the Toronto area, we had dinner together at a Irish Pub style restaurant. Lynne was full of stories about the most recent staff retreat that had been held for her organization called Hope House which serves people with intellectual disabilities in Virginia. She went on and on about a film that she had seen and told the story of how she came to get rights to show the film at the staff retreat. That was the first time I had heard of Darius Goes West. Lynne spoke of her staff watching the film and alternately laughing, crying and cheering.
When Lynne wrote me a few days ago asking for my home address because she had something she wanted to send me, I thought that she was probably going to send me the new sexuality policy that we'd worked on together or a draft of our plans to do a workshop day together. Both things I wanted, so when the package arrived, I tossed it aside for a few minutes because I was talking to my boss on the phone.
As soon as I was done, I ripped open the package to find a note from Lynne and a DVD copy of Darius Goes West. All I remembered about what Lynne had said about the movie was that it was about a group of young men who take another young man with Muscular Dystrophy on a road trip to California to see if they can get his wheelchair 'pimped' on the MTV programme Pimp My Ride. A wonderful concept. We had company staying with us and everyone gathered around the television.
We popped it in and pushed play. Within seconds my eyes began to fill and I had to look away. I wished I was seeing this on my own. Why didn't Lynne warn me about ... oh yeah ... she did. But no shame here, everyone was reacting the same way. The movie is full of laughs, real laughs ... but it's also full of moments of real, true, tenderness. It encourages the viewer to reevaluate what community means, what caring means ... they were documenting two road trips - the one made by the 15 year old man with Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy to California, but they were also documenting the journey that each was making in relation to the other. At first the young men travelling with Darius learned little lessons about the big issue of assessibility - but they began to learn big lessons about the little issue in life.
All the money from the sale of the DVD is going to raise money for research into MD, that's cool, but even if it wasn't - this isn't a DVD you buy to support a charity, this is a DVD you buy because for the time watching it, you are with Darius as he goes west. And for 90 minutes, there's no better place to be.
Note to Readers: I don't know how to buy this film, I looked it up on the web, but I'm not all that good at these kind of searches. It's not on Amazon ... so if you know or if you are a computer whizz that can find these ... could you post in the comments section about purchase information. This is a must see, must experience, movie.
Note to Lynne - Thanks.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
OUR "KNOW ABOUT IT" PROGRAM HAS LAUNCHED!
January 8, 2008
At long last, the Darius Goes West "Know About It" program has launched. Huge thanks to Chris Spence, Harvard technical genius, who took the website to the finish line!
The "Know About It" program targets middle and high schools nationwide, so if you know any teachers or students who fit this critria, please send them to the website to sign up: www.dgwknowaboutit.com
For a $25 fee (to cover our costs), schools get a copy of "Darius Goes West," plus access to the "Know About It" website, which is filled with lesson plans (based on the movie) for teachers and lots of cool stuff for students. We want students who watch the film to roll up their sleeves and organize fundraiswers to help find/fund a cure for DMD.
Other news...
* We're having a "Stock the Pantry" housewarming party for Jamie on Thursday night at the Weems' new home. If you'd like to come, call Barbara at DGW Headquarters at (706) 613-7237.
* Save the date! Don't miss "A Valentine for Darius," a special screening of Darius Goes West on February 13 at 7:00 PM at the Georgia Museum of Art. This is a rare opportunity to see DGW on the big screen and help Charley's Fund at the same time. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Darius and many crew members will be at the screening for a Q&A.
We are long overdue in sending a big shout out to Dan Aguar at DIGIMA 24, a local film lab, for helping us get our DVD (and extras) finished in time for a pre-holiday release. Dan allowed us to practically move in to his lab so we could meet our deadline. Thanks so much, Dan!
Know about it!
At long last, the Darius Goes West "Know About It" program has launched. Huge thanks to Chris Spence, Harvard technical genius, who took the website to the finish line!
The "Know About It" program targets middle and high schools nationwide, so if you know any teachers or students who fit this critria, please send them to the website to sign up: www.dgwknowaboutit.com
For a $25 fee (to cover our costs), schools get a copy of "Darius Goes West," plus access to the "Know About It" website, which is filled with lesson plans (based on the movie) for teachers and lots of cool stuff for students. We want students who watch the film to roll up their sleeves and organize fundraiswers to help find/fund a cure for DMD.
Other news...
* We're having a "Stock the Pantry" housewarming party for Jamie on Thursday night at the Weems' new home. If you'd like to come, call Barbara at DGW Headquarters at (706) 613-7237.
* Save the date! Don't miss "A Valentine for Darius," a special screening of Darius Goes West on February 13 at 7:00 PM at the Georgia Museum of Art. This is a rare opportunity to see DGW on the big screen and help Charley's Fund at the same time. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Darius and many crew members will be at the screening for a Q&A.
We are long overdue in sending a big shout out to Dan Aguar at DIGIMA 24, a local film lab, for helping us get our DVD (and extras) finished in time for a pre-holiday release. Dan allowed us to practically move in to his lab so we could meet our deadline. Thanks so much, Dan!
Know about it!
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