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!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
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!
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