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!
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