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!