HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LYLE AND HELLO, EATON ACADEMY

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.

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!

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!

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!