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!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
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!
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