Hi friends,
A lot has happened over the past two days.
We woke up at 4am Wednesday morning for our largest media appearance to date, Good Morning America. Excited and a bit nervous, we packed into Aunt Linda's car for a wild ride through a storm into Manhattan. I was unaware of my aunt's Nascar-like driving abilities as she dodged lightening bolts and hydroplaned her way through New Jersey and into Times Square.
We were greeted at the studio by our RollingForAutism PR princess, Amanda Silvestri. Over the course of the trip, Amanda has been extremely instrumental in arranging many media appearances. Visibly nervous and excited for our big day, Amanda lead us into the studio where we took a seat next to "The World's Tallest Man." As RollingForAutism's shortest skater, I felt even more vertically challenged seated next to the 7'8" monster.
Our appearance was brief, but effective. We skated circles around the shows 4 hosts, as they spoke of our efforts. Footage was shown of us skating on the road from North Carolina, and our website was linked to ABC's.
Immediately after the appearance, we decided that we missed an opportunity to create additional attention. If Streich had fallen on the set, tripping Diane Sawyer...our media exposure would've increased drastically. Regardless, our website received tons of hits from across the country immediately after the show, and donations continue to come in at a steady pace.
Our week ended with a barbecue last night with families from the New Jersey area impacted by Autism. Special guest appearances were made by New Jersey Devil Hockey Players, and foot long hot dogs and burgers were donated by Sodexho. A good time was had by all.
We owe Linda and Mark a huge thank you for their hospitality. It takes two brave and generous souls to host 12 college students.
Party at BarXII in NYC tonight. Hope to see everyone out!
Cheers,
Dan T.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Rolling at the Timothy School
Yesterday we had the privelege of visiting the Timothy School located in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. The Timothy School specializes in educational programs which address the strengths and needs of each student in the areas of cognitive, motor, communication, social and sensory development. Although the school serves children diagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), our day with the students was all about having fun and putting the children first.
Upon arrival the RFA team met the enthusiastic staff and watched a touching video about the various programs offered at the Timothy School. After this informative meeting the RFA team once again menatlly prepared for an afternoon of skating. However, this skating session was unlike the physically gruelling, mentally challenging skates endured by the team over the last six weeks. Upon entering the gym and meeting the students, our sore legs, blistered heals, and fatigued mental states quickly disapated. As we helped the children strap on their rollerskates and pads we quickly realized that our personal ailments took a back seat to these truelly remarkable kids. Their excitement filled the room and before we knew it they were flying around showing the RFA team what real skating is all about. They smiled when they learned that they could succeed at propelling themselves around the gym. They laughed when they realized it really didn't hurt that bad when they fell. They smiled again when they understood that they had the ability to get up after they fell and try again. Most importantly these children transferred their energy to our staff and reinforced our belief that children with autism are just that, children, and that autism does not define them. What defines them are their heart warming smiles, their unique ability to touch those around them, and their individuality. Our day at the Timothy School flew by and it was hours before any of us began to think about the hundreds of miles left to skate as we make our way to Maine. Thanks to all the members of the Timothy School staff for giving us the opportunity to interact with your wonderful students, we look forward to working with you and your organization in the very near future.
Just a reminder that we will be making our national television debut tomorrow morning on Good Morning America between 830 and 900 a.m. We look forward to encouraging viewers across the nation to get involved with autism and support our cause. We look forward to all of your comments on how we did!
Oh no, Barry Bonds just hit number 756 to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, let's hope we don't get bumped from tomorrow mornings show in light of this new milestone in sports history...oh well, I'm off to bed before tomorrow mornings big show.
Blessings-a-plenty,
Carson S.
p.s- Happy 65th wedding anniversary to my grandparents Lois and Fred Heinlen...I appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you guys after our trip!
Upon arrival the RFA team met the enthusiastic staff and watched a touching video about the various programs offered at the Timothy School. After this informative meeting the RFA team once again menatlly prepared for an afternoon of skating. However, this skating session was unlike the physically gruelling, mentally challenging skates endured by the team over the last six weeks. Upon entering the gym and meeting the students, our sore legs, blistered heals, and fatigued mental states quickly disapated. As we helped the children strap on their rollerskates and pads we quickly realized that our personal ailments took a back seat to these truelly remarkable kids. Their excitement filled the room and before we knew it they were flying around showing the RFA team what real skating is all about. They smiled when they learned that they could succeed at propelling themselves around the gym. They laughed when they realized it really didn't hurt that bad when they fell. They smiled again when they understood that they had the ability to get up after they fell and try again. Most importantly these children transferred their energy to our staff and reinforced our belief that children with autism are just that, children, and that autism does not define them. What defines them are their heart warming smiles, their unique ability to touch those around them, and their individuality. Our day at the Timothy School flew by and it was hours before any of us began to think about the hundreds of miles left to skate as we make our way to Maine. Thanks to all the members of the Timothy School staff for giving us the opportunity to interact with your wonderful students, we look forward to working with you and your organization in the very near future.
Just a reminder that we will be making our national television debut tomorrow morning on Good Morning America between 830 and 900 a.m. We look forward to encouraging viewers across the nation to get involved with autism and support our cause. We look forward to all of your comments on how we did!
Oh no, Barry Bonds just hit number 756 to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, let's hope we don't get bumped from tomorrow mornings show in light of this new milestone in sports history...oh well, I'm off to bed before tomorrow mornings big show.
Blessings-a-plenty,
Carson S.
p.s- Happy 65th wedding anniversary to my grandparents Lois and Fred Heinlen...I appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you guys after our trip!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Two Weeks to Go
Hi Everyone,
We are currently six weeks and around 1500 miles into our trip. While the first five weeks of the trip consisted of Carson, Orto, Streich, and I blasting out as many miles as possible through the rural South, the last leg of our trip is taking on a different flavor. Our group of 4 has grown into 8 skaters. While our skating pace is certainly more relaxed with the new additions, the pace of our work off the road is increasing rapidly.
This week's schedule includes a visit to a school, a large party at a NYC bar, a family day at a zoo, an appearance on Good Morning America, and an visit to a group home. In between our daily activities, we will still be skating 40 miles a day. Lets hope our legs hold up for fourteen more days.
Lots to post tomorrow. In the meantime, dinner calls...
Cheers,
Dan T.
We are currently six weeks and around 1500 miles into our trip. While the first five weeks of the trip consisted of Carson, Orto, Streich, and I blasting out as many miles as possible through the rural South, the last leg of our trip is taking on a different flavor. Our group of 4 has grown into 8 skaters. While our skating pace is certainly more relaxed with the new additions, the pace of our work off the road is increasing rapidly.
This week's schedule includes a visit to a school, a large party at a NYC bar, a family day at a zoo, an appearance on Good Morning America, and an visit to a group home. In between our daily activities, we will still be skating 40 miles a day. Lets hope our legs hold up for fourteen more days.
Lots to post tomorrow. In the meantime, dinner calls...
Cheers,
Dan T.
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