Maine has now come and gone. The boys finished with a police escort on a cool August morning, rollerblading up the East Coast shoreline. With big smiles on their faces, all four skaters glided across the painted black and white checked line amidst cheering children and supportive family, friends, and fans. Their victory lap was photographed, videotaped, and celebrated by a contingent of Mainers!
After entertaining the local media and cutting the four finish-line cakes (kindly made for the four boys!) Cindy Ziobrowski introduced the skaters and spoke about Rolling For Autism. Cindy graciously hosted us at the Kittery Trading Post and put together the entire finish line event, for which we are all very thankful. From her Camp CARD-NE many of her campers and counselors joined the fun! She recognized the boys' achievements and asked them questions about their long journey from Florida to Maine. The kids in the audience were attuned to their voices and appeared to take in every detail of their shared memories. Not only were the children attentive, but parents, visitors, and all of the supporters shared a feeling of joy in seeing these four, new college graduates raise so much money for a cause close to their hearts. Not only did this team of skaters and others create scholarships for people with autism, but the team also spread a message about what it means to set a goal and meet it. Dan, Sean, Carson, and Jason exemplified giving of themselves to others.
Kittery, Maine was the perfect place to celebrate this accomplishment! After the boys rolled across the finish line they spoke with many children and adults about their efforts. Along with introducing themselves to many of their supporters, Dan found himself trying out the pony rides. Though Carson had no problem riding his pony, Dan ended up on the ground! Other spectacles included face painting and balloon animals. Also, the silent auction and raffle interested many locals. NASCAR items were raffled off, lobster baskets, stuffed animals, red sox items, polo shirts, and Peppridge Farm treats! The big ticket items were NASCAR car pieces, actually from two cars that have raced this past year. These car pieces are still up for raffle through Cindy!
We had all of these activities going on as well as a book signing by Karen Crystal, called "Navigating through Autism." She signed books and generously told her story about her son Gabe and what she wished she had known at the time of diagnosis. She shares the A,B,Cs of her son's experience and her own as a parent. The book also features Comic Sans script, which is one of only two scripts that are made to be easy on the eye, and as she said, "children with autism can read." We were also blessed to have Deb Lipsky join us to speak about her experience with autism and being diagnosed only after the age of forty. She spoke for two hours about autism and her world, which interested many of our guests.
Thank you to everyone that made the Maine finish line a success. The boys have since caught up on their sleep and two have started to work in the "real world"! The girls who were daring enough to join the team in the Mid-Atlantic are settling in and fully recovered from their bruises and blisters as well. On Rolling For Autism's behalf, we thank Maine for hosting us at the end of this fascinating trip!
Thank you all.
Lauren F. from Massachusetts
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Rock'n Rolling for Autism ---Dover, NH
There have been different ways of expressing how meaningful some of the Rolling For Autism adventures have been. Dan has said that there are stories that he will tell his grandchildren. My sister, Sue, says that there are memories that she will take to her grave but that her grave may come sooner as a result of RFA due to her worrying about the skaters for 54 days! I was fortunate to travel with the RFA group during parts of their journey in NJ, NYC and New England. The afternoon at Dover was a special time amid a journey with many highlights.
My husband, Neil and I arrived in Dover about an hour before the skaters scheduled arrival. Folks were busy setting up, and I offered to help at a booth that was distributing T-shirts from every state in the US. These T-shirts were the result of the efforts of Austin Fisher who worked with his mother at contacting every governor, requesting a state T-shirt. While passing out shirts, I got to meet some of the families from the Dover area, many of whom were associated with the Easter Seals Autism Network. I was told of the effect that autism can have on a family, a school and a community.
Members of the community had brought all kinds of delicious food, both homemade and donated by local businesses. There were booths with games and information. The Ashmont Station Band set a festive note. There was excitement in the air as we anticipated the arrival of the skaters. Folks gathered at the edge of the park as the police escort car came into sight followed by Dan, Sean, Jason, Carson and Elaine amid cheering and music from the band. The skaters were introduced and given a cake and gifts. They then made their way into the crowd greeting people, playing games with the kids and having their photos taken with many kids wearing the state shirts. Skater, Jason Ortalano played baseball with a group of kids. The skaters chatted with family members and were down at eye level visiting with the excited kids. Some of the skaters were interviewed by the local paper. The media attention has helped to create awareness of autism, its impact and the need for services and support.
We were delighted to see friends and family of all ages, some who had driven a distance to be at the event. It was a windy, cool August day, far different from the blistering heat the skaters encountered as they skated through the south. We donned jackets and hoodies. Elaine was asked to show her very bruised upper leg and Carson could be seen stretching his injured knee. This was the last stop before the final two skates and the finish at Kittery, Maine. The skaters were intact, a bit road weary, but still full of enthusiasm. Ginny Johnson, the lead singer in the band asked a young boy if he would like to sing on stage. With much encouragement he ventured forth and joined Ginny in singing a John Denver song, "Country roads, take me home..." It was the home stretch; after many roads, time to think about home.
We would especially like to thank Viki Gayhardt of Raymond Easter Seals who organized this wonderful event. We express appreciation to Patti Rawding Anderson, Program Director at Easter Seal's Family Place. Additional thanks go out to Jen Fernald and Dawn Brady of Dover Easter Seals. Thank you to Sherry Paplaskas of Raymond Easter Seals and Krissy Caster of the Autism Society of NH for the social story and signs. The day would not have been the same without the great music of the Ashmont Station Band. We were deeply touched by generous financial donations to Rolling For Autism. It is impossible to name all the people who donated food, and time to organizing such an event, so here's a big THANK YOU to everybody who came with such energy and spirit.
Lini Marcotte Tatar
AKA Ben and Dan's Mom
My husband, Neil and I arrived in Dover about an hour before the skaters scheduled arrival. Folks were busy setting up, and I offered to help at a booth that was distributing T-shirts from every state in the US. These T-shirts were the result of the efforts of Austin Fisher who worked with his mother at contacting every governor, requesting a state T-shirt. While passing out shirts, I got to meet some of the families from the Dover area, many of whom were associated with the Easter Seals Autism Network. I was told of the effect that autism can have on a family, a school and a community.
Members of the community had brought all kinds of delicious food, both homemade and donated by local businesses. There were booths with games and information. The Ashmont Station Band set a festive note. There was excitement in the air as we anticipated the arrival of the skaters. Folks gathered at the edge of the park as the police escort car came into sight followed by Dan, Sean, Jason, Carson and Elaine amid cheering and music from the band. The skaters were introduced and given a cake and gifts. They then made their way into the crowd greeting people, playing games with the kids and having their photos taken with many kids wearing the state shirts. Skater, Jason Ortalano played baseball with a group of kids. The skaters chatted with family members and were down at eye level visiting with the excited kids. Some of the skaters were interviewed by the local paper. The media attention has helped to create awareness of autism, its impact and the need for services and support.
We were delighted to see friends and family of all ages, some who had driven a distance to be at the event. It was a windy, cool August day, far different from the blistering heat the skaters encountered as they skated through the south. We donned jackets and hoodies. Elaine was asked to show her very bruised upper leg and Carson could be seen stretching his injured knee. This was the last stop before the final two skates and the finish at Kittery, Maine. The skaters were intact, a bit road weary, but still full of enthusiasm. Ginny Johnson, the lead singer in the band asked a young boy if he would like to sing on stage. With much encouragement he ventured forth and joined Ginny in singing a John Denver song, "Country roads, take me home..." It was the home stretch; after many roads, time to think about home.
We would especially like to thank Viki Gayhardt of Raymond Easter Seals who organized this wonderful event. We express appreciation to Patti Rawding Anderson, Program Director at Easter Seal's Family Place. Additional thanks go out to Jen Fernald and Dawn Brady of Dover Easter Seals. Thank you to Sherry Paplaskas of Raymond Easter Seals and Krissy Caster of the Autism Society of NH for the social story and signs. The day would not have been the same without the great music of the Ashmont Station Band. We were deeply touched by generous financial donations to Rolling For Autism. It is impossible to name all the people who donated food, and time to organizing such an event, so here's a big THANK YOU to everybody who came with such energy and spirit.
Lini Marcotte Tatar
AKA Ben and Dan's Mom
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Beantown Fun
Hi Friends,
After a much needed break, we're going to be back for the next few weeks sharing our experiences, stories, and lessons from the road. Please comment often, as we want this to be an open forum. Ask questions, tell about your stories...we want to hear from you just as much as you want to hear from us. If anyone we met along the way wants to post to the blog, let me know and I'll give you access.
Friday night was our Boston Event, and it didn't disappoint. Chris Konnick, Dennis Quandt, and Brian Kerr organized a night of fun at the Improv Asylum Comedy Club and the Bell in Hand Bar in Boston's Fanieul Hall.
After two months on the road, we decided to make the Boston event a night of adult oriented fun. Not only did it give the RollingForAutism Skaters the opportunity to reacquaint with our friends, but it gave some very deserving parents a reason to get a babysitter, and leave the house for a night of fun. The night began with a cocktail hour with appetizers, a silent auction, and plenty of chatter. Around 7:30, the crowd was escorted into the small theater, and the show opened with Carson Strang on the mic. Carson welcomed, thanked, and shared a few cheeky jokes with the crowd. Carson spoke briefly of some of the lessons learnt from the road, and more specifically, of the energy Carson received from teaching kids to rollerblade at the Timothy School outside of Philadelphia. I was on the microphone next, and easily overshadowed each of the night's comedians.
After the show, the crew headed to the Bell in Hand Bar where over 200 RollingForAutism friends gathered for a few drinks. The night was a huge success as nearly $4,000 was raised!
Saturday's trip to Dover to follow, with a special guest poster....my mom.
Bests,
Dan T.
After a much needed break, we're going to be back for the next few weeks sharing our experiences, stories, and lessons from the road. Please comment often, as we want this to be an open forum. Ask questions, tell about your stories...we want to hear from you just as much as you want to hear from us. If anyone we met along the way wants to post to the blog, let me know and I'll give you access.
Friday night was our Boston Event, and it didn't disappoint. Chris Konnick, Dennis Quandt, and Brian Kerr organized a night of fun at the Improv Asylum Comedy Club and the Bell in Hand Bar in Boston's Fanieul Hall.
After two months on the road, we decided to make the Boston event a night of adult oriented fun. Not only did it give the RollingForAutism Skaters the opportunity to reacquaint with our friends, but it gave some very deserving parents a reason to get a babysitter, and leave the house for a night of fun. The night began with a cocktail hour with appetizers, a silent auction, and plenty of chatter. Around 7:30, the crowd was escorted into the small theater, and the show opened with Carson Strang on the mic. Carson welcomed, thanked, and shared a few cheeky jokes with the crowd. Carson spoke briefly of some of the lessons learnt from the road, and more specifically, of the energy Carson received from teaching kids to rollerblade at the Timothy School outside of Philadelphia. I was on the microphone next, and easily overshadowed each of the night's comedians.
After the show, the crew headed to the Bell in Hand Bar where over 200 RollingForAutism friends gathered for a few drinks. The night was a huge success as nearly $4,000 was raised!
Saturday's trip to Dover to follow, with a special guest poster....my mom.
Bests,
Dan T.
A Dad's Perspective
I would like to extend my thanks to so many of you for supporting the skaters throughout their journey, and the success of Rolling For Autism certainly was built upon such support. The experience has been life changing for many, myself included. One just has to see the expression of excitement on the face of a child or hear the most genuine words of appreciation from a parent to realize that true accomplishment is measured by what we can do to help others. I was fortunate to be able to join the team for the final two weeks, and found everyone constantly busy with fund raising, parties, media events, travel, and (of course) roller blading. The trip was truly an adventure, with many interesting activities and a few good stories to boot! In a time where so much focus is placed on the problems that we face around the world, it has been refreshing to see this group of recent colllege grads set an example that we can all strive to follow. I applaud you for sticking to this cause from start to finish. Rolling For Autism has come a long way since our earliest discussions and planning of almost a year ago.
Now that the finish line has been crossed in Kittery, it will be important to keep the effort moving forward, and we will continue to build upon the momentum that has been created.
Neil T.
Now that the finish line has been crossed in Kittery, it will be important to keep the effort moving forward, and we will continue to build upon the momentum that has been created.
Neil T.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Home at last
Good evening,
Our journey ended around 9:30 this morning as we crossed the finish line in front of a nice crowd in Kittery, Maine. The entire weekend was full of festivities...and we're going to write about all of them.......but not tonight. Its 11:04 and I'm beyond tired. Please check back everyday this week for news from the final three days, as well as a post trip entry from each skater and several of our behind the scenes teammmates.
Until I get some energy...
Bests,
Dan T.
Our journey ended around 9:30 this morning as we crossed the finish line in front of a nice crowd in Kittery, Maine. The entire weekend was full of festivities...and we're going to write about all of them.......but not tonight. Its 11:04 and I'm beyond tired. Please check back everyday this week for news from the final three days, as well as a post trip entry from each skater and several of our behind the scenes teammmates.
Until I get some energy...
Bests,
Dan T.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Finish Line Is Almost Here
Hello All,
The last two days have been full of skating through Connecticut. Yesterday we skated near Dan’s high school, Loomis Chaffee Prep School in Windsor, CT. Windsor is a beautiful little town with a flat surface. We skated 30 miles and had three falls. As Striech was helping Ben down a small hill, Ben lost control and brought Striech into the bushes with him. Thankfully no one was hurt. In the last half a mile, I clumsily skated over a stick and ate it on a curb. I ended the day with a nice big bruise and scrape. Kelly and I now have matching wounds on our upper left leg. Don’t worry, we will take a picture and post it for the rollingforautism website. Now I can put my four years of nursing school to use to put a dressing on Kelly’s bum. Thanks to Doctor Stevens she has medicated cream and antibiotics to help heal her grapefruit size scrape.
Today we visited, Patty, who kindly raises dogs with the help of her children to give to children with autism. Her company is called North Star and runs throughout the nation. We had the opportunity to play with two goldren retriever puppies who were amazingly calm. These dogs can make a tremendous difference in how children act; decreasing anxiety and fears. We thank you for inviting us into your home and feeding us lunch! This afternoon we skated from Hartford, CT to Sturbridge, MA. Kelly and I drove and let our legs heal. There were a lot of fairly big hills so great job to the skaters…Dan, Streich, Carson, Amber, and Billy!! Tomorrow we have another six skaters joining us as we head to Worchester, MA.
Reminder, this Friday is our big event in Boston. 6 PM at the Improv Asylum in the North End and then 9 PM at the Bell in Hand Bar.
Hope to see you all there!
Elaine L.
The last two days have been full of skating through Connecticut. Yesterday we skated near Dan’s high school, Loomis Chaffee Prep School in Windsor, CT. Windsor is a beautiful little town with a flat surface. We skated 30 miles and had three falls. As Striech was helping Ben down a small hill, Ben lost control and brought Striech into the bushes with him. Thankfully no one was hurt. In the last half a mile, I clumsily skated over a stick and ate it on a curb. I ended the day with a nice big bruise and scrape. Kelly and I now have matching wounds on our upper left leg. Don’t worry, we will take a picture and post it for the rollingforautism website. Now I can put my four years of nursing school to use to put a dressing on Kelly’s bum. Thanks to Doctor Stevens she has medicated cream and antibiotics to help heal her grapefruit size scrape.
Today we visited, Patty, who kindly raises dogs with the help of her children to give to children with autism. Her company is called North Star and runs throughout the nation. We had the opportunity to play with two goldren retriever puppies who were amazingly calm. These dogs can make a tremendous difference in how children act; decreasing anxiety and fears. We thank you for inviting us into your home and feeding us lunch! This afternoon we skated from Hartford, CT to Sturbridge, MA. Kelly and I drove and let our legs heal. There were a lot of fairly big hills so great job to the skaters…Dan, Streich, Carson, Amber, and Billy!! Tomorrow we have another six skaters joining us as we head to Worchester, MA.
Reminder, this Friday is our big event in Boston. 6 PM at the Improv Asylum in the North End and then 9 PM at the Bell in Hand Bar.
Hope to see you all there!
Elaine L.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Winding hills, Wrong directions, and Medical attention
How's it going -
Today was fun. It was a good mix of humor, fun, nervousness and excitement. The day started out late. For me anyways. I didn't get up until 11 o'clock 11:30ish. Dan was up early I heard as he was on the phone with people and doing some business for the trip. 6 days left including today. They can't believe how fast the trip has gone and they are all looking foreward to sleeping in their own beds for a change. We left between 12 and 1pm-ish to do our daily skate. We drove out into the middle of nowehere. Myself, Dan, Carson, and Sean got out - laced up our skates - and started skating. We had the cars go ahead a couple miles and we would meet them there to take a brief break to allow us time to hydrate ourselves and give our legs a rest. We did this numerous times........
When I stopped skating - 10 miles or so later, I joined Amber and Vicki in the van and rode with them for what we thought would only be alittle while. Elaine drove the Subaru ahead of us. We guessed wrong on how long we would be driving. We talked to Streich at one stopping point and apparently there was a miscommunication of where they [the skaters] were supposed to turn off to meet us. So when we turned off on the road to where Kelly, Sean, Orto, and Carson were to meet us Vicki, Elaine, and Amber all went out for a short skate. And Vicki tackled her first real hill on rollerblades. So congratulations to her:) They returned and we still had not heard from any of the four main skaters. So we went out looking for them. It wasnt until one of the skater's cellular phones rang in the back of the van that we had our first clue of where they were. Apparently, Orto and Kelly both fell. Orto fell into a tree and Kelly slid down a hill. Medical attention was administered and both are doing fine now.
After we recieved the phone call, we took down the address of where they were, punched it into "Jim" the GPS system and expected him to guide us there. Well - it guided us to the middle of nowhere. This scenic path outside of town. We called back the number at which we were called from and then spoke to someone (I don't know who because Vicki did the talking). We got the correct address and went out looking for it - without the use of the GPS system. We pulled up to a complex on the main road to find Streich waving us to the driveway and two skaters laying on the front lawn. From this point we took a couple of minutes to gather ourselves before heading for gas and then to our place to stay for the night. A beachouse in Milford, CT. Thank you to Dan's aunt for allowing us to stay at their place. A couple of us went to the beach. We had a BBQ with burgers, corn and such. All the food was good.
Today was my last day on the trip. It has been a good time. The memories last. And so will the friendships. I have a big travel day tomorrow before I have to work tomorrow night so I'm going to go to bed.
Take care,
Jamie C
Today was fun. It was a good mix of humor, fun, nervousness and excitement. The day started out late. For me anyways. I didn't get up until 11 o'clock 11:30ish. Dan was up early I heard as he was on the phone with people and doing some business for the trip. 6 days left including today. They can't believe how fast the trip has gone and they are all looking foreward to sleeping in their own beds for a change. We left between 12 and 1pm-ish to do our daily skate. We drove out into the middle of nowehere. Myself, Dan, Carson, and Sean got out - laced up our skates - and started skating. We had the cars go ahead a couple miles and we would meet them there to take a brief break to allow us time to hydrate ourselves and give our legs a rest. We did this numerous times........
When I stopped skating - 10 miles or so later, I joined Amber and Vicki in the van and rode with them for what we thought would only be alittle while. Elaine drove the Subaru ahead of us. We guessed wrong on how long we would be driving. We talked to Streich at one stopping point and apparently there was a miscommunication of where they [the skaters] were supposed to turn off to meet us. So when we turned off on the road to where Kelly, Sean, Orto, and Carson were to meet us Vicki, Elaine, and Amber all went out for a short skate. And Vicki tackled her first real hill on rollerblades. So congratulations to her:) They returned and we still had not heard from any of the four main skaters. So we went out looking for them. It wasnt until one of the skater's cellular phones rang in the back of the van that we had our first clue of where they were. Apparently, Orto and Kelly both fell. Orto fell into a tree and Kelly slid down a hill. Medical attention was administered and both are doing fine now.
After we recieved the phone call, we took down the address of where they were, punched it into "Jim" the GPS system and expected him to guide us there. Well - it guided us to the middle of nowhere. This scenic path outside of town. We called back the number at which we were called from and then spoke to someone (I don't know who because Vicki did the talking). We got the correct address and went out looking for it - without the use of the GPS system. We pulled up to a complex on the main road to find Streich waving us to the driveway and two skaters laying on the front lawn. From this point we took a couple of minutes to gather ourselves before heading for gas and then to our place to stay for the night. A beachouse in Milford, CT. Thank you to Dan's aunt for allowing us to stay at their place. A couple of us went to the beach. We had a BBQ with burgers, corn and such. All the food was good.
Today was my last day on the trip. It has been a good time. The memories last. And so will the friendships. I have a big travel day tomorrow before I have to work tomorrow night so I'm going to go to bed.
Take care,
Jamie C
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Carson Sang
Good Evening,
The RollingForAutism Team spent this past weekend in the Big Apple, and as predicted...things got a little "bonkers."
The weekend started Friday evening with a party at Manhattan's Bar XII. Arranged by several RollingForAutism Team Members and Bar XII, the night was an enormous success. Through the combination of Bar XII's drink specials, cover charge, and generous patrons, nearly $1300 was raised in just a few hours. More important, everyone in attendance had a great time, and the night gave our skaters and workers an opportunity to mingle with old friends and meet new supporters. Not to mention enjoy a great night out in an amazing city.
After a skate through Queens, the rollingforautism team was lucky enough to have two amazing supporters and friends, Guido and Lenny, invite them all out to a fantastic dinner in one of downtown Manhattan's trendiest restaurants, Botino. Lenny and Guido treated the 25 or so RollingForAutism skaters, family and friends in attendance to one of the best dinners and most memorable nights of the trip. After closing down the restaurant, most of the crowd Migrated with Guido and Lenny to a hip piano bar in the East Village, where we had the pleasure of listening to the artistic stylings of RollingForAutism's most talented performers, Carson Strang. With a unique rendition of our country's Star Spangled Banner, Carson was the hit of the night.
The weekend ended with a skate into Southern Connecticut for a trip to the Bridgeport Zoo. Luckily for the skaters whom were unable to shower between their skate and the zoo, their scent was overshadowed by the animals. We'd like to take the opportunity to thank the animals of the zoo for making our stay more pleasurable.
Briefly, thank you to Guido, Lenny, Jenkins, Calabros, Mrs. Silvestri, Bar XII, and Francis Scott Key.
Cheers,
Dan T. and Vicki K.
The RollingForAutism Team spent this past weekend in the Big Apple, and as predicted...things got a little "bonkers."
The weekend started Friday evening with a party at Manhattan's Bar XII. Arranged by several RollingForAutism Team Members and Bar XII, the night was an enormous success. Through the combination of Bar XII's drink specials, cover charge, and generous patrons, nearly $1300 was raised in just a few hours. More important, everyone in attendance had a great time, and the night gave our skaters and workers an opportunity to mingle with old friends and meet new supporters. Not to mention enjoy a great night out in an amazing city.
After a skate through Queens, the rollingforautism team was lucky enough to have two amazing supporters and friends, Guido and Lenny, invite them all out to a fantastic dinner in one of downtown Manhattan's trendiest restaurants, Botino. Lenny and Guido treated the 25 or so RollingForAutism skaters, family and friends in attendance to one of the best dinners and most memorable nights of the trip. After closing down the restaurant, most of the crowd Migrated with Guido and Lenny to a hip piano bar in the East Village, where we had the pleasure of listening to the artistic stylings of RollingForAutism's most talented performers, Carson Strang. With a unique rendition of our country's Star Spangled Banner, Carson was the hit of the night.
The weekend ended with a skate into Southern Connecticut for a trip to the Bridgeport Zoo. Luckily for the skaters whom were unable to shower between their skate and the zoo, their scent was overshadowed by the animals. We'd like to take the opportunity to thank the animals of the zoo for making our stay more pleasurable.
Briefly, thank you to Guido, Lenny, Jenkins, Calabros, Mrs. Silvestri, Bar XII, and Francis Scott Key.
Cheers,
Dan T. and Vicki K.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Good Morning America
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
At the Birthplace of Babe Ruth, Baltimore
The RFA team arrived in the Baltimore area after a relaxing afternoon at only our third house of the trip. The Bowles family, of Columbia, Maryland, was gracious enough to allow us to stay at their home for the evening and enjoy the amenities of a good home cooked meal for a change. Being a dog person myself, I had the pleasure of playing with their dog Elmo who has one obsession, tennis balls. He will chase the ball wherever it may go, even if it involves him going for a swim across the deep end of the pool to get it. While enjoying the surroundings of the Bowles household, I enjoyed watching Carson get badly beaten by Elaine at tennis while Striker and Tatar got some computer work done inside the house. After their tennis match, I decided to try my luck at tennis with Carson and realized beyond any reasonable doubt that tennis is NOT my sport and I know to stay away from the tennis courts from now on.
The next morning was one of the more confusing mornings since the trip began because we couldn’t find exactly where the trail connecting Annapolis and Baltimore began. The guys initially began heading in what we thought was the correct direction, but proved to be completely the wrong direction. Instead of heading towards Baltimore, we began heading towards Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy. I have to admit, even though we didn’t stay long in Annapolis, I thought it was one of the nicer cities we have traveled through. So after we realized our error or direction, we turned around and headed back to the starting point and headed in the correct direction along a bike path that connected the two cities. We even had the distinct pleasure of watching Vicky skate for the first time in her 5 days with us. It was hot day, reaching up into the mid-90’s and the skaters were all exhausted and sweaty when they finished up the thirty plus miles that they racked up on the day.
We then drove from the point on the path where we parked the cars into downtown Baltimore to go to the hotel. We drove past M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens) and Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles) to get to our hotel, which was about two blocks away from the latter. After checking into the hotel and getting everything settled in, we showered up and Strike, Carson, and myself headed to the local Mexican food place for some burritos. While there, however, Carson and I decided to sample some of the thirty or so varieties of hot sauce that were there. Needless to say, I didn’t taste much of my dinner after that since my taste buds were spent after the hot sauce shocking. Some meandering around the hotel, seeing the sights, and taking in the ambiance of the inner harbor in Baltimore followed dinner. Being as tired as I was from the day’s events, I opted to call it a night early and relaxed while watching “Good Will Hunting” (one of my favorites movies of all time).
Just an update for everybody out there reading the blog, we are going to be on Good Morning America next Wednesday morning.
Keep on reading
Jason O.
The next morning was one of the more confusing mornings since the trip began because we couldn’t find exactly where the trail connecting Annapolis and Baltimore began. The guys initially began heading in what we thought was the correct direction, but proved to be completely the wrong direction. Instead of heading towards Baltimore, we began heading towards Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy. I have to admit, even though we didn’t stay long in Annapolis, I thought it was one of the nicer cities we have traveled through. So after we realized our error or direction, we turned around and headed back to the starting point and headed in the correct direction along a bike path that connected the two cities. We even had the distinct pleasure of watching Vicky skate for the first time in her 5 days with us. It was hot day, reaching up into the mid-90’s and the skaters were all exhausted and sweaty when they finished up the thirty plus miles that they racked up on the day.
We then drove from the point on the path where we parked the cars into downtown Baltimore to go to the hotel. We drove past M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens) and Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles) to get to our hotel, which was about two blocks away from the latter. After checking into the hotel and getting everything settled in, we showered up and Strike, Carson, and myself headed to the local Mexican food place for some burritos. While there, however, Carson and I decided to sample some of the thirty or so varieties of hot sauce that were there. Needless to say, I didn’t taste much of my dinner after that since my taste buds were spent after the hot sauce shocking. Some meandering around the hotel, seeing the sights, and taking in the ambiance of the inner harbor in Baltimore followed dinner. Being as tired as I was from the day’s events, I opted to call it a night early and relaxed while watching “Good Will Hunting” (one of my favorites movies of all time).
Just an update for everybody out there reading the blog, we are going to be on Good Morning America next Wednesday morning.
Keep on reading
Jason O.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sean's Big Day Part Two
As you may remember Sean's first big day of our trip was his birthday which we celebrated in Raleigh North Carloina. Well, today was his second big day. Team RFA was fortunate enough to visit CSAAC, Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children, in Montgomery County, Maryland. Upon arrival the six of us were invited to play BINGO with a group of students in one of the CSAAC classrooms...It was in this arena that Sean shined proving his dominate BINGO skills. The first few games were won by students with Autism who responded with enthusiasm and ear to ear smiles. The next three rounds were dominated by none other than our own Sean Streich. Not only did he win, he dominated the field. As much as I would enjoy bashing Sean and portraying him as an ungraceful champion, I must point out the fact that Sean only claimed two out of his three victories. A little embarassed by his streak of goodluck, after his third win Sean smoothly slid his board in front of Pedro, one of the CSAAC students. Pedro's face lit up when Sean informed him that they won the round of BINGO as a team. Pedro and Sean then picked out a yellow balloon as their prize. Although most people assumed they chose yellow because it matched Pedro's hat, the other five RFA team members knew that the real reason is that yellow is the color of Sean's lucky stuffed animal that he brought with him on the trip.
On a serious note, we had a great time meeting the dedicated staff and enthusiastic students in the CSAAC family. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and were impressed by all CSAAC is doing for those in the Autism community. To learn more about CSAAC and their many great programs check out their website at www.csaac.org.
After we finished with lunch and a tour of CSAAC we hit the road and skated 35 miles towards Baltimore. Although we are getting useto the grind of skating 30-40 miles a day, the hills of Maryland proved to be quite the challenge. The entire skate consisted of tough climbs followed by exhilirating downhills. As many of you may know, this constant change of pace and intensity make 5 miles seem like 10. As we forced our burning legs to propel us up the hills we could not help but draw inspiration from those individuals we saw smiling just hours earlier at CSAAC.
Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Mike Hickey, president of the American Special Hockey Association, for taking the six of us out for dinner tonight. We (well I cant say the same for the girls) enjoyed talking hockey and learning more about the ASHA. We look forward to working with you and the ASHA for the remainder of our trip and beyond. Thanks Mike!
Off to bed...check back tomorrow
Best Wishes,
Carson S.
On a serious note, we had a great time meeting the dedicated staff and enthusiastic students in the CSAAC family. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and were impressed by all CSAAC is doing for those in the Autism community. To learn more about CSAAC and their many great programs check out their website at www.csaac.org.
After we finished with lunch and a tour of CSAAC we hit the road and skated 35 miles towards Baltimore. Although we are getting useto the grind of skating 30-40 miles a day, the hills of Maryland proved to be quite the challenge. The entire skate consisted of tough climbs followed by exhilirating downhills. As many of you may know, this constant change of pace and intensity make 5 miles seem like 10. As we forced our burning legs to propel us up the hills we could not help but draw inspiration from those individuals we saw smiling just hours earlier at CSAAC.
Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Mike Hickey, president of the American Special Hockey Association, for taking the six of us out for dinner tonight. We (well I cant say the same for the girls) enjoyed talking hockey and learning more about the ASHA. We look forward to working with you and the ASHA for the remainder of our trip and beyond. Thanks Mike!
Off to bed...check back tomorrow
Best Wishes,
Carson S.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
RFA hits our nations capital
After a 7 and a half hour car ride from Clifton Park, NY, Vicki Kohan and I joined the boys to begin our RollingForAutism adventure. Hungry from the road, we were lucky enough to have a great dinner prepared for us by John and Arlene the aunt and uncle of the boys’ good friend, Janelle from Union College. Janelle and her neice, Leah, came all the way from upstate NY to join us. Dinner was spectacular, and so was the company. Thank you for all your support!
Unfortunately that evening, we only had one hotel room; Carson and Streich were kind enough to let us girls take one of the two beds while they slept in blankets on the floor (thanks guys!). We let ourselves sleep in until about 10 AM to begin our a 30 mile skate in Northern Virginia. Vicki is a beginner skater, and hopefully with practice, she'll join us on the road. In the meantime, she has put in a great deal of time doing behind the scenes work for RFA. The first day of skating was very humid at about a scorching 96 degrees, which made the afternoon tough. After only 5 miles I was too tired to continue...I don’t know how the boys did it in the South.
Later that day we met with members of the Washington Area Rollerskating (WAR) group. Due to rain, we were unable to go for a skate, but we did chat over pizza and beer at the Froggy Bottom Pub. Later that night, a Union Hockey teammate of the boys, “Pudge”, was nice enough to invite us to stay for the night at his parents house. Thank you, John and Rebecca, for a tasty home cooked meal and opening your house for the RFA team.
The next morning the weather was beautiful, so we embarked on a delightful rollerblading tour of our nations capital with the WAR skaters. It was a good thing we started around 9 AM because by 11 it was fairly hot and humid. WAR skaters participating were leader and great help, Bill English, also, Myeonghee, Tom and their daughter; George, Dan, and Greg. With Vicki, Janelle, and Leah on bikes we all were about the same pace. Only one fall for the day...Vicki had a graceful dismount off her bike going around a turn. Starting at the White House, we saw many monuments throughout the morning, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Albert Einstein statue, the Kennedy Center, and several more. Overall, it was about a 12 mile tour around the city. Bill was brave enough to show us a few of his tricks on rollerblades…don’t worry, it will get to YouTube soon!
Life is a highway, I wanna skate it all night long,
Elaine L.
Unfortunately that evening, we only had one hotel room; Carson and Streich were kind enough to let us girls take one of the two beds while they slept in blankets on the floor (thanks guys!). We let ourselves sleep in until about 10 AM to begin our a 30 mile skate in Northern Virginia. Vicki is a beginner skater, and hopefully with practice, she'll join us on the road. In the meantime, she has put in a great deal of time doing behind the scenes work for RFA. The first day of skating was very humid at about a scorching 96 degrees, which made the afternoon tough. After only 5 miles I was too tired to continue...I don’t know how the boys did it in the South.
Later that day we met with members of the Washington Area Rollerskating (WAR) group. Due to rain, we were unable to go for a skate, but we did chat over pizza and beer at the Froggy Bottom Pub. Later that night, a Union Hockey teammate of the boys, “Pudge”, was nice enough to invite us to stay for the night at his parents house. Thank you, John and Rebecca, for a tasty home cooked meal and opening your house for the RFA team.
The next morning the weather was beautiful, so we embarked on a delightful rollerblading tour of our nations capital with the WAR skaters. It was a good thing we started around 9 AM because by 11 it was fairly hot and humid. WAR skaters participating were leader and great help, Bill English, also, Myeonghee, Tom and their daughter; George, Dan, and Greg. With Vicki, Janelle, and Leah on bikes we all were about the same pace. Only one fall for the day...Vicki had a graceful dismount off her bike going around a turn. Starting at the White House, we saw many monuments throughout the morning, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Albert Einstein statue, the Kennedy Center, and several more. Overall, it was about a 12 mile tour around the city. Bill was brave enough to show us a few of his tricks on rollerblades…don’t worry, it will get to YouTube soon!
Life is a highway, I wanna skate it all night long,
Elaine L.
A Day with the American Special Hockey Association
The crew of 6 woke up with a smile today as we had the day off from skating. More importantly, we were excited to spend the day at the Garden Ice House in Laurel, Maryland to meet up with some parents and players of affiliated with the American Special Hockey Association.
After a nice lunch and some quality meet and great time with several families, we headed downstairs to the ice rink and strappede on some ice skates. Some of you may already understand the differences in the techniques used to ice skate and rollerblade, but for those that may be unfamiliar, the difference can be significant.
After rollerblading almost a thousand miles you get comfortable using the front wheel that extends in front of the skate, and you start to change your stride accordingly. More specifically, you tend to lean forward to utilize the extra support in the front of the skate. Ice skates don't have this support... and when you lean too far forward, you land on your face. It is safe to say, we pretty much did our first lap of the rink looking like a bunch of amateurs. I'm sure some parents were confused and must've thought that it was some kind of joke that we played division 1 college ice hockey.
The skate was a blast and we had a great time skating and hanging out with players and coaches from the American Special Hockey Association. We all feel extremely fortunate to be able to attend some of these great events and meet so many speical families and children. The committment these parents and coaches show to their children and the cause is truly an inspiration for all of us.
Tomorrow, we will visit the Maryland's center for Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children. After our visit, back on the road for another 40 miles!
Bests,
Sean S.
After a nice lunch and some quality meet and great time with several families, we headed downstairs to the ice rink and strappede on some ice skates. Some of you may already understand the differences in the techniques used to ice skate and rollerblade, but for those that may be unfamiliar, the difference can be significant.
After rollerblading almost a thousand miles you get comfortable using the front wheel that extends in front of the skate, and you start to change your stride accordingly. More specifically, you tend to lean forward to utilize the extra support in the front of the skate. Ice skates don't have this support... and when you lean too far forward, you land on your face. It is safe to say, we pretty much did our first lap of the rink looking like a bunch of amateurs. I'm sure some parents were confused and must've thought that it was some kind of joke that we played division 1 college ice hockey.
The skate was a blast and we had a great time skating and hanging out with players and coaches from the American Special Hockey Association. We all feel extremely fortunate to be able to attend some of these great events and meet so many speical families and children. The committment these parents and coaches show to their children and the cause is truly an inspiration for all of us.
Tomorrow, we will visit the Maryland's center for Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children. After our visit, back on the road for another 40 miles!
Bests,
Sean S.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Virginia is for Lovers and Rollerbladers
Early this morning we said goodbye to Richmond and the beautiful downtown Marriot Hotel, as we strapped the skates back on and began our journey towards Washington, DC. We skated 35 miles on some back roads between Richmond and our destination for the day, Ruther Glen. Today turned out to be the coolest skate (temperature wise, mid 70's) of the trip to date.
The most eventful aspect of today's skate was the few big trucks that cruised by with some terrible fumes coming from their load. As northerners, we are still uncertain exactly what is contained in these trucks, but locals tell us they carry pigs and chickens...and subsequently, their droppings. Although the odor almost knocked us on our backs, we've faced this adversity before, and were able to push forward to continue the skate.
During our skates we keep tabs of any comments that come from passing vehicles. While Carson and I were warming up our legs early in the skate, a car passed by with a slight swerve. Upon inspection, I noticed it was a woman with two children in the back seat. As she passed, the visibly angry woman proceeded to lean out of her window and tell us in an angry tone that we "Should get a car!". It is arguable as to whether this comment ranks up there as a top pick, nonetheless Carson and I got a little chuckle from it.
Dan and Jason maintained a solid pace throughout the day and I will indulge our readers in some new information from the skates. Dan and Jason both enjoy the social aspect of skating. During the skate today the two were overheard testing each others musical knowledge. I've quickly learned that we all have our routines that help us get through a tough days skate.
It's almost time for dinner and maybe some cake but it might be an early night for the troops as we have another long skate planned for tomorrow. We'd like to welcome two additional skaters and recent college graduates tomorrow...Vicki Kohan from Syracuse University and Elaine Lambrinos from the University of Vermont.
Yours in skating,
Sean S.
The most eventful aspect of today's skate was the few big trucks that cruised by with some terrible fumes coming from their load. As northerners, we are still uncertain exactly what is contained in these trucks, but locals tell us they carry pigs and chickens...and subsequently, their droppings. Although the odor almost knocked us on our backs, we've faced this adversity before, and were able to push forward to continue the skate.
During our skates we keep tabs of any comments that come from passing vehicles. While Carson and I were warming up our legs early in the skate, a car passed by with a slight swerve. Upon inspection, I noticed it was a woman with two children in the back seat. As she passed, the visibly angry woman proceeded to lean out of her window and tell us in an angry tone that we "Should get a car!". It is arguable as to whether this comment ranks up there as a top pick, nonetheless Carson and I got a little chuckle from it.
Dan and Jason maintained a solid pace throughout the day and I will indulge our readers in some new information from the skates. Dan and Jason both enjoy the social aspect of skating. During the skate today the two were overheard testing each others musical knowledge. I've quickly learned that we all have our routines that help us get through a tough days skate.
It's almost time for dinner and maybe some cake but it might be an early night for the troops as we have another long skate planned for tomorrow. We'd like to welcome two additional skaters and recent college graduates tomorrow...Vicki Kohan from Syracuse University and Elaine Lambrinos from the University of Vermont.
Yours in skating,
Sean S.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A Visit From the 10th Wonder of the World
July 21st began no differently than any other day, except for the prompt wake up by Tatar saying, "Guys get up; we have to be out of here in like 25 minutes." With that simple message, we jumped out of bed, got some food and quickly got ready for our visit to the Commonwealth Autism Society (Richmond, VA) and sat down with them. We picked apart the mind of John Toscano about the business aspect of fundraising for a while. Afterwards, we followed John over to the St. Josephs Villa for children in Richmond, where they have over 600 children they service, whether it is an after school program for children or programs aimed at children with mental disabilities. We toured the grounds of the villa for a bit and were all reenergized about our cause when we saw the smiles across the childrens' faces. One child in particular, George, felt it necessary to have us continually race through the parking lot. After breaking a good sweat, we went to a local Italian restaurant, Mary Angela's Pizza Subs, where John purchased our dinner for the night.
We then went to the hotel and checked into the downtown Marriot hotel, which was donated to us graciously by Peter and Marti Cawley. Realizing that it was starting to get late we opted to relax at the hotel, needing to rest the legs. Early in the day, however, I received an unexpected phone call from some friends from college, including the “10th Wonder of the World Todd Marsh” (Ben Tatar, Spring 2007). The guys ended up rolling into Richmond at about 8:30. They were just passing through to Wilmington, NC and knew we were be on their way down, so they decided to come join us for dinner. At dinner, and afterwards, we shared tales about our journey with the guys, ranging from the dog chases in Georgia to the vast hills of North Carolina. The guys stayed with us for the night and departed early from the hotel. The Rolling for Autism team, instead, opted to remain in bed and rest on our day off from skating, looking forward to continuing the northward trip tomorrow. As for now, time to get down to doing some work and making some phone calls. Keep reading on and we’ll be sure to keep updating everybody about our trip.
Jason O.
We then went to the hotel and checked into the downtown Marriot hotel, which was donated to us graciously by Peter and Marti Cawley. Realizing that it was starting to get late we opted to relax at the hotel, needing to rest the legs. Early in the day, however, I received an unexpected phone call from some friends from college, including the “10th Wonder of the World Todd Marsh” (Ben Tatar, Spring 2007). The guys ended up rolling into Richmond at about 8:30. They were just passing through to Wilmington, NC and knew we were be on their way down, so they decided to come join us for dinner. At dinner, and afterwards, we shared tales about our journey with the guys, ranging from the dog chases in Georgia to the vast hills of North Carolina. The guys stayed with us for the night and departed early from the hotel. The Rolling for Autism team, instead, opted to remain in bed and rest on our day off from skating, looking forward to continuing the northward trip tomorrow. As for now, time to get down to doing some work and making some phone calls. Keep reading on and we’ll be sure to keep updating everybody about our trip.
Jason O.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
"Ya'll be careful of them bears"
Hi All,
Our tour north continued today as we skated through rural Virginia. The scenery was pleasant skating alongside acres of tobacco fields, cow pastures, and farmland. We even managed to meet a bull with two large baseball bat sized horns. While all of us were a little timid by the 800 pound animal, I quickly recalled from my cartoon days that bulls have a natural attraction to red. Consequently, catching the bull's eye was Carson's bright red shirt. The bull crept towards us with a glimmer in its eye as it neared Carson. Realizing this bull was far bigger and more fierce than all of the other large, dangerous bulls Carson has previously encountered, we quickly jumped in the van and drove to safety.
Our skate ended after a grueling 35 miles. Today concluded a whopping 125 miles in only three days, and the only way to truly reward such effort is through our weekly tradition, "cheat day". For those of you that are not up to date on our blog, every Sunday we take a day off from our strict "rollerbladers' diet," and eat fast food. All of the boys indulge on this tradition (except Carson who wore his skirt to Wendy's tonight and ate a salad) by feasting on Wendy's infamous Baconator Sandwich...and the 1600 calories that came with it.
Packed day tomorrow in Richmond. Time for some sleep.
Cheers,
Dan T.
Our tour north continued today as we skated through rural Virginia. The scenery was pleasant skating alongside acres of tobacco fields, cow pastures, and farmland. We even managed to meet a bull with two large baseball bat sized horns. While all of us were a little timid by the 800 pound animal, I quickly recalled from my cartoon days that bulls have a natural attraction to red. Consequently, catching the bull's eye was Carson's bright red shirt. The bull crept towards us with a glimmer in its eye as it neared Carson. Realizing this bull was far bigger and more fierce than all of the other large, dangerous bulls Carson has previously encountered, we quickly jumped in the van and drove to safety.
Our skate ended after a grueling 35 miles. Today concluded a whopping 125 miles in only three days, and the only way to truly reward such effort is through our weekly tradition, "cheat day". For those of you that are not up to date on our blog, every Sunday we take a day off from our strict "rollerbladers' diet," and eat fast food. All of the boys indulge on this tradition (except Carson who wore his skirt to Wendy's tonight and ate a salad) by feasting on Wendy's infamous Baconator Sandwich...and the 1600 calories that came with it.
Packed day tomorrow in Richmond. Time for some sleep.
Cheers,
Dan T.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Dad, aka "Neilster", Joins The Crew
Flying in to Raleigh on Tuesday, I rented a car and met up with the guys "somewhere" along Highway 401, between Fayettville and Raleigh. My first impression of the trip was to take note of the wonderful scenery in rural North Carolina, travelling along back roads and past tobacco farms. It was also quite apparent to me that the physical effort these guys are putting forth is truly amazing....roller blading on rough, hilly terrain in southern heat and humidity. Deciding to take the "air conditioned" drivers seat was a wise decision for me! The week was full of activity, including a few appearances in the community. We met with folks from Creative Living, a day program that places emphasis on arts and crafts, and has an adult population, and we also graced the floor @ Jelly Beans, a roller rink that had us showing our "moves". My moves were primarily focused on staying up on my skates (which I did).Throughout the week, I was impressed with how grateful folks were to meet the guys, and it is obvious that the underlying message being spread by Rolling For Autism is one of community building - bringing people together and offering a positive spin on challenging situations. One only needs to experience the smile of a young child and the warmth shown by the parents to truly see why this is worth such an effort. Returning home Friday morning, I am struck with the desire to get back on the road again!
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Fellas Work on Their Curves
After a quick skate in blistering 97 degree heat, we headed to Henderson North Carolina where the owners of the local Curves, Kristie and Diane, put together a reception for the team. We were stunned when we pulled in the parking lot and saw a huge sign that read "Today at five come in and meet the Rolling for Autism team live in person." After a quick radio interview the guys had the opportunity to meet a very special young girl, the type of girl who makes all the tough days and long skates worthwhile. Breylen (sorry if I spelled that wrong which I'm 99% sure I did) is a 12 year old girl who was diagnosed with Aspergers. The second we arrived her big smile and overwhelmingly positive attitude allowed us to forget about our aching legs and blistered feet and reminded us why we are doing this. Jason and I were so energized we decided to jump into action and show all of those in attendance that despite the preconceived notions many have about Curves, it is not just a gym for women. We went through two complete cycles and soon realized that these women were no joke...In other words, Curves kicked our butts.
At the end of the reception Breylene (sorry again for the spelling) presented the four of us with medals and told us how much she appreciated what we are doing. Again, it is moments like these that keep us going. Thank you so much Breylene.
After the reception we had dinner with Breylene and the crew at a local restaurant. For a little while we forgot that we were on the road and felt as though we were part of the family. Thank you guys. After dinner we all went to the local movie theatre to watch a pre-screening of the new Adam Sandler movie. Although Breylene decided to join some of her friends to see another movie, which was probably a good idea because parts of the flick were a bit riske for a 12 year old, we had a great time and enjoyed the show.
Now we are back at the hotel and the other three are sound asleep, I'm sure dreaming of tomorrow mornings skate. I would go on but Dan's loud snoring is really screwing with my concentration. Thanks to all those in Henderson who mad us feel welcome, we really appreciate it and look forward to hearing form you. Good night, and check back tomorrow for more updates as we head into Virginia
Blessings-a-plenty,
Carson S.
At the end of the reception Breylene (sorry again for the spelling) presented the four of us with medals and told us how much she appreciated what we are doing. Again, it is moments like these that keep us going. Thank you so much Breylene.
After the reception we had dinner with Breylene and the crew at a local restaurant. For a little while we forgot that we were on the road and felt as though we were part of the family. Thank you guys. After dinner we all went to the local movie theatre to watch a pre-screening of the new Adam Sandler movie. Although Breylene decided to join some of her friends to see another movie, which was probably a good idea because parts of the flick were a bit riske for a 12 year old, we had a great time and enjoyed the show.
Now we are back at the hotel and the other three are sound asleep, I'm sure dreaming of tomorrow mornings skate. I would go on but Dan's loud snoring is really screwing with my concentration. Thanks to all those in Henderson who mad us feel welcome, we really appreciate it and look forward to hearing form you. Good night, and check back tomorrow for more updates as we head into Virginia
Blessings-a-plenty,
Carson S.
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