An Incredible Event

Posted by Gabe on June 28, 2010 under Kids Are Heroes Day, Kids are Heroes | 2 Comments to Read

Normally when we have an event like we did Saturday I write about it right away.  This day was so powerful I have been simply enjoying the thoughts that have been bouncing in my head over the last couple of days. If only everyone could experience something like this.

Saturday, June 26 marked the first Kids Are Heroes Day held at Boyd’s Bear Country in Gettysburg, PA.  Heroes from our web site traveled from all over the country (and even Canada) to be there and raise awareness for their causes.  Special guest stars Levar Fisher (ex-NFL star, former Arizona Cardinal) and Devin Wyman (ex Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots) put on a show that both young and old will never forget.  We ended the day with a private reception at the hotel where all the heroes made lasting friendships, (yes, some were even crushes) and the parents celebrated the day by establishing their own bonds.

The Heroes

In attendance were Casey Landahl (MD), Ricky Springer (GA), JT Robertson (NY), Wesley Prankard (Ont, Canada), Bailey Reese (FL), Kennedy Kulish (PA) and MaryMargaret O’Neill (MD).  As many of you know, Levar Fisher has been a partner of Kids Are Heroes for a few months now, but this was the first time I had the privilege of meeting him in person.  It was important to me to have him meet all the heroes and get to hear from their own voices what their passions were.  In doing so I was also hearing some of them for the first time and I admit I was moved to tears when I experienced the focus, determination, clarity and passion coming from these kids who are so young.  Levar did indeed draw inspiration from them as you could tell from his speech.

The Show

We started by introducing the “adult heroes” so that they could in turn give out awards to the younger ones.  Joddie Walker, Founder of the Children’s Advocacy Center, Richard Baumgardner, Commander of the American Legion Post 202 and Officer Mark Landahl gave heartfelt tributes to the kids and Boyd’s had prepared awards for them.  All the kids are so humble and they do not seek out accolades, but that is part of the reason they deserve them.  I had been hearing a lot about the speech Levar and Devin were going to deliver, but nothing can compare to seeing it in person.  It had a great mix of fun and inspiration as the kids were giddy with excitement.  Devin Wyman is a big boy.  His 6’8″ frame boasting 350 lbs can never go unnoticed.  When I shook his hand for the first time I had to look down because I thought he was wearing a catcher’s mitt.  Nope, it was just his hand.  He thrilled the audience by lifting two children up over his head, bent a steel bar with his bare hands while holding it in his teeth, turned a frying pan into a burrito with his hands and exploded a Sprite can all over the heroes to their amazement.  All these “tricks” came with a message made to both teach and entertain.  Levar then spoke about a lot of things, but with great skill took the heroes’ stories and related them with inspiration for both young and old to enjoy.  His sense of humor and eloquence will have a lasting impression on all of those who had the privilege to hear him.

The Reception

Have you ever dreaded going to a party where you didn’t know anyone?  Well before this weekend we had only met the Landahls as they have attended several of our local events.  You know how sometimes kids can be shy around new kids?  All that went out the window on this wonderful day.  The reception was specifically for the heroes and their families (Levar attended as well) so that they could get to know each other.  It was held poolside at the hotel so the kids could play and have fun. It was scheduled for 6-8PM.  Well we had to leave “early” at 9:45 because we had a 45 minute drive back home and had to tend to our dogs.  The kids simply didn’t want it to end and quite frankly neither did I.  It reminded me that whenever we do this an “after-party” is as important as any other event during the day.  It was so moving it led to an idea.  Many other sites that recognize kids award money to their charities but they have to get votes to get the funds.  It promotes competition among the kids who are just trying to do good for other people.  I think this is the wrong message.  These kids are the future leaders of tomorrow, so why not teach and encourage them to collaborate with each other at an early age?  Non-profits would do better to help each other than to compete.  I plan to develop this idea and incorporate it into our web site somehow.

My heartfelt thanks go out to all the heroes who attended, to Levar and Devin for being so awesome, to my wife Michelle for making it so special, and to Dan at Boyd’s Bear Country for working so hard to support us.

Everything that happened on Saturday deserved nothing less than a national stage.  I can’t remember the last time I have been so moved.  Being involved in a non-profit can be trying and very difficult at times.  This is true for both the parents and the heroes.  Events like these remind us why we do it and recharge all of our batteries.  I think mine’s a little overcharged right now.  I just made an appointment with Christina at the FSK Mall to start planning Kids Are Heroes Day in October.