Kids Are Heroes Day Spotlight: Conrad Weaver

Posted by Gabe on August 24, 2011 under KAH Day 2011, Kids are Heroes, Kids Are Heroes Day | Read the First Comment

If any of you have read more than one post of mine and happened to read the last one, you’ll note the similarity in last names from our first two spotlights. That is no coincidence. Conrad is indeed Laken’s father. We met Conrad at a networking event last winter. That is where I learned of his prowess with the video camera. I’m not a bold person usually, until it comes to Kids Are Heroes, when I step into high gear and indeed I have to be. I asked him to videotape a local elementary school choir singing our theme song.  I just wanted the raw video as we don’t have the budget for an expensive piece. I thought I could put something together myself. Not only did he give us a break on the price but went way over and above what was expected and produced an awesome video, something I could NEVER have done, seen here:

Well Conrad has offered his services this time pro bono to stream the Kids Are Heroes Day event LIVE on October 29th so that those who cannot make the trip can get a peek to see what it’s actually like. We are so privileged and thankful for him and his awesome work.

Now getting back to the connection with his daughter, after we met and he discussed it with his family, he discovered that Laken had sang the national anthem at a previous Kids Are Heroes Day event for us. We are very excited to have her repeat this year and I bet there will be a proud dad in the audience filming her.

So here is some more information about Conrad and his business. I for one would recommend him highly and I think we are very fortunate to have him.

Conrad Weaver is the President and Owner of Conjostudios, LLC, a video production company based out of Frederick, MD. Conrad’s award-winning work has taken him from the halls of Capitol Hill to the streets of Guatemala. He has provided video services for numerous local businesses and non-profits, as well as national organizations and government agencies. In 2010 Conrad received an International AVA Award for his documentary about the Vigilant Hose Company in Emmitsburg, MD – telling the story of their 125 years of volunteer service. And in 2011 Conrad was awarded a prestigious Telly-Award for his documentary called “Mi Refugio.” This short film tells the story about a school in Guatemala that helps children who live and grow up in and around the garbage dump. 

Currently Conrad is producing a documentary called “The Wheat Harvest Movie” that tells the story about the people who harvest the wheat that feeds the world. This project is scheduled for completion in late 2012, and will be aired on a national cable channel. To see a short trailer about this movie, visit: wheatharvestmovie.com

In his spare time Conrad enjoys skiing, hiking, backpacking, sailing, and traveling. He lives in Emmitsburg, MD with his wife and two children.

www.conjostudios.com
@ConjoStudios 

Kids Are Heroes Day Spotlight: Laken Weaver

Posted by Gabe on August 11, 2011 under KAH Day 2011, Kids are Heroes | Be the First to Comment

We would like to thank all of the wonderful people who are contributing their talents in one way of another to make Kids Are Heroes Day 2011 the best one yet. To that end each week we plan to focus on one individual or business that is making a contribution to Kids Are Heroes Day, which will occur on October 29 at the Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick, Maryland. This is a day where we invite all the heroes from our website to celebrate what they do. So far as of this writing we already have 15 confirmed heroes attending, with one coming all the way from southern Florida!

Laken Weaver

We like to start the day off right away at 10AM with the singing of our national anthem. Laken performed it for us two years ago and is honoring us with her singing talents once again this year. We haven’t told her yet, but we are expecting a Canadian or two to attend as well, so she may be singing more than she planned for. And we are putting her on notice now that invitations are out to other children from Australia, England, Indonesia, Kenya and South Africa. She might be up there for a while. We asked Laken to tell us a bit about herself and here is her response:

“My name is Laken Weaver.  Iʼm sixteen years old and I attend Catoctin High School and also Governor Thomas Johnson High School for their Advanced Music Studies Program. Iʼve been involved in many things having to do with singing and music. For the past six years Iʼve performed with the Frederick County Honors Choir, and Iʼve performed with the Maryland All-State Choir for the past 4 years. In June of 2011 I performed with the MENC All-National Honors Ensemble at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

I have studied privately with my voice teacher, Dr. Kathleen Taylor, for almost 6 years. I have grown so much studying under her and Iʼm am pleased to be able to perform the National Anthem on Kids Are Heroes Day. And I do believe that all kids really are heroes.”

Thanks so much Laken for helping us out again this year. We know you’ll do us proud once again.