The Travels of Justin's Famous Sports Chickens |
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"We're Not Worthy! We're NOT Worthy!" Alice Cooper!!! YES THE ALICE COOPER!!! |
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We're not Worhty! You have to click on the above to absorb the full impact of this monumental feat! The Rest of the Story of The Alice Cooper Chicken There are reasons why we should help each other, and why we should refer each other, and why we should ask for help. And sometimes there are chains of helping events that have very strange results. This is the case with the Alice Cooper “Sports” Chicken. It was April when Jennifer Melvin, a co-worker I had never actually met in person, emailed me to ask for advice about Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp. Turns out Jennifer has two grand daughters with MD. It also turns out that our mutual friend and co-worker, Stephanie Spanier, knowing of my involvement with MDA Summer Camp for years, referred Jennifer to me. Little did Jennifer know the fun that she and her grand daughters were in for. She expressed a little fear in her first email about their first time at camp in Arizona. Knowing what an incredible experience MDA summer camp is regardless of location, I answered Jenifer in no less than one and a half pages. And then the fun began. The dialogue speaks for itself: From: Jenifer Melvin Hi Hans, I’m writing to introduce myself as well as to inquire about something that I heard about you. I thought I’d reach out to you to confirm… and secondly to see if you have any insight to the camp here in AZ? I’m a bit nervous about them going away for an entire week by themselves. The good news is they will be going together and will be able to “bunk” together as well. Regards, From: Hans Bernhardt Hi Jenifer! Considering that I have been volunteering with the Muscular Dystrophy Association for almost 15 years now and helping as Entertainment director of camp in Virginia, and acting as an advisor in to camp in California; and that I travel to Florida once a year to visit one of my former campers and bring him rubber chickens signed by sports heroes like Roger Staubach and Olympic Silver medalists Grete Waitz and Valerie Fleming, I am most certain that Stephanie had no idea what she was talking about and that you have the wrong person. JUST KIDDING!! You asked the RIGHT PERSON! And I must thank Stephanie for referring you to me. The Muscular Dystrophy Association and helping at camp is my avocation. So I enthusiastically encourage people to be involved, whether camper or counselor! So let’s overload you with information share the joy! Muscular Dystrophy Summer Camp: Here are photos from VA that I like to share to recruit volunteers. http://www.takecontrol.net/hans/mda2001/ Now honestly I cannot tell you specifically about the camp in Arizona. But what I can tell you is that MDA has strict rules about safety and respect. The end result is that it creates a safe haven for the campers to simply be themselves and enjoy life. Years ago I had a camper in her teen years say that, despite sometimes being treated poorly by some of her peers at school, she can always come to camp be herself with everyone, and that is a good thing for her. I am going to talk about campers and counselors here so that you see the benefit to both: As for the counselors, many have come to me over the years to tell me how much the experience positively changed their lives. Many were scared to begin with, but now have much more confidence in themselves, and new life long friendships with their campers. As for myself, I attribute a great deal of my public speaking and training ability at VMware to my many years of getting on stage in front of the kids at camp. Sometimes I can take this for granted. A few years back one young counselor said to me, “I have never talked on a microphone before.” Which totally caught me off guard and helped me understand the impact of being involved can have. Before long she was helping her camper get in the spotlight for the talent show. Also get this, years ago, 1996-7, I put one of my campers up to running the sound system . Last summer he came back to visit camp and said the he is working on his degree in Audio technology. IMPACT! WHOA! So there is opportunity for both campers and counselors to bond and grow at camp. Sometimes these people never get a chance to be in the spotlight in their daily lives. But at camp they get this opportunity to shine. I cannot even do justice to the many stories of camp positively affecting the lives of campers and counselors over the years without typing ten plus more pages! Now, to give balance to this. Camp can be a bit stressful at times. People do get quite tired and need to take some chill time alone “to rebuild their happy bubble” (actually the camper I mentioned “being herself” earlier introduced me to this phrase) . In some years we have had disciplinary problems and had to send some counselors home. This is real and can happen at any camp. We have also had some campers have health problems whereby they had to go home. The bottom line though is that, as I mentioned, things are kept safe and respectful for all, and those taking part typically WILL NOT STOP TALKING about camp all year because they are so excited about going again and being involved the next year. As a matter of fact, some groups of friends from camp talk about how they get excited about camp just talking about it, and people around them don’t understand. It’s one of those “You have to go, even if for a day, and see what it is about.” Some of my volunteers did exactly that, showed up for the first time for one day, and then have been back for the whole week of camp year after year since. So I say send your granddaughters to camp. Yes you will be nervous. But I bet when they come back with a ton of good stories, your nerves will change to happiness that they took the opportunity. And they will drive you up the wall talking about it until the next year! Oh and find out when VIP day is and stop by. And if they have a talent show, ask them if you can attend. Oh, and one more link for your enjoyment Justin’s Famous Sports Chickens: http://www.justinsokolowski.net/chickentravels/ So I hope this helps! And hope I get to meet you in person one day and hear your camp stories! BTW please do not hesitate to contact me with more questions. I will be away the next two weeks, but feel free to email me or call. Best to you and your grand daughters! Hans
Shortly thereafter I got Jenifer’s snail mail address and sent a care package for the grand daughters. Noting that my garage is full of rubber maid containers full of toys and props and such for camp, it was a no brainer to send a nice representative box of camp worthy items to the girls for their “testing”. And then it happened! ________________________________________ Hi Hans, I hope this finds you well. As you requested here are a few pictures from my granddaughter’s first experience with MDA camp. There are not many involving activities as the girls haven’t received any pictures from the counselors as of yet. Well, as you predicted they LOVED it and are still TALKING about it!!!! They LOVED their counselors and it was mutual, both of their counselors asked to be assigned to them next year. I guess little Casey was a hit with the whole camp! She’s a bit more “out there” than Ally. Ally is our first born grandchild and is age 7 – INCREDIBLE IMAGINATION!!! She doesn’t show (to the average person) that there is anything wrong with her. At this point she is mostly affected with facial muscle control and learning disabilities. Although she has recently started the leg and hand cramping that is associated with this form of MD. Casey is our second born grandchild and is age 6 – VERY VERY SMART!!! Her and Ally see each other a lot and are more like sisters. They are only 7 months apart, so it makes it nice. She is most affected from the waist down and has braces in her shoes. She still can’t run, but does walk w/o any other support. She, like Ally, has the distinct facial features of someone with MMD and has also started the cramping. They both LOVED camp and will be going back next year! Casey’s parents are going to let her ride the bus, Ally’s parents say no, they will take her, but we are trying to convince them that is a BIG part of the experience!!! Some other GREAT news...the company my Son-In-Law is a manager at has a directive to do a community service each year. He has a budget of 25K. He met with the camp yesterday and they are going to be taking it on as the community project for this year. We are very excited. We will be recruiting volunteers to go up sometime in the fall to do the renovations! I understand one of the biggest needs is a wheel chair ramp for the horseback riding. I’m looking forward to contributing as we were raised knowing how to swing a hammer!!! I have 3 brothers and sisters locally that I’m going to try and recruit and one in California that is a professional painter! So have you had your camp experience yet this year? If so, how did it go? Can you send your mailing address, my girls want to send you a note. Thanks for all of your support and I look forward to emailing updates back-and-forth! Take care, But Then it REALLY Happened! ________________________________________ Couldn’t help myself… We received some exciting news today! Casey Jean has been chosen to be the youth spokesperson for MDA of AZ! She will serve in this role for a minimum of 1 year beginning in 2009. They are hoping to “groom” her into growing with the role for up to 3 years. Below is a recent picture of Casey up at MDA camp where she attended for the first time this last summer. This is where she won the hearts of many and subsequently was chosen to apply. Casey interviewed against 50 other applicants! We are hoping that this opportunity gives her a platform for understanding that no matter what, you can ALWAYS give back AND, that your disability does not have to cripple your spirit!!! Casey will be told the good news tonight and then Grandma MUST take her shopping for a new dress for when it is officially announced on 12/16 – 3 days after her 7th birthday!
And after all that, when you think there would be no more, this is where the story “goes off the deep end!” WHOO WHOO!!
From: Jenifer Melvin Hi Hans, I hope you are doing well and that you had a GREAT Turkey Day! Back when we first started emailing I told my husband about the “Rubber Chickens” - I don’t think I communicated that it was “SPORTS HEROES” that you had sign them. He had a contact for Alice Cooper and was able to get him to sign 2 of the one’s that you had sent in the “goodie box” for our granddaughters. Attached is a picture of him signing them; would you want them? No hard feelings if you don’t, Bob just wanted to do something to thank you for your encouragement and it has taken this long to get them back. Let me know! ________________________________________ NOOO WAYYYY!! NOOOOOOOO OWAYYYYYYYY!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! NOOO WAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!! I am dying laughing! No joke I read this while working from home, and I am laughing out loud!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS INCREDIBLE! YOU GOT ALICE COOPER TO SIGN RUBBER CHICKENS!?!?!?! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!! THIS IS IS WILD! THIS, WELL, ROCKS!!! LITERALLY! I am CCing some of the other people who have helped with MDA and the Justin Chickens. They will love this! (Inside note for you reading this, I sent Jenifer a goodie box and some encouragement for her grand daughters who were going to their first MDA camp in Arizona.) YES I WANT THEM! HA AH HAHAHA! I think Justin will get a kick out of them too! WOW! Check out Alice Cooper on the Muppets If I were to meet Alice Cooper in person with those rubber chickens, I would probably act like this ( note the end of the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXEGGOjAe7I You never know, this could start a new tradition of “ROCK CHICKENS!” This is a GREAT Christmas gift! I need to start planning my trip to see Justin soon! THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Hans
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