Evan's story
We started this story last summer. When Marilyn heard a report on BZ radio about a third grader hiking mountains to help his school go green. After talking to Evan and his parents we made arrangements to go on a hike with the whole family.
We leased a camera (almost too quickly) and editing equipment and dove in. The morning of the hike and a day after getting the new camera we hit the ground running learning to operate it on the fly.
My good friend and cameraman Curtis Bailey became Backyard Environmentalist first mountain videographer and did a great job. Of course their were a few shots we wanted to delete and sweat poured off me as I flipped pages in the manual and entered the digital world of menus, clips, P2 cards and a host of other high tech features. Not to mention that the High Definition P2 card only stores twenty minutes of video. At a cost of $900.00 each, I only had one. Delete the bad shots and be very careful with the ones recorded was the rule of the day.
It was a tough very long hike.
I don't know about you but to me it seems we see too few of these stories and that is why we're out here in these mountains carrying heavy equipment and for Marilyn our financial home base gal it's the added worry about how were going to pay for all this. You see eAwakening is a for profit business without the profit. Who else is going to tell these stories? I digress.
We leased a camera (almost too quickly) and editing equipment and dove in. The morning of the hike and a day after getting the new camera we hit the ground running learning to operate it on the fly.
My good friend and cameraman Curtis Bailey became Backyard Environmentalist first mountain videographer and did a great job. Of course their were a few shots we wanted to delete and sweat poured off me as I flipped pages in the manual and entered the digital world of menus, clips, P2 cards and a host of other high tech features. Not to mention that the High Definition P2 card only stores twenty minutes of video. At a cost of $900.00 each, I only had one. Delete the bad shots and be very careful with the ones recorded was the rule of the day.
It was a tough very long hike.
I don't know about you but to me it seems we see too few of these stories and that is why we're out here in these mountains carrying heavy equipment and for Marilyn our financial home base gal it's the added worry about how were going to pay for all this. You see eAwakening is a for profit business without the profit. Who else is going to tell these stories? I digress.
When you see the effort put forth by the Whitemyer family first hand hiking along side them you learn that it's not about the money. This young 3rd grader is raising $5000.00 to give to his school. A school with hopes of going green. And it's going to take a lot of green. In an economic time when most of us are guarding every penny not knowing if we'll still have a job or a home to come home to. So this makes Evan's effort even more noble.
Most of our role models today are monetarily successful. We admire wealth, statis, and power. So here's a young man giving away his energy and time to a worthy cause. Believing that you do something you like and giving to a cause that you believe in that you'll be inspired too.
What a great lesson. I hope that this young man becomes a great leader. He already is. As he leads us up and over the Osceola's we discover that this world is precious and needs our care. We all can help this school to go green. Imagine a world where an army of young men like Evan care so much for our environment that were prepared to give our money away to make it better. Not all our money but enough to make a difference.
Evan Whitemyer led me on a journey where I discovered just how many Backyard Environmentalists there are out there. All the people who helped and believe in this little guy's cause. From the auto mechanic who gave his time to the restaurants giving their oil. To the teacher and students who showed Evan how his money could be used most productively for their school.
I've watched tears form in viewers eyes as they are exposed to Evan's story and I know that this noble spirit is in them and they are moved into action wanting to be a part of this great effort. I feel so good that Marilyn and I could use our skills and passion to tell this story and it is my deepest hope that we will change the world by seeing it as our backyard and something we will care for and keep green right in our own backyards.
Thank you Evan.