What a Team!

We are...."now waking up

to the humbling fact that the world
has only one superpower:
the climate."
- Time Magazine, Oct. 17

The members of Team: Pearlington are coming together and I will be making an announcement soon of its final composition. We still need more Hope Chest sponsorships and on the weekend I will be posting the final list of contents each will hold. One of my local Dream Schools is excited about the possibility of being linked with the school in Pearlington - the one which housed the Shelter, Clinic and Aid Mart. It is by no means up and running yet, but the kids there still consider themselves its students. Both communities are of a similar size, on the water and have other things in common. I will announce the name of the school as I work out the details with the Principal. One of the first things we will do is to have the kids, in the appropriate age cohorts, write some Hope Cards for inclusion in the Hope Chests. These will be small postcards depicting their town, or handmade, bearing messages of hope - child to child.

Tomorrow I will appear on Rogers Cable Television here in Collingwood, an opportunity prompted by Team member Nancy Semple. Those of you local enough to view or tape it will find it on at 11:00 a.m. on the Daytime Show. Other great things are in the works and I will share as they become manifest.

I spoke with Frisco Jen last night, the nurse I worked with in Pearlington and one of the original Renegaides. Her father and mother are in Pearlington and their tasks have captured their hearts. They may be there as long as until Christmas and I look forward to connecting with them when I return on the 28th. He sounds like a wonderful guy and I am anxious for the chance to brag to him about his wonderful daughter.

Any who know me, or have ever been to one of my lectures or a Dream School presentation, know that I will maximize the chance to perform in Pearlington for the folks and kids. To this end, I have designated "Love Can Build a Bridge" as the official Team Tune. Its lyrics are spookily appropriate and it's a wonderful song. I am investigating the timing of getting into the studio to record it before I leave, to hand out in Pearlington to all who have the means to play it. Another of the Renegaides - Skylar Hamilton - had the idea of holding an old-fashioned Cajun Hoedown in the soccer field of the school. It's a great idea as a bonding event for the locals and a much-needed break from the intensity of survival. We will see what we can do.

Take care and please stretch yourselves as much as possible for this worthy project. I leave you now with a few lines from "Love Can Build a Bridge:"

"I would swim out to save you
in your Sea of Broken Dreams,
When all your hopes are sinking,
Let me show you what love means.
Love can build a bridge...."