End Malaria?, tell an important story?, raise the bar and propel you forward? Can Social Media do what you want it to do?
-You bet it can!
Hello Leapers and Firestarters, and to all of you ambitious individuals with a goal…
…here is a little something to help breathe more life into ANY project you are hustling to tackle and accomplish.
To: #Lyproject and Leapyearproject.org,
I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you guys started this project. Why? A person that was unknown to me as of this same time last week, reached out and connected with LYProject organizers.
His question and petition? (the following message is verbatim, no corrections or formatting has been done)
- “I’m interested in Juan Pablo’s bicycle touring trip across Canada to raise awareness and funding for malaria. Has this trip started yet? If not and my schedule permits, I’m interested in joining in. Please advise ASAP. Thank you.”
-Chris
A few emails and a phone call later, new acquaintances were made and budding friendships are underway. Yeah, we’re still working out the specifics, tying up loose ends and honing details, but… we have a plan. Even though our plan is still in it’s infancy and there are potential roadblocks, nevertheless, we’re working hard on bringing this bicycle trip together. We’re sharing a dream, sharing common goals.
How did this happen? We all started something, and we all reached out.
Victor Saad started and founded LYProject, I (Juan Pablo Taboada) started planning and training for a cross-country, trans-Canadian bicycle ride, and Chris is (potentially) joining in to ride for his own personal cause.
All of the aforementioned ideas at some point was nothing more than just that… an idea. A thought. And then we started. We nurtured our ideas, and our dreams began to grow.
I had an idea, pretty simple: Get on a bicycle and ride from the Eastern Coast of the US, then up, into and across Canada to the West Coast… and hopefully raise some money and awareness for Malaria.
Well, as it turns out, Chris doesn’t just want to come of the ride, he’s inviting others to come along too! Now, it’s not just about Malaria (my cause), we have others riding for their own personal reasons and causes. Cancer, Poverty, Clean Drinking Water, Illiteracy, AIDS, etc… these are just examples. We’ll be excited to share the actual ones as time goes on (check out epicfailmail.com for updates).
Quick side note:
I’m fortunate to have just flown safely back from a vacation in NYC. During my stay in Manhattan, I went to Rockefeller Plaza. At Rockefeller Plaza they have the flags of the United Nations flying overhead all displaying their colors and symbols with pride. Now I know you’re probably wondering how this ties into the story, well, here it goes:
As mentioned before, this ride and it’s story is no longer just about Malaria, it’s about US. It’s about what WE stand for, and what WE’RE fighting against.
The vision I have, the vision that WE now have is similar to the flags displayed at Rockefeller Plaza, but instead of flags, we have tassels, arm bands, and jerseys, ready to ride and fly through the country side, painting the scene with all the colors of the rainbow, each man riding for a personal cause.
“Faces For Change Ride” is the name for the newly revised adventure. In one weeks time the journey has gone from “boy on a bike” to “Men/Women on a Mission”. What a huge step, what a giant LEAP!
It’s awesome, it’s great and I can’t thank y’all (#LYProject) enough for being an essential part in this endeavor. Even though it’s just a dream right now, we’re creating something. Even if it doesn’t work out the way we’ve planned, it’s already given me one thing: Hope, and hope is a powerful ally to have at your side. It allows you to dream and your dream you’ll see, will manifest itself. Go. Just start, start now. We’re waiting for you.
-Juan Pablo Taboada
