I
Just Want to Thank You
I achieved a quite a bit in the time between early
January to early Spring. I feel my
absence in the blogosphere gives the impression nothing is going on, so I
shared an update I sent to my Advisory Board.
Like life (wait, it has been life), the last few months had its peaks
and valleys, successes and failures, wishes and realities. The one constant has been an outpouring of
support from all corners, support from people who loved TQ, people who believe
in the project, people who believe in me, and that special subset of folks who
do all three. I alternate between
pinching myself and reminding myself how blessed I am. I just
want to thank you.
Family
At the top of my thank you list is my family. My mother, my wife and my children (Calvin
III and Candice) may not always understand why I do what I do, but they always
support. My mother was the one who egged
me on when I met resistance to filming TQ’s funeral. Not only did she put me in contact with the decision
makers, she was the one to remind me I had to get in there and fight for my
documentary. Those were word that echoed
from my childhood from a other who always pushed me to finish what I started
and to fight for my right to express myself.
My wife stood at my side from day one, pitching in one night when we had
to stuff, seal and stamp eight hundred envelopes for the first fundraising
effort. She was the one to donate the
money for postage (“…I’d like 800 first class stamps, please…”). I’m blessed to have a family that support me
and supports the project. Thank you.
Advisory Board
I also want to thank my Advisory Board, a diverse
and august collection of souls who bring myriad talents and insight to the
project. Their talent, wisdom and love
combined into a critical mass that drive the decisions behind the major
milestones of this project. From partnering
with Karen Everett for story consultation to joining her Inner Circle 6 and
crafting the fundraising letter, the Advisory Board took time out of their busy
(busy, busy) lives to make my project a priority and impart their wisdom, love
and support. Thank you.
When my mother reached to to Vernon Roberts to get a
copy of TQ’s mailing list, I saw an opportunity to spread the word about the
film and take the first step in fundraising.
Like all first steps, mailing thos people, many who did not know me, was
filled with trepidation, but I did it. At
last night’s Good Friday service, a guest pastor, talking about stepping out on
faith exhorted, “LEAP, but don’t look.”
The fundraising letters were a big leap that paid off in more than money
raised. As each check came in, it became
less about the amount of the check and more about the intent behind each
check. Every donation was reinforcement
for the project. Some donors enclosed
notes with their personal “TQ Stories” and words of encouragement to continue
my work on the film. Every donation,
every note came at a time I needed it. Whether
it was a check that would allow me to pay for animation or note of support when
I was wondering why I was doing what I was doing, every time I needed
something, some stranger out there would take time out of their day, and money
out of their wallet to remind me how important this work is. Even as donations drop off, some of the
initial donors are making second and third donations, which humbless me. If you can dip down into your resources
again, I know I can double down and bring this project home. I want to thank each and every one of you.
The
Trouble with TQ Donor Roll
- Carrie J. Hughes
- Toni Fesel
- Minnie Thomas
- Nancy Dixon
- Mary Emmert
- Bruce McKenna
- Eugene Strelka
- Fr. John Dorgan
- William J. Griggs
- John & Katie Zawacki
- Eileen Kanzler
- Hank & Claire Tessandori
- Pete & Margie Langlands
- HaveScripts.com
- Richard Mooney
- Rev. Francis J. Gargani
- Hal & Sally Neher
- William T. Prince
- Tom & Mary McFeely
- Linda & Garry Cooke
- Ed & Maureen Marroni
- John Lane
- Christopher Schafer
- Walter and Alveta Green
- Rich and Gina Wightman
- Joan Williams (continuing donor)
- Bridget Browne
- Elnora P. Green (my high school guidance counselor!)
- Sal Vitale
- Kathleen Waugh
- Joseph McDonough
- Jone Langlands
- Young Ja Jun
- Mary Minkowski
- Rev. David Ungerleider
- Jean and Bob Young (continuing donors)
- Sisters of Notre Dame
- Bob & Adele DellaValle-Rauth
- John Buford
- Kathy Heatwole
- Mrs. Jean Thompson
- Mr. James Wilson Jr.
- Eileen Lyver
- Charlotte Pacheco
- Rev. Louis Benoit
- Kim Howell
- Kathy Dowdy
- Bridget Browne
- Amber Medalla
- Howard and Sarah Malloy
- C. Douglas and J. Claudette Starrett
- Arthur T. McNeill
- Virginia D. Williams
- John & Mary Ryan
- Mary Moran
- Winnie Flora
Artists
I also want to thank the Baltimore artist
community. Painters, animators, graphic
designers, web designers and photographers.
The work you have done for the project brings this film to the next
level, beyond anything I couldhave imagined.
When I talk to an artist about what I need, I always have in mind what I
think it should look like, but I learned early on that I’m paying artists to be
artists and their best work comes when they inject their vision into the piece. Les Yocum, Shannon Corbeil, Jesse Wieman, Kimberly Mayer, Roberta Hoffman and Anna Pasqualucci created pieces
above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I will cover them in depth in the next blog
post, showing their work and sharing a quick story about each. Thank you.
In Conclusion...
Well, they’re playing the music cue that means my
time is up (heh heh). I just want to
thank you all for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for believing in me. I won’t let you down.
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