Welcome to the section of the web site that proves my writing skills are equivalent to that of the average four-year old. This steaming pile of literary compost is something we like to call The Contest Journal.
FINALLY! September had arrived. Tim and I were giddy with excitement as we headed out on September 8 to cover our first contest day of the 2007 season. Besides the beginning of marching season, September marks the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. This is an incredible program that raises millions of dollars every year to find a cure for breast cancer. Tim and I are inspired every time we talk to someone involved with the Komen Foundation because it is a grassroots organization. The pink ribbon has become a simple, yet very powerful symbol of what can be accomplished when a group of people get together and work toward a common goal. We think that it is just a matter of time before breast cancer will be a thing of the past because of the Komen Foundation.
We were so moved by the work of the Komen Foundation that we wanted to start our own organization to improve the health of all people regardless of their sex, race, religion, social status. Tim and I spent the past few weeks reading everything we could on the most significant issues affecting the health of our society. After poring over countless articles in medical journals, interviews with healthcare professionals and discussions with patients in local hospitals, the nations biggest health crisis became very clear - Americans are not getting enough fiber in their diets.
Tim and I knew what we had to do. We had to start a program to convince people to eat more roughage. Thus, the Colo-Rectal Awareness Project or C.R.A.P. was born. We decided that we needed a very basic and easily recognizable symbol to drive the message home that everyone needs to consume at least 30 grams of dietary fiber every day. So we decided to use a colored ribbon, like the Komen Foundation. It turned out that almost every color of the spectrum was already in use by one organization or another. The only color that wasnt taken was brown, so Tim and I claimed it in the name of the Colo-Rectal Awareness Project.
As many of you know, we listen to music on the way to contests to put us in the right frame of mind to spend many hours shooting photos of bands. To celebrate the formation of C.R.A.P. we choose a song that not only focused our minds, but also moved us inside. Fans of the Cartoon Networks The Brak Show know that Brak is talented singer and songwriter. He wrote the ultimate anthem for the bowel health which we adopted for the Colo-Rectal Awareness Project.
"I Love Beans" by Brak
We were a little late getting on the road, but fortunately Tim was driving so we made it to the North Harrison Invitational with time to spare.
The North Harrison show was a star-studded affair. Mary Poppins and her entourage were in the audience.
But Jeff Gordon got caught in traffic and ended up missing the entire contest.
Because of a very tight schedule, we had to leave North Harrison immediately after the host band performed in order to catch the beginning of the Mt. Vernon show.
As it turned out, we got to the Mt. Vernon show just in time
...to miss the first four performances.
One of the perks of being an SI staffer is that we are recognized wherever we go and contest officials go out of their way to make us feel welcome at their show. The folks at Mt. Vernon are no different. In fact they had something special planned for us. When band fans pay admission to get into a show, it is customary to get their hands stamped. The stamp is proof that they paid admission and allows fans to pass in and out of the gate freely. Because Tim and I were "special guests" as Mt. Vernons gate workers put it, each of us were given special marks that gave us unlimited access to all areas of the contest site.
The gate workers explained that the Ls on our foreheads stood for the word "luminary" and if people smiled or giggled when they saw us, it was their way acknowledging that we were celebrities. Apparently we are better known that we thought, because dozens of people not only smiled and giggled, but busted out laughing and pointed at our foreheads.
Tim and I were pleased that we could make people smile and laugh by our presence. But once again we had to leave immediately after the host band performed in order to go to the next show - the Heritage Hills Invitational.
At Heritage Hills, we made it just in time
...to miss the first two performances.
Soon afterwards it started raining. Despite being refreshing, rain is very hard on camera equipment and our photos are bad enough the way they are without water spots. After standing and watching the rain for a half hour or so, we decided to cut our losses and head home.
What a fun and zany first Saturday of the 2007 season! If the entire season is this much fun, we are going to have a great year.
See ya next week, and remember to eat plenty of roughage!
