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Project L.O.V.E.
Proposal
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| March 2009 |
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My name is Erik Gholson Williams and I am in training to
Bicycle from Ground Zero New York City cross country to Los Angeles
California in 2010. The beautiful thing about this mission is that I am
a C6-7 Quadriplegic and will use a hand propelled bicycle to complete my
mission. I am also an aspiring Film Maker Graduated Cal-State University
Northridge, 2009. I received my degree in Television Production. I
believe that it’s a great opportunity to not only bicycle across America
but to create a high quality documentary that can truly inspire the
human race. My story is one that has tragedy, doubt, despair, courage,
belief, humility, and triumph. I began training in August 2007 at
Cal-State Northridge Universities Brown Center. For the road trip we
will be traveling by Motor-home. We also will have a minivan as well to
tail me as I cycle. We will be seeking to involve media (radio,
television, newspaper) in cities and towns we cross to help promote our
purpose and mission. Our team will consist of three drivers, my personal
care attendant, three cyclist, my sister, and a film crew of
individuals. I had this vision of bicycling across country in 1999 but I
knew that the time needed to be right. The time is right and I am ready
to create a positive piece of history.
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Hi, my name is Erik Gholson Williams and I am an inspiration to the
world. I am a young man with two beautiful daughters that was critically
injured in a car accident/blessing in 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah. My
injuries consisted of severing my spinal cord at the C6-7 cervical
vertebrae. Although I am paralyzed from the chest down I do have the
usage of my arms. I had to overcome many challenges physically but the
greatest challenges were the mental challenges. Imagine playing a few
games of basketball and football at the beach with a good friend. Then
waking up after being in a coma for three weeks and the first words you
here are “You’re paralyzed and you may never have the functions of your
arms or legs again.” Well that is what happened in my life. I am
grateful that I was able to play hoops and a little football the last
day of my walking experience and that I could breathe life again.
I was hospitalized for almost a year. I tell people I was in shock
for at least a year. I went into a deep depression for many months. When
I hit my deepest darkest moment is when I ended up in a nursing home for
many months. I couldn’t believe that I was 26 years old, paralyzed and
living in a nursing home. I was like “Wow this is how I am going to live
the rest of my life.” I got down to 95 pounds and hope was fading
quickly. Then my mother called me from California and said “Erik you’re
moving to Los Angeles and going to a great facility for spinal cord
rehab, Rancho Los Amigos.” I was at Rancho for three months. Then from
there I went to a program called “New Start Homes.” The focus for New
Start program was to get you back into the community which Mary Williams
founded. It was a great program, Mary Williams truly is an angel. Now I
live with a roommate in an apartment in the city of Canoga Park,
California.
I have attended Pierce College 2002 through 2007, GPA 3.15, Deans
List 4 semesters (being student body President 2004-2005) and graduating
with two degrees in Administrative Business, and Liberal Arts. During
that time I was an intern at Time Warner. I was also busy developing
three episodes of “The Beautiful World” children’s show as writer,
director, creator, and producer. I attended Cal-State University
Northridge and majored in Television & Cinema. My GPA at Cal-State
Northridge was a 3.325, Deans list 3 semesters. I was President for the
Students in Broadcasting Club Fall 2009. In 2005 I was able to produce
three episodes of The Beautiful World. Through this process I gained a
tremendous amount of experience on all levels of production. I am a
highly motivated individual ready to fulfill my vision.
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In the last 10 years I have been rebuilding my life. A big part of
the why I could rebuild my life was because of assistance from our
government. Programs like Social Security Disability and In-Home
Supportive Services. Also programs in place so I could get assistance to
go to college, like financial aid. I realize in any other country I
wouldn’t have the same opportunities. So I decided after I graduated
from Cal-Sate University Northridge that I wanted to say “thanks” to our
government and give back to them. I decided that I would ride across
America raise money for children that lost their parent’s or have been
critically injured in the recent wars. The monies raised will go to a
scholarship program so when they are ready for college the monies will
be there. I’m a father of two daughters Alexis and Jasmihn who have
given me the strength to not only rebuild my life but to realize the
blessings in my life.
I am going on this journey so I may inspire the human race in the
wonderful gifts that helped me heal my heart from tragedy to triumph.
These are the basic elements which I incorporate into my daily life. The
first one is LOVE. “And we have known and
believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” John 4:16. After almost dying
and fighting to stay alive I have realized that life is about expressing
LOVE in the moment. We are not promised
tomorrow and I am learning to take the foot steps of life each day in
LOVE. The second reason I am riding is the
great healer “Forgiveness.” I am learning
that forgiveness is such a powerful, amazing gift to give to others and
most important ourselves. Third, I ride for “Mercy.”
Having compassion in my life towards those around me and those far away
from me has truly brought peace in my life. The fourth reason I am
riding for is “Grace.” When I began to give
in my life I realized that I am helping others through generosity. It
brings such an internal humbleness to the heart and truly helps those in
need. The fifth reason I am riding is for “Harmony.”
I have gained an appreciation for differences may it be places, people
or things. I am learning when you harmonize yourself with the
environment, people and places it becomes a beautiful song internally.
Sixth reason I am riding for is “Faith.”
There was a time when I lost faith in my life and it was dark. Then
slowly I began to build my faith by incorporating love, forgiveness,
mercy, grace, gratitude, and harmony. I believe that riding for all
these gifts can help bring the hearts of people to a healing place.
What’s so wonderful about these gifts is that we don’t have to wait to
receive them we are the giver/receiver of the gifts. The seventh reason
I am riding for is “Gratitude.” Since I
received a second opportunity from God to live my life I appreciate the
Earth, life, and love. I realize that I am blessed to be living in the
United States of America because of the freedoms we have. When I focus
on what I have in my life my heart is filled with gratitude. The final
reason I am riding for is Humility.
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Cal-State University Northridge Adaptive P.E. program is one of the
best adaptive programs for individuals with physical disabilities at a
college and professional level. The program is headed by Taeyou Jung at
the Brown Center. Since I am a student at CSUN I have immediate access
to the program which has a five year waiting list. In August 2007 I
began to train for my inspiring cross country cycling tour. I did train
at the Brown Center with a Physical Therapist four days a week. The
first five months I focused on weight training so I can maximize my
strength in my upper extremities. In the early spring of 2008 I began
training on my XLT hand-cycle four days a week. I ride between 15 and 25
miles on the days I train. I trained with this kind of effort until
April 2009.Then I felt it was time to see if I could hit my bench mark
of 50 miles a day, my team and I planned a trip from Los Angeles to San
Diego one hundred plus miles. In April 2009 I cycled 50 miles a day for
two straight days from L.A. to San Diego with great success. In
September 2009 I felt it was time to build up endurance so we did a ten
day cycling trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles 500 miles. We did
that trip with great success. I am continuing to train 3 days a week to
keep fit so we can go to our greatest challenge 3000 miles across
America.
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I am cycling on a Top End XLT. I bought my first handcycle in January
2008 from a medical supply company. It is a great hand-cycle but it only
had seven gears and hills where truly a challenge. In January 2009 I put
in for a grant at Challenge Athletes Foundation a foundation to help
disabled athletes. In April I received my second XLT fully funded by
CAF. This hand-cycle I received had a special gearing system for hills
and mountains. My cycling trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles proved
that I can make it up major hills.
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We are seeking Sponsors to help assist in our efforts to travel
across country. We will travel by two Motorhomes. We also will need one
minivan to assist in the process. The two Motorhomes will house the film
crew and my crew. We will have three drivers one as an alternate for the
Motorhomes. With a Class C driver’s license basically anyone with a
driver license can drive the Motorhomes. The minivan will be wheelchair
accessible along with one Motorhome. The focus for the minivan is to
tail me as I handcycle across America. It will also transport me to the
location of the Motorhome base for the day. We will continue to research
how we can be cost effective in our transportation efforts without
compromising our living quarters.
Sample Motorhome
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Sample Minivan
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Living Quarters
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I am seeking sponsors on all levels for this historical event. We
need support from equipment to transportation, and even raising money to
help support cost of mission. I am seeking Corporate Sponsorship in the
field of Adaptable Equipment Companies. For example “Quickie Corporation
their dealings are in wheelchairs and Hand Cycles.” I also will be
seeking Corporate Sponsorship in the retail business for example “Nike,
and Quickie.” This will allow us to raise money for our historical
event. Sponsors will be able to put logo over clothing, transportation,
and media plugs on radio and television. We will document my training
program on video each week. Then every month we will send a three minute
video of my progress to potential sponsors so they can see how I am
progressing. We are shooting a documentary which will be shown at major
Film Festivals. This will allow more exposure for our sponsors.
Sponsorship will be a crucial part of us receiving equipment needed and
raising money to complete our mission.
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When it comes to marketing our goal is to create a voice across the
country about our historical event. We will use all channels of the
media, television (News, talk shows, radio, and newspapers).Through
these media channels we will create a voice months before we set out on
our historical mission. Our goal for our marketing campaign is to create
a voice, following, while we travel from New York City to California.
The website we build will be a great asset in informing the public of
our day to day activities as well as donations for the different
charities we sponsor. Weeks before we set out on the road we will
involve all media channels. The purpose for our mission will be the
single most important piece of the marketing campaign. The purpose of
our mission will inspire our country on an emotional, mental, and
physical level. It will truly elevate our nation’s consciousness. The
purpose of the mission is what we will communicate through the media
channels. When we communicate our purpose through the media channels it
will be consistent through the different channels of media. I will be
searching for a publicist to assist in creating a voice for our mission.
Since I live in Los Angeles I believe we can inspire the city of L.A.
through our marketing efforts and create a strong voice here at home.
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Our goal for the high quality documentary is to produce a thought
provoking, conscience enlightening, and inspiring piece of work. I have
been to the depths of darkness and reaching for the heights of the
mountain. My story is truly one that has an opportunity to touch many
souls positively, consciously, spiritually, and emotionally. We are
seeking sponsorship to pay for the cost of producing the documentary.
When we embark on our cross country tour we will have a professional
film crew at work. We will be on the road about 12 weeks from the time
we leave New York City to the time we reach Santa Monica Pear. We will
be speaking to several potential prospects for production. We will seek
other ways to raise the funding for our historical mission. I will begin
to work out in August 2007 and that’s when I will begin filming the
documentary. This documentary is a tremendous opportunity the share a
wealth of knowledge I have learned through my journey in life. Building
from ground zero emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally has
truly been a beautiful blessing.
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Our Starting point will be at Ground Zero in New York City and we
will end our historical journey at Santa Monica Beach California. We
will use the 3GS navigation system to navigate our way across country.
We will research the best routes within our structural system of
traveling because we want to make sure our efficiency is great. There
may be obstacles when we travel so we will research alternative
efficient routes and keep up on the weather and freeway systems in each
state. We can achieve our awareness of weather, road conditions by the
nation weather channel and local news channels. I am seeking our
national weather channel, “The Weather Channel” ,to assist in our
journey. Also to work directly with them so while on the road we know
our weather conditions. The tentative total mileage is 3100 miles. Start
in New York go to Chicago then take Route 66.
Route 66
Chicago to Santa Monica, CA
2381.00 Miles
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