“People feel mediocre because they forget (or never figured out) why they’re here, and instead of following their purpose, they’re following safety, or worse just existing.” By Adi Redzic
Friends Celebrate Being Extraordinary!
Last Friday was a banner day. It was an extraordinary day! I was guest speaker at my local Kiwanis Club. I delivered my annual presentation on the status 
of Friends of Copey and the Copey Learning Center. It is clear that we are beyond mediocre and as I reported, we defy “organizational gravity.” It is a fact that by all accounts, we should not experience success…but we do.
Kiwanis of Tri Cities Industry has been my home club for 25 years and has been a dedicated partner of the Friends of Copey since its beginning in 2013.
When asked in 2017 to be involved with the Pathway Project, the Club did not hesitate to join in. Collecting and managing the donations is important. Paying bills associated with the annual Pathway Project can be complex and is better handled by the Kiwanis Club with more available expertise. We are most grateful for this partnership.
Last year, I shared with my Kiwanis Club some of the funds provided with the Humanitarian Award presented to me by Emory & Henry University in May. This year, the Kiwanis Club made a sizable donation to Friends of Copey to support the Copey Learning Center. Thank you TCI Kiwanis!
Big Thanks..!
I invited both Catalina and Tara to join me via Zoom during the Kiwanis presentation. They both did and I am very grateful for their effort and willingness to symbolically stand with me during my presentation. We are so unique in our actions and it is easy to overlook the significance of having both of these Copey Learning Center members on hand.
We have successfully included representation from Copey in the past. It is special to have the people and voices from Costa Rica in real time participating in the presentation. Friends of Copey is real…the Copey Learning Center is real. Both standing together during the annual Kiwanis presentation is powerful evidence of our commitment of our relationship that is now in its 11th year.
Catalina and Tara , I thank you for supporting me.
Happy Birthday Mom!
Today, September 11th would be my Mom’s 99th birthday. She passed away August 27, 2013, a few weeks before her 88th birthday. She was very special and is certainly not forgotten. She encouraged me to follow my dream to form “Friends of Copey.”
“You went fishing and came home with a mission” Mom said when I first shared my interest in Copey. Upon her passing, Friends was launched with the pledge to start the Anne G. Broady Scholarship Fund. To honor Mom’s memory, we began to raise funds to help Copey families send their young students to the Copey Learning Center.
Time to Check In!
I have noticed there has been a drop in comments submitted to me in response to my Posts.
There has not been a corresponding drop in viewership. Therefore, it appears to be a matter of Friends reading the Posts but just not commenting. I enjoy the comments and invite you to send your thoughts to me…Good or Bad! Friendship is a two way street. You are a major source of my inspiration and a simple “hello” can go a long way. If we don’t have “Friends”…we don’t exist. Hope to hear from you soon.
When you write about the family that made you who you are, I am always moved, Scrapper. And the school in Copey makes such a great mission – for you and others you have brought along. I am very pleased to be going to Copey this coming December with some Emory & Henry students!
Thanks Ed. My family, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and others all impacted my life in small and large ways. They deserve more credit than I provide. Then there are those who continued making a difference later in my life. You and others deserve credit as well. The mission is a divine mission and your plans to travel to Copey in December is easy to understate in terms of importance. Exposing your students to Copey and the connection they will make with both the community and the Copey students will have a lifetime impact. You help make this a great mission.
Please let your Kiwanis Club know that we appreciate their support of the Copey students. You all make a great team!
It’s great to have a positive memory associated with Sept. 11. Thanks for sharing your mom’s birthday.
Good morning and thank you for the comment. You continue to be such a strong supporter and friend. I am not capable of expressing how much you are valued. I hold a special place in my heart for you and others who are part of my early life’s history. This is unique, significance, and rare in these days. Thank you.
Hello Mr. Art….finally a moment to catch up and of the trillions of personal emails, I open Copey notes from you and relish in the extraordinary example of how one person is doing good for so many. You have impacted so many lives and I feel privileged to witness this journey.
My dear Friend…I miss you! This has been the busiest summer of my life and who knew I would meet Trishia? So you have been on my mind. You are the one doing so much good and making a huge difference everyday in lives of those with special needs. You are a trailblazer and I am grateful for the inspiration you provide me and others. Honestly, we must get together for coffee.