The Cleveland Clinic and the Johnson's Beach Party

Yesterday, the team woke up with a sizable feeling of accomplishment as we looked at our cameras one last time to see the bridge we put up just yesterday. Today was also a treat from our Project Manager Tyler, as we had our wake up changed from the usual 5:30, to an exceptionally generous 7:45. Once downstairs, we filled ourselves up on the usual breakfast selections - only this time we were told we can eat as much as we want so guys were going up for their fourth and fifth helpings of cereal. Our goal for the day, was to visit the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. There our team was given a tour by the staff of the center - we were shown the rehab and dialysis wings and were told about the innovative autism center built on the property.


After meeting a few of the patients at the hospital (the kids were not impressed - the week before the rookies of the Cleveland Browns showed up at the hospital for a friendship visit as well), the team was split up into groups intended to fulfill various tasks around the facility. I was sad that we were not able to have a real friendship visit but on Sunday we set out for Camp Allyn in Batavia, Ohio, so I am sure that the week will be full of necessary reflection about the camp and the visits. George, Jeff and myself worked in the awfully steamy therapy pool, where we polished the stainless steel in the locker rooms and scrubbed the pool of any scum that had accumulated. Other groups cleaned toys, washed mats and helped the kids with gardening. Although we were unable to spend prolonged time with the patients, the team was able to really put into perspective what children with disabilities have to endure and the facilities available to help them. We helped the clinic in the west way we could and came away with a deeper sense of accomplishment and understanding.

A Walmart trip followed - this was my second trip to Walmart in my life and this one was just as mind blowing as the first. The store has EVERYTHING. I ended up buying various unhealthy snacks, a pair of work jeans and a football - I also purchased a four dollar water bottle that I am pretty certain will share its carcinogens with me eventually. A few hours of rest was spent watching the US collapsee against Ghana - at 5 we set off to the home of Cam Johnson (a team member from the 2009 BAM team). We spent an amazing evening with his family, grilling, playing volleyball and enjoying their gigantic pool. While some team members played chicken and other pool games with the Johnson children, others enjoyed mama Johnsons pudding cake and sweet corn. It was amazing to see such kindness in people and to be taken in by such a kind family, even if it was for only an evening. The highlight of the evening was probably building a super Build American where Will Aja ended up lifting 400 pounds of weight (three guys).

Camp Allyn is tomorrow along with the real beginning of this journey. A stop at Skyline chili is a part of our travel plans on Sunday so I am already excited. The team has a daily prayer after breakfast and while usually i just sing renditions of Hanukah songs in my head while everyone else prays, I found myself praying along with everyone else that I have the strength during the next 6 weeks to show the special campers exactly how special they are.

Bridge Building and Bonding

Our first three days in Cleveland were dominated by probably the most difficult project the team will face during the summer. Jim Karlovec, a Pi Kapp alum and the project manager of the first two Journey of Hopes arranged for us to build a bridge across a creek. The bridge was to be 54 feet across, 17 feet above the water and is held up with four 1200 pound trusses. I'm something of a Lego boss, so i figured you just put some decks across from one end of the embankment to the other, drill in some screws, throw on some glue and BOOM, bridge. Not quite. The team, along with the carpenters of Karlovec construction, built four trusses and carried each over to the creek, where a crane placed the four trusses in two already prepared cement abutments. After putting up scaffolding, we secured the trusses, built two ramps on each side of the bridge and completed the project by decking the entire structure.

For those of you reading this who could care less about the technical aspects of the construction (sorry gorgeous) you have to realize how awesome it is to be able to use the words truss, abutment and scaffolding in a logically consistent way. Once friendship visits start up, I promise less construction babble and more mentions of the real reason why I am here, but in the meanwhile deal with me while i embrace each opportunity I can to establish myself as a manly man.

The team has been bonding exceptionally, and we are well on our way to developing strong bonds that will last past Orlando. Some of us went to see Grown Ups after the completion of the bridge; while the movie was a complete disaster, making fun of it in the van brought us all even closer together. Somehow I ended up with the nickname Yan Meyer - I probably should not have let my love for Jason Mraz to be known among the team. One of the guys was lucky enough to get the nickname pledge - he brought his white diamond along and everything. This trip really has a way of transforming your mindset. Already I am looking at every task as a team challenge, and the image and success of the group is more important than any one guy. Nothing is more telling of this, then the more experienced guys on the trip taking time to show me the ropes. TJ Lewis from Virginia Tech helped make me handy with the Miter saw and even after I completely messed up the bolting mechanism at one end of the truss, Jake Morris from Missouri University of Science and Technology and Will Aja from ASU showed me where I made the boo boo and then helped me fix it albeit with some significant help. Although I am extremely sore and at this moment can barely move my legs, I can honestly say that the building we are doing so far is making me extremely proud and will only get better once the building is being done to help campers.

The Completed Bridge with a 4-wheeler and the entire Build America Team. I guess the bridge works...

Arriving in Cleveland

The 2010 Build America Team of 16 Pi Kappa Phi Brothers

A series of 5 am wake up calls have been the first real signs that Build America has finally begun. While I am slowly getting adjusted to waking up with the sun still down, getting used to large powerful tools will require less warm up time. Today, the amazing crew of Karlovec inc. showed us the ropes with various tools - both power operated and otherwise. We tried our hand at sawing off and measuring 2 by 4's and eventually started work on a 54 foot bridge meant to span the two sides of a small stream located on the property that we are using for tool practice. Being in our BAM uniforms, albeit they were somewhat uncomfortable, made me feel so proud to be part of the team. This trip has made me realize how diverse Pi Kapp chapters are around the nation and how much we have to learn from one another. The first two days have been full of conversations about each others' chapters - everything was discussed from t-shirt designs to alumni involvement to push projects.

Using tools for the first time today really gave me a sense of accomplished which I have not experienced in a very long time. School is the same flow of tasks and assignments semester after semester - accomplishing something using my hands gave me a huge rush of adrenaline (and also testosterone). I could swear that i grew 5 inches and bulked up 20 pounds when i held an air powered nail gun in my hands and used it to pump nail after nail into a practice stud we were using.

We still have not had a friendship visit yet (the first one is scheduled for this weekend) but every day I begin to feel more confident about what I can bring to the amazing kids we are about to encounter. Like our project manager tyler said, to have a good and powerful time, one must take off his cool hat for the day/week/month. Considering my cool hat was never there in the first place, I am ready to use every bit of Goofy i have stored in me to make sure the campers around me have an amazing time.

After a really emotional sub ritual where the team shared the reasons we all have for being on this trip, I feel that we are on the same page for wanting to be in Cleveland. I am nervous but also confident and I cannot wait for our first camp (Camp Batavia in Ohio). I am also super pumped to get to try Skyline Chili outside of Cincinnati.

Tomorrow we continue our work on the bridge and I plan on being ahead of the herd of morning showerers as I have set my alarm for 5:20 - 10 full minutes before the official 5:30 wake up call.

Packing

With my fundraising finally completed, and my flight set to lift off from Newark at a crisp 7am Tuesday morning, the only thing left for me to do at home is to try my hand at packing my bag. This in itself is a difficult task because I decided to not utilize the full packing services of my mother. My tool belt alone weights upwards of 25 pounds and most of the weight is taken up by objects which I have no idea how to use.

As soon as my plane lands, I will be picked up by the Build America team from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio by the Build America crew team. From there I will be taken to the teams lodgings at Case Western University where our journey will begin. I am sure the first few days will be filled with ice breaking games that will guarantee we all know each others' favorite colors and biggest fears, they will also include extremely helpful building seminars and tool training which will be necessary for us to function as a team and for us to use our shiny new Home Depot tools in a safe (and productive) way.

Building aside, I am nervous but excited for the opportunity to make hundreds of special friends. I cant wait to embrace Push America's message of Teamwork and Empathy and change my life and hopefully the life of at least a few others. The tools I am bringing with me could might as well be plastic shovels and paintbrushes if I do not make an impact on the life of at least one camper. I really do hope that I do not embarrass and hammer the right nails into the right holes but I hope even more that Push America's message is not lost on me as I attempt to balance the trials of building with the trials of being a friend to the campers I am about to meet.

Most trying of all however, might be the daily 5am wake ups.

2 Days Away

I always thought that blogs were for the lonely and spotlight hungry; those who not only love the sound of their own voice but seeing those words on the screen as well. Forgive me for my hypocrisy.

I realized late last night while attempting to figure out how to use the tape measure I borrowed from Matt, that in order for my Build America experience to be as significant as I hoped it would be when I signed up for it six months ago, I need to be able to look back at something five years down the road which will keep this amazing adventure I am about to set out on fresh and relevant in my mind.

Before I start blogging, hopefully in a somewhat entertaining manner, I have so many amazing sponsors that deserve to be kept aware (and thanked repeatedly) of my journey this summer and how their donations helped change my life and the life of hundreds of campers with disabilities across the nation (or at least across the southeast Atlantic). I could not have achieved my fundraising goals without the help of my beautiful girlfriend, who singlehandedly provided me with the motivation and desire to apply to be a team member and who stayed up late into the night with me making pancakes and Latkes (Its a Jewish thing) to sell to GW's hungry Greek community. The support of the amazing brothers of Theta Zeta and their families, whether through buying my pancakes at EXTREMELY unreasonable costs, or through very appreciated donations, or in Ross' case who bought 30 dollars worth of pancakes (which amounted to one or two pancakes at most) and then donated as well, was crucial in my efforts. Finally, my own family and our extremely kind and generous friends made this trip possible for me.

A special section is needed to thank my grandparents, who in the darkest of fundraising times, came through to put me over my fundraising goal. They are still unsure of my college's name and have no access to the Interweb but their support helped make the following few months possible.

If I have my way, the posts in the days to come will be significantly less mushy, much less repetitive and hopefully original and funny. I am sure Emy (the previously mentioned girlfriend) will check the grammar and spelling of these posts and inform me of my many missteps - hopefully they'll get better and you keep checking in, if not, I do love seeing my words on the screen.