If the rabbit suit will help a friend of mine get a bunch of votes, I'm happy to do the bunny ears this week!
My longtime buddy and Specs Howard grad, Ron Bachman (pictured right with his publicist Kathryn Vander and "The Bunny") was nominated for Energizer battery's Keep Going Hall of Fame last week and I was honored to be a part of The Bunny's surprise brigade at E.G. Nicks. It was great fun and a lot of work carrying those balloons, but it doesn't stop there. I'm making it my mission to see that Ron gets your vote, so please visit the Energizer website and vote for Ron now!
If you’ve never met Ron, let me tell you why he is so deserving of winning this award. His energy and sense of humor are contagious -- spend just a few minutes with him and he'll get you fired up about your own life as well his!
You see, when Ron had both his legs amputated at the age of four, he found freedom by walking on his hands. Today, as a motivational speaker, he offers a message of hope, understanding and acceptance in the face of diversity, disability and differences as only Ron can. He has performed in hundreds of speaking engagements at schools, civic organizations and businesses.
The Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame celebrates people -- like Ron -- whose attributes and actions exemplify qualities such as perseverance, determination and a keep going and going and going attitude. Of the ten finalists, one winner will be selected through online voting. That’s where we come in.
Please join me in voting daily!
Voting is open now through July 25, and you may vote once a day. The winner will be announced in August, and will receive a $10,000 cash prize, along with a $5,000 donation to his favorite charity. The winner will also be honored at an induction ceremony in St. Louis, alongside Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and inaugural member of the Keep Going Hall of Fame, Cal Ripken, Jr.
Vote for Ron, Now!
Ron, who is a 1991 graduate of Specs Howard, and a member of Specs Howard's Hall of Fame, says that working in radio at WHMI, AAA of Michigan, and WRIF after graduating from Specs Howard School gave him the confidence and desire to get out in front of people and talk about it. In 1992, former Specs Howard instructor Kathryn Vander produced and directed a documentary about Ron’s life called, Walk This Way (thanks to Ron’s friend, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith). The film has since won national and international awards.
Today, Ron spends a lot of time speaking to groups of children and adults through his organization, also called Walk This Way. Speaking out against bullying and prejudice, he delivers self-esteem and motivational programs to schools so that children can be inspired to overcome challenges and stay confident.
So please remember to click on this link and give this great grad a boost toward this honor, because it is really well-deserved, and an inspiration to all of us. That, plus I can’t wait to see him in a pink bunny suit.
