I just returned from another phenomenal ONE/World Vision service project. As at the DNCC last week – David Lane and Zambian AIDS activist Princess Zulu introduced the event, but this time we also heard moving remarks from special guests Senator Frist, Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush.
I captured video of Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush’s speeches and quickly uploaded them to YouTube. You can check them out below. We got higher quality video of the speeches as well, but it may take a couple days to get that up – and I want to share this experience with ONE Blog readers ASAP.
First, Cindy McCain:
Next, First Lady Laura Bush. (You can also read her full remarks here.)
Here’s a photo of (from left to right) Cindy McCain, David Lane, First Lady Laura Bush, Princess Zulu and Senator Frist assembling care kits.
In the course of a couple hours we packed 2,500 kits, all with simple but essentials supplies like flashlights, wash clothes and basic drugstore medications, to be given out to AIDS caregivers around the world. Below is a very short video clip to give you a sense of the what it was like to be in room at the height of kit-assembly commotion.
We knew it was a possibility but now it’s confirmed. Both Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush will be coming by ONE’s service project at the Minneapolis Convention Center today from 2-5 PM CT If you’re in the area, dropped by and help out. It should be an amazing event.
Below, some photos I took during prep for the event yesterday.
After sitting in the hot- midday sun in Denver for a week, and then traveling for days down the highway by way of Omaha, the ONE Bus proudly rolled right inside the Minneapolis Convention Center to sit a top some fluffly blue carpet. Good ‘ole bus probably needed a bit of a rest.
Pretty soon after I got to the table, Kentucky Delegate Dan Bayans dropped by to pick up his ONE Delegate materials. Among the items his bag: information on ONE’s service project today and panels tomorrow, as well as 6 ONE shirts which he can hand out to other members of the Kentucky delegation as he signs them up for ONE.
Right after that, Libby showed up with brand new ONE volunteer Pamala Brown. Pamela told me that she’s from Eden Prarie. MN, and has been a ONE member since the 2005 G8, but that this is the first time she’s been able to volunteer at an event. She’s pretty excited to be here and we’re pretty exited to have her.
Around the back of our bus I found the make-shift office for much of our on-the-ground staff. They’re pounding away getting everything in order for the rest of the week’s events. When they asked if I was posting this photo, I told them I could neither confirm nor deny.
I’m feet down in Minneapolis waiting to gain access to the ONE Bus at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Just like at the DNCC, ONE will partner with WorldVision to host a service project. If you’re in Minneapolis/St. Paul, it’s going to be at CivicFest (the Minneapolis Convention Center) today from 2-5pm in Ballroom B. Confirmed attendees include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and McCain family and friends.
Like last week’s event, volunteers will be able to help assemble kits for AIDS caregivers around the world, but today volunteers will also be able to help with WorldVision’s recovery efforts around the Gulf in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.
If you want to help with Hurricane Gustav recovery as well, you can find more information on World Vison’s website.
I’m heading over to the ONE Bus now. More updates in just a few minutes.
An amazing email from a DNCC ONE Delegate Lori Macklin to ONE Vote ’08 National Coordinator Erin Eagan.
Dear Erin,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this week’s DNC as a ONE delegate – it was a blast!! My husband and I stopped by the ONE bus and participated in the ONE Service Project at Manual High School, where I got to meet David Lane and see Dana Buck, my old friend from World Vision. It felt so good to be a part of the caregiver kit project – Josh from Daughtry told me in the assembly line that it meant a lot to him to do something so meaningful.
At our morning delegation breakfast meeting on Wednesday, I spoke about ONE and distributed wrist bands to our entire WA State delegation. People were very interested, and I encouraged them to join the movement. There are a couple of photos attached of us wearing ONE gear at the convention, and a friend sent me this link to a photo from MSNBC, where I was hugging my fellow delegate, Moe Spencer, after Barack Obama was proclaimed the nominee by acclamation:
Thanks so much for all that you do, and for being at both the DNC and RNC – ONE’s issues should matter to all of us, and I’m so proud to be a part of the movement to eradicate global poverty and disease.
Greetings to Josh Peck and Jamie Drummond too!
Sincerely Yours,
Lori Macklin
Obama National Delegate
Washington State
Matt Higgginson was in charge of local ONE volunteers for the DNCC all week and did an amazing job if I do say so myself. I thought posting some of the pics from his camera might give you a sense of what he was up to all week.
Local volunteers Brooke and Dana working the ONE Bus.
Darren & Lindsey from Littleton, CO, working the service project.
ONE volunteer Joe Marsh is signing Delegates up as they wait for their credentials.
And one of many volunteers who walked the 16th St. Mall in Denver and signed up new members to ONE.
Yesterday afternoon, I attended the National Democratic Institute’s global poverty panel at the DNCC. It was moderated by Gayle Smith, who’s a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
The speakers were:
Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and NDI chairman Ben Affleck, actor, director, and advocate Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development John J. Danilovich, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Account Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader and Co-Chair of ONE Vote ’08 Hernando de Soto, president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, vice president of the Africa Region of the World Bank Donald Payne, U.S. representative Tim Wirth, former U.S. senator, and CEO of the United Nations Foundation James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank.
Josh Lozman of our policy staff is going to be sending in a post about the panel a little later.
I also took a small camera with me and shot some simple video, so I’ll post a couple clips here to give you a sense of what it was like to be in the room. The 1st is of Senator Tom Daschle answering a question about his recent trip with ONE through Rwanda.
This second one is of Ben Affleck talking about his new perspective after having visited Africa- and what he thinks that new perspective means for how we should message effectively. After, President of the Center for Global Development Nancy Birdsall talks about the incredible progress we’ve seen.
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