Pictures Coming Soon! Everyone here at Mindwafers would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of you who made it out to our Special Olympics volunteer event on Saturday. We had a great turn out numbers wise, but more importantly the people who did show were there with enthusiasm and a willingness to do whatever it was that was asked of them. All of us involved in the planning couldn’t have been more proud to be associated with all the great people who made it out that day, and hope this is only the beginning of something much bigger.
Donating your money is an extremely generous way of helping people in need, but those of you who made it out on Saturday gave those kids something that all the money in the world could never buy. And for those of you who think you don’t have the time or can’t afford to help – you’re wrong. You may not be able to commit to a weekly or even a monthly charity event, but we’re going to continue to do our best to bring you these opportunities one at a time. Just a few hours of your day is all it takes to make a difference, so we would ask that when you see the invitation come out for our next event, that you think long and hard about what you have to do that is more important than helping those less fortunate than you. Once you experience a day like all of us did on Saturday, you’ll find a hard time justifying missing a similar opportunity in favor of something else in the future. Even if it is your best friend’s birthday or something like that, if they can’t understand why you’d rather make a child’s day than eat Jell-O shots at 10 AM, well…then you need a new best friend.
I think a lot of us had our eyes opened to a whole new world at the Special Olympics, and those involved got a first hand education on what really goes on there. After getting a chance to play and interact with the athletes, I think the biggest shock to everyone was finding out that they are not so different from you or me. Not even focusing on how several of them were wayyyyyyy better than us at basketball(as evidenced by a serious beating taken during a pre-game scrimmage), most of the athletes are friendly and personable and will walk right up to introduce themselves. You rarely if ever find yourself resorting to “baby talk” or “dumbing it down” for anyone. It feels just like any conversation you would have with any random person on the street. Sure there is something a little different about them, but how many people do you know who will show you unconditional respect and genuinely enjoy interacting with you without judging you or wanting anything in return? Kind of makes you wonder who the real “handicapped” people are.
Some of us sit adjacent to people at work who we see 40 hours/week, that we’ve never had a single conversation with. After a few hours at the Special Olympics we had friends like Big Dan, Ben, Sam, Phil, and a little angel named Sarah. There were real connections made on Saturday, and for something like that to happen after only a few hours shows you what makes this day so special. Most people believe that having a special needs child would be devastating, rather than considering the alternative, that it truly is a blessing. Of course there are hard times, but after seeing what we saw on Saturday, I would be honored if the “powers that be” thought I was up for the challenge. Anyone there on Saturday will have a hard time making a “special olympics” or “retarded” joke ever again. It all comes down to education, and once you experience and see what really goes on with these children and their families, you’ll know exactly why that’s not funny – regardless of the context.
So we would like to take one last opportunity to thank everyone who was involved, and officially extend the invitation to join us in doing it all over again in June for the Summer Games. Nothing is official just yet but the dates will be June 17-19. We hope everyone can clear their calendar for that weekend, unless you have something better to do……
Hey everyone. Thanks for bearing with us as we were waiting to hear back from the Special Olympics on the final details of where we will be, etc. So the official agenda for the day is:
8:30 am - Report to Worcester Technical High School (1 Skyline Ave. Worcester, MA 01605). We will be in the gym3:30 pm - End of volunteering portion of the day
5:00 pm - Reception at Beatnik's (433 Park Ave. Worcester) A heavy appetizer buffet will be served. If you're too good for free food they have a full menu as well. 9:00 pm - Thelonious Funk featuring The White Planets, live music at BeatniksAll in all, should be a pretty great day. If you plan to attend, please fill out the form below. Sorry for the late notice, but we must have this information by Monday at the latest. If not you will not receive a t-shirt or the official registration details that will be coming by e-mail. Thanks again everyone and we'll talk to you soon If you want to submit this information for a group of people, you may send the list as an attached spreadsheet to [email protected]
From the people that brought you the Mustache Ball this past Thanksgiving comes an opportunity for you to make a difference without growing a single whisker or donating a single dollar. Mindwafers.com and Let's Do Something About It! are proud to be partnering with the Massachusetts Special Olympics in order to assist with the recruitment of volunteers. Since 1971, the Massachusetts Special Olympics has been helping athletes with intellectual disabilities gain confidence and build positive self-images, which go with them into their homes, classrooms, jobs, and communities. Now in its 40th year, we are extremely happy to be joining the team, and we hope you will join us as well.
This year's Winter Games will be held in the greater-Worcester area, March 12-13, and will feature athletes competing in any number of sports including, Alpine Skiing, Basketball, Bowling and Floor Hockey.
Our group has been asked to work one of the Basketball venues where our responsibilities will include working the clock, keeping score, and other administrative tasks. This would run from 8:30am - 3:30pm on Saturday March, 12. We are looking to recruit as many volunteers for these positions as we can, because most importantly of all we will need to put some fans in the stands.
The Special Olympics is all about building self-esteem in the athletes, and sadly over 50% of the participants do not have family members there to cheer them on. So we want to make up for that and then some. We want to pack the place and get loud - really loud. At the very least you could cheer as loud for them as you do for the overpaid whiney assholes at Fenway - with the added bonus of knowing the person you're cheering for actually cares. The Mindwafers team is in full agreement that we will all be utterly disappointed if we don't witness a scene like this....
We're still awaiting final word on the exact venue, and will bring you that information as soon as we have it. For now, just make sure March 12 is clear on your calendars and be ready to experience a day that will change your outlook on life forever - not an opinion, fact.
We are also working with a local Worcester bar/restaurant to host a reception for our group at 5:00 which will include a heavy appetizer buffet. This will be a good time for us to grab some drinks with some great people and talk about everything we experienced that day. We'll also get you these details as soon as they are finalized. We would like to know who will be joining us so that we can make sure we communicate all the relevant information out to you. You may either RSVP to the Facebook event by clicking here, or fill out the form below
And oh yeah - if you're on the fence about whether or not you should try to make it that day, watch this...
We'll do our best to keep you up to date but all updates will be posted here first so come to Mindwafers.com for all the latest news on the event
Mindwafers and its constituents are proud to be involved with the local fundraiser for Nathaniel Bibaud, an Amesbury native and Wentworth alum that was involved in a serious car accident while working as a graphic design artist in St. Croix. Nathaniel sustained very serious injuries to his spine and back, and was airlifted from St. Croix to Mass General Hospital, where he has been stablized but still faces a long road of recovery. Furthermore, at age 26 Nathaniel recently came off his family health insurance plan and his family faces mounting medical bills. His friends and family have organized the Nathaniel Bibaud Recovery Fundraiser for Thursday, January 20th at Murphy's Riverside Tavern in beautiful Amesbury. The community has really come together to organize this event, and there will be many awesome silent auction items that will all go towards Nathaniel's recovery fund. From Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics tickets to autographed sports memorabilia, to free salon and stylist care, to fishing equipment, GPS devices, clothing, jewlery, and gift cards - there is literally something for everyone.  If you have never been to scenic Amesbury, it is worth the drive alone. Murphy's Riverside is an amazing quaint bar with a roaring fireplace and some of the best food this side of the Merrimack (try the Buffalo Crab Ragoons). 100% of the servers tips that night are going towards the fundraiser as well- and we all know how shitty waitresses and bartenders get paid, so the hope is that people will give generously. And while I have never met Nathaniel, his beard and smile have sold me. I admire his courage to thumb his nose at the American economy and go with just the clothes on his back and money in his pocket to try and get a job in St. Croix. I'm sure if he could he would thank you all a thousand times if you could come and donate your time and maybe just a bit of your money to help him and his family.
We hope to see you there.
Murphy's Riverside
37 Main Street
Amesbury, MA
Silent auction starts at 9oclock.
For more details click here.
-Reece
Thank you to everyone who made the 1st Annual Mustache Ball such a success. Through your donations and corporate matching gifts, we will be able to make a $5,000 contribution to the Greater Boston Food Bank. With this money the Foodbank will be able to purchase $20,000 worth of food, enough for 10,000 meals. Thank you for being a part of it and we look forward to making next year's event even better.
Twas the night before the ball
and all through the house
little furry creatures were stirring
but none were a mouse
The hairs were hung from the upper lip with care
in hopes that Tom Selleck soon would be there
 I think its time we all say, 'Yes I will' I know you wish you could help. You hear the stories of people building homes for others, being a Big Brother or Big Sister, coaching troubled kids - people really making a difference. You admire them, maybe even envy them, because you know you’ll never be able to make a commitment like that.
I get it. You work 40+ hours per week and barely make enough money to pay all your bills. By the time you actually get home you might have 4 hours to yourself or to spend with your family if you’re lucky. You can’t afford the time or money needed to commit to some charitable cause. But every once in a while you think to yourself how nice it would be if you could.
Well, guess what? I came up with a way for you to be a part of something bigger than yourself, while never having to commit to spending a single penny or one minute of your time. Ahhh now I have your attention. Let me explain…
Do you remember the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and George decide to start dating the same woman? During another conversation at the coffee shop, Seinfeld and Costanza come to the realization that alone they could never fully satisfy all of a woman’s needs, but together they could potentially equal one real man. So one would take her out in the afternoon shopping and walking in the park, and then the other could take her out to dinner and listen to her badmouth her friends all night. Overall, the time commitment is too much for one man, but with two, it works.
You don’t have time to commit to serving meals to the homeless every Saturday. But what if we had a group of 25 of us and you only had to do 2 Saturdays? What if we had 50 people? 100? 1000? The more like-minded people we can find, the less pressure you would feel personally to do anything. Now instead of having to say no because you can’t make a 6-month commitment to something, maybe you can sign up for a random Saturday in April when you have nothing else going on. Or not. It’s totally up to you. No pressure, no commitment, you do what you can and no one judges you for it.
So where do we start? Well, where every great venture starts these days – with a Facebook group of course! The first order of business is to recruit as many people as we can, which shouldn’t be all that difficult because we’re not asking anyone to commit to anything, and I don’t know of any better way to start than Facebook. Even if you never intend to participate in a single event or donate a single dollar, just by recruiting other people you’re contributing to the cause. You never know, the person you get involved might end up doing some amazing things, and it will all be because you introduced them to our group. Don’t get it? Want to learn more? Just join the group, and stay tuned for updates.
So join the Facebook group today – Let’s Do Something About It! Because really, we know people out there need us, so let’s do something about it. And for those of you with too much self-respect to keep a Facebook account – the website is coming soon.
Want to be a part of our very first event? Awesome, here’s what we’re already doing….
The Mustache Challenge
What started as sort of an inside joke between friends has blossomed into a full blown fundraising event. Here’s the deal
If you’re man (or woman) enough, you grow a moustache.
Assuming you don’t usually sport a flavor saver, people will start asking you why you suddenly look like a sexual predator. Assuming you’re not a sexual predator, you will want an explanation for them
You then tell those people that you are growing your moustache because you have taken the Moustache Challenge for the Greater Boston Foodbank. You are growing the manliest of all features to raise awareness for the many familes who go hungry, especially at the time of year when the rest of us are giving thanks for all that we have.
So just like you would for a run or a walk, you will ask people to “sponsor” your moustache. You then have them sign your donation sheet and ask them to commit to donating a certain dollar amount. No donation is too small.
You can either collect their money on the spot, or you may invite them to donate their money at the Moustache Ball. The premiere event of the year, the Moustache Ball is where all participants and supporters gather for a night of drinking, pictures with your favorite moustaches, and most of all making sure a family in need doesn’t go hungry this winter.
Mustache season begins with the last time you shaved, and ends with the Moustache Ball on Thursday, November 18th. Time and Location of the Moustache Ball are TBD. The important thing right now is to start growing that stache and spreading the word.
For more information on the Moustache Challenge click here
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