Through the magic of modern communications, I am writing this entry as we drive to West Virginia, where we will overnight with my little sister and her family. Tomorrow we will head off with them to complete the remainder of our 12 plus hour drive to Indianapolis, IN to see our son and The Cadet perform in the DCI World Class Finals in Lucas Oil Stadium. If you had told me one year ago that I would spend my entire vacation volunteering and then driving 700+ miles each way to see them again, I would have laughed in your face. What a difference a year can make! I wondered how this incredible year started; it was our son, Liam who started it all for us. Last November, he asked that his birthday gift be to tryout for The Cadets. But I think that the core values of The Cadets and the people involved with them has drawn me like a moth to a flame. My fellow volunteers are some of the best people with which I have ever worked. That goes for the volunteers who showed up on weekends over the winter as well as those incredible people who joined the tour. These people are amazing, each and every one, but most especially the ones that stayed with the tour for long periods of time (Patti, Kevin and Bob). They have my utmost respect and gratitude; and remember, they were taking care of my son too!
Though I had less direct interaction with the staff and admin team, I was able to observe how they interacted with the members, and it is clear that they are doing this to help them become the best they can be. As I have followed George's posts on both facebook and his blog, it is apparent that he is, and has always been, in this for the members. I have enjoyed his posts and I have attended a few "Hop" talks and that core belief has always shone through.
I can speak from my experience, and I bet that it is the same for the other volunteers, staff and admin; it is the members who draw us in and ignite in us a desire to help. I have said this before, but it bears repeating: these kids are the best, they are tributes to the families and friends who helped make them who they are. As a parent of a rookie member and a person of a certain age, interacting and supporting these young people gives me hope for a bright future for this country. They are some of our best and brightest and I am glad to have been able to help them in my own small way.
Right now, they are the verge of giving the 3 most important performances of this year and I know they are contemplating them with all seriousness and gravity, but I would like them to know that I already consider them champions in every way. They have given me and my family an undeniable gift, and for that, I will ever be grateful to The Cadets.
So that is why we are making this long trek across several states, picking up family and some friends on the way, and heading to Indy. We want to support this organization and most especially the members, because they have worked so hard and given of themselves so much to become The Cadets 2011!
Matt
