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By Beth Donovan (~INDYGIRL)
May 21, 2011, marked the date of the first SparkPeople rally sponsored by E.A.R.P.S. (Exotic Animal Rescue and Pet Sanctuary) and SparkPeople members. I have never hosted a rally before, but the idea came about when I was corresponding with SparkPeople member, Ksigma1222, who was featured in the book, "The Spark." He told me “If we build it, they will come.” We were both very eager to have a rally because there is nothing like being around fellow SparkPeople members. There is a very positive energy in the air. I decided to take the idea and run with it. I put together a team of speakers and helpers to lead the team. From there, we debated on the venue, food, hotels, and every detail imaginable. Our most difficult hurdle was the venue, as most places want to charge too much to hold a conference, while other places might not be socially acceptable to some members. Euphrates, a local to the Cincinnati area and leader of the Cincinnati team, was very instrumental in checking out local spots for feasibility. Finally, I contacted the Microtel in Florence, Kentucky. Hoosiergirlindy, Euphrates and I went to inspect it in person. We took pictures and Hoosiergirlindy wrote up a review for people. We wanted the place to be perfect, someplace we would personally love to go visit. Sheenadee put together our goodie bags and dropped them off the day of the event. Sadly, she was unable to speak or stay because of illness. I’ve had the honor of speaking with her before and she is amazing. Elseebee was our emcee of the day. What a trooper! Just the day before, some roofing had slid off of someone’s home and knocked her to the ground. She went to the emergency room that night, and despite her pain and wounds, she spoke most eloquently and kept everyone engaged with her sparkling personality. I strongly recommend you visit the pages of the speakers from the rally. They are very inspirational! KathyJo56 was our first speaker who amazed us with her “Can do!” attitude and truly astonishing weight loss. Although she has many disabilities, she managed to lose 171 pounds. Ksigma1222 completely changed his life and weight dramatically by losing 155 pounds and becoming a runner. Swdotb2 shared with us how yoga has changed her life and led to shedding 13 pounds. Hoosiergirlindy explained how weight loss surgery saved her life and how SparkPeople keeps her going. She lost 120 pounds with weight loss surgery and 20 with SparkPeople. ~Indygirl shared her “~Indyisms” or mantras that keep her in line when the going gets tough. She has lost 145 pounds to date, despite chronic disabilities. Brian Massey from E.A.R.P.S. gave a presentation about how both animals and people need proper nutrition and exercise. He also touched on mixing it up a bit by going meatless sometimes and explained the differences between vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. Chris “SparkGuy” Downie then treated us to a 1 1/2 hour live video conference, where we were able to both listen and ask questions. He gave history of how the company was started and where it is headed. Swdotb2 then led a chair yoga class to relax us all before ending the rally for clean up and the party. It felt so good to stretch after such a day! We had wonderful contributors who brought in fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, raisins, and plums. People also volunteered immediately to help with the registration, set up and clean up. Thank you so much! E.A.R.P.S. had provided an array of healthy snacks and bottled water with lemonade mix. Prizes were drawn frequently, including 5 copies of "The Spark" signed by Chris Downie, some hardback copies of "The Spark," DVDs, gift certificates, and a yoga strap. The after party was very fun. Euphrates took care of every detail from the caterer and food to the music. Coach Nicole showed up and partied with us. It was nice to get a chance to just sit back and talk to all the people you know online, but now you actually are meeting face to face. Overall it was a very fun and inspiring day for everyone. It was the first rally I planned and I already have another in the works for September 17, 2011, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Look on my page and you will find the team logo to join with all the details inside. Don’t miss out! Would you attend a SparkRally in your area? Why or why not? |
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