Our stellar Heartland Team: Chris, Marian, Geoffrey, and Isa
The following was written by Chris Szabo, a Roadie on the Heartland Team.
I’m here touring the U.S. Heartland region this fall as a Roadie on a crazy adventure to end a 27-year-long war in East and central Africa led by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Millions have worked to end this conflict, and just as they have sacrificed much to reach that goal, I am extremely invested as well.
Since I started as a Roadie, I’ve realized how crucial my attitude and actions are. What I think and how I react to things matter not only within my life, but also with those I encounter. What we believe bleeds into what we do, and what we do matters.
I believe in #zeroLRA. So I did something.
This week, my team and I visited Imagine Paul Mitchell Partner School in Norman, Oklahoma, where we gave a presentation about the LRA and how these students and teachers could bring an end to it. By the time the laughs had quieted and the tears had stopped, I gave them a propositon: raise $500 by the end of the night, and I will let them shave my head.
We saw that when people believe in something, they do something.
Over $1,000 later, my hair looked like this. I’m thankful that this challenge not only motivated an entire school, but it gave my team the opportunity to connect with them – to share their stories, their hardships, and their joys.
But we didn’t stop there.
A couple days later, we visited another Paul Mitchell school in Fayettville, Arkansas, and offered a similar hair-fundraising-challenge to them. Over $1,000 later, my hair was dyed red and gold in honor of Uganda’s Independence Day (which is October 9).
The passion and commitment people have shown only inspire us to continue pursuing our mission to bring home every last child from Kony’s rebel army. Because #zeroLRA is not just something I believe – it’s something I’m living.
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