Dirty Hands Caravan Diary

Pat Post: Sacrifice
Date: May 7, 11:17 a.m.
Location: Back home
The Dirty Hands Caravan visited New Orleans as its final stop, and although I really wanted to come back to New Orleans to see all my new friends again, I couldn’t because I had to stay home to get chemo. Though I couldn’t come back, my Driving for Donors RV finished up a marrow drive in Birmingham, Alabama, and headed to NOLA to meet everyone! There they met up with the DHC at a church they were renovating. Everyone was excited to see my RV, which has a picture of me when my head was bald! The group then headed to their next project: rebuilding baseball fields that had been flooded. I definitely wish I had been there for that!

My grandparents, who are on the RV until I’m done with school, told me that a group of volunteers chose to stay in New Orleans for longer to try to continue the rebuilding work they started. That’s so cool! I am definitely going to visit them soon!

I have been thinking about the Dirty Hands Caravan and road trip. I wanted to let you know what I thought about the whole experience.

It was really a once in a lifetime type opportunity. I met some amazing people who I want to stay friends with forever. I also learned that a lot of young people are going through life in a haze, searching for a purpose. They just need help finding it. The people on the trip are very special, really kind and caring people, but they’re not sure how to use these qualities to make a difference. I want to do my part to show people how to make a difference just like www.dosomething.org and Sean Penn are doing with the Dirty Hands Caravan. We all need a little help getting started in the right direction and some help from our friends.

I found my purpose because I was faced with a life or death situation that really changed me. When people don’t have challenges like that it might be easy to lose sight of what is important. One of my favorite songs, My Sacrifice by Creed, says: “We’ve seen our share of ups and downs, how quickly life can turn around.. in an instant.” That is true for all of us. We need to make the most we can of each day and look at the big picture to make sure we are making a positive impact on the world around us, because when we are gone people won’t remember us for how much fun we were, how many hours we worked, or all the nice things we have. We will only be remembered by what we did for others and the differences we made on the people and the world around us.

I hope that the volunteers on the trip and the people that read the blog updates felt inspired to DO SOMETHING, whether it is to clean up the earth, help sick kids, fight pollution or to do whatever inspires them.

Until next time,
Your Friend Pat

Pat Post: Farewell from the Birthday Boy!
Date: May 2, 1:16 p.m.
Location: Houston, Tx
We had a late start this morning after a very late night driving to Houston. Everyone made me cards and when I woke up, my mom had taped them up all over. It was great!

 

Happy Birthday to me!

Then we headed out to Hartman Park, which is in the middle of the Houston Shipping Channel. This community has petrochemical plants all around it and the kids there get Leukemia 56% more than anywhere else in the U.S.

Houston Ship Channel - scary stuff!

We set up a marrow drive for the volunteers and community. They collected $458 for Driving for Donors, and this awesome girl named Adrienne matched that! That was so cool because I've been having a hard time raising money for my national marrow drive this summer, and I’m scared that we may have to cut it short because of low funds! Thanks everyone for your support!

This is Adrienne, she matched the $ we raised! How cool is she?!

Then the group surprised me with a baseball game! I was the pitcher and my team (dubbed “Pat’s Team”) was beating the other team (dubbed “Non Pat’s team”) 3 to 1. I almost struck out my mom but then she stole 2nd and 3rd bases and made a run.

As we left, everybody made a tunnel for me to run through on the way to the taxi. The people from CAA [Creative Artist Agency] even got me a baseball signed by the MLB Rookie of the Year!

I’m sad I have to leave today because I made so many new friends. I told them that if they really want them to make a difference in other people’s lives, they need to go out there and DO SOMETHING! That made a lot of people cry but its true – it’s really up to us! You’re never too young to change the world!

Over and out from the Dirty Hands Caravan!
Your friend,
Pat Pedraja

Pat Post: Learning a new trade
Date: May 1, 7:10 p.m.
Location: Austin, Tx
Today we went to Zilker Metropolitan Park in Austin, Texas where we met up with people from the City Parks Department. They schooled us on the local ecosystem and how invasive plants endanger plants that are native to the area. Our jobs included removing the invasive plants and picking up litter on the trails. There's a lot of poison ivy, so everyone was required to wear Ivy Block, which stops the plant oils from getting on you.

Austin Parks talk

Tools of the trade

The crew's ready to take on those pesky invasive plants

I went into Austin to get my blood taken after the group left. And I got a haircut too!

Like my haircut?

Pat Post: Right out of a scary movie
Date: May 1, 11 a.m.
Location: On our way to Austin
Last night we didn’t get to our campsite in Pace Bend State Park in Central Texas until about 10pm. It was so dark and creepy, that we had a hard time helping the caterer set up because we couldn't see! And walking to the bathroom area was a scene right out of a scary movie!

They let my mom and I stay in a little cabin in the middle of the woods so we wouldn’t have to sleep outside like everyone else. My mom told me about the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and even though I haven’t seen the movie, I still really scared. One of the bus drivers put his face to the window and scared me so bad, I screamed and ran to the bedroom where I hid under the covers. Talk about creepy.... Morning didn’t come soon enough!

Me hanging out on a tree

When I got back to the camp, one of the volunteers, Jerry, had a really bad ear ache. When the nurse checked it, a BEETLE CRAWLED OUT! YUCK!

Jerry and his "earmate" the beetle

While everyone packed up, I walked down to the lake. It was so beautiful some people went in for a swim, but ran out when someone yelled piranha.

Now we’re on our way to Austin to clean up a park and mend a fence.

Pat Post: I'm staying!
Date: April 30, 8:30 p.m.
Location: On our way to Austin
We had a nice lunch break in Fort Stockton, TX. I got my favorite lunch at Subway (a foot long turkey and cheese with lettuce, mayo, S&P, and oil and vinegar, in case you were wondering) and then we hit Walmart.

In case anyone doesn't know, MY 13th BIRTHDAY IS ON FRIDAY!!! I think people from our group were conspiring because they kept whispering and walking away. Yay!

I was supposed to go home on Thursday so I could go to school and see my friends for my birthday, but I decided to stay on the tour until Friday afternoon so I could do a marrow drive in Houston. (In case people don’t know, a donor drive is where I register marrow donors to the national marrow registry. A simple cheek swab and some paperwork are all that’s needed to join. Oh, and you have to be between the ages of 18 and 55, and in relatively good health. And if you fit the bill, maybe one day you can be a marrow match and then a donor to save the life of someone like me.)

It’ll be the first time I'm away on my birthday, but I'm not homesick at all ‘cause I’m really enjoying myself. Everyone is so nice and there's always someone to play catch with me. I'm a bit tired though because we have late nights and early mornings.

Tomorrow I’m taking a little break from the group and going to have my blood work done. I have to have blood taken every week to make sure all my counts are good. If my white blood counts are too low, I have to be really careful about not being around germs. If my red blood cells are too low, I need to be given blood transfusions, and if my platelets are too low, I'm in danger of bleeding too much so I have to be really careful (but my red blood cells and platelets have been great for a long time).

Right now everyone’s watching the movie Into the Wild while I play my PSP. Luckily we found a converter to charge stuff, but the converter just blew the outlet so we’re all humming.

Five more hours till Austin. They said Sean has arranged for more speakers tonight. I hope I don't fall asleep on them too!

Pat Post: Just a reminder
Date: April 30, 12:21 p.m.
Location: On the road again
Here's my bus load of friends! There are three different buses and ours is Bus #1 - the cool decorated bus! I just want to remind everyone (who might think THEY are on the happening bus) that BUS #1 RULES!

Me and the tour manager, Doug

Pat Post: Tears around the campfire
Date: April 30, 11:32 a.m.
Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico

It was another really cool day on the Dirty Hands Caravan! We finally stopped driving around 8 p.m. at the State Fairgrounds in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Everyone set up their tents in a circle, and a fire was built while a catering company was cooking dinner in the back of a truck. It was too dark to play baseball, but I played catch with my mom...who can't catch :). I even learned a new guitar chord with a new friend.

We all sat around the campfire while we waited for dinner, and then I was asked to speak. I told them my story (about surviving leukemia and starting Driving for Donors), and that everyone on the trip has the power to make a difference by doing something important. My mom started to cry because she was proud of me and everyone else started to cry too!

Dinner was delicious! I had steak and mashed potatoes with apple cobbler; no vegan food for me! After dinner, Cindy Sheehan spoke. I didn’t know who she was until I heard her story: Her son died in the Iraq War in 2004, and she camped outside President Bush's Texas ranch for 30 days in August 2005 trying to talk to him. She called the youth of today the “WE Generation” because WE need to work together to make change!

Cindy chatting us up around the campfire

I was so tired that I fell asleep in a chair as she was talking (sorry, Cindy!). She is running for Congress in San Francisco (http://www.cindyforcongress.org/), and she even offered to do a marrow drive with me!

Good night.
Your friend,
Pat

Pat Post: Learning about HIV and AIDS
Date: April 29, 6:16 p.m.
Location: Tucson, AZ
Hello again, Pat here! Today was awesome! We marched with our signs all around Tucson. The people from SAAF (South Arizona AIDS Foundation) were so great! Before the march, they told us about their program and some scary statistics. Did you know that 14,000 people are diagnosed with HIV every day? Half of all new diagnoses are for people under 25!

Meet the SAAF staff!

I spoke to a lady on their staff, Sharif, about volunteering and my project, and she's going to sign up as a marrow donor! Way to go!

Me & my newest marrow registry recruit, Sharif

The march ended at a park. It was nice to take a break in the shade. I was lucky enough to get an authentic Tex-Mex burrito, thanks to my new best friend, Carlos. Then I played baseball for a while.

My new BFF & my delicious burrito!

Now we’re back on the bus heading to Las Cruces, New Mexico, which is five hours away. I hope I can get the bus driver to stop for some ice cream somewhere along the ride: I'm having a Dairy Queen craving!

Your Friend, Pat

Pat Post: I've been made a Dirty Hands cameraman!
Date: April 29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Below, the trip cameramen: Oscar Gubernato and me. I want everyone to know that Oscar's film, The Third Wave, is an official selection of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Pat Post: Marching for AIDS awareness

Date: April 29th
Location: Tucson, AZ
Day 2 started out beautiful and sunny! We had breakfast at the campground, then headed out to the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) and held a march where hundreds of people wearing SAFE shirts walked the streets of Tucson holding signs! People were honking their horns in support! My sign says "Be Smart Safe Sex!" Its really hot, though: 95 degrees!!

Divine Post: My scary campsite story
Date: April 28th
Location: Tucson, AZ

The bus ride to Tucson was pretty interesting. We drove for hours across the deserts of California and Arizona and watched a really touching documentary called the Third Wave, which really set the tone for the bus ride and brought most of us to a space of synergy.

Finally we arrived at what looked like a parking lot with lots of rocks and pebbles. Turns out this is our camping ground! I have never touched a tent or set up a tent, much less slept in one. Thankfully, someone helped me set everything up. But, somehow, the rocks underneath my sleeping bag didn't take the shape of my spine and neck the way the Serta Perfect Sleepers do.

From my tent I heard voices holding conversations about everything from weird camping experiences to why some people won't shower on the bus tour! Yikes! So I slept for 2 hours - I woke up at 3am! Why, you ask? There was a bright light outside my tent that I swore was the sun. Turns out it was the moonlight! I'm still on NY time so I'm used to starting my day at 6 a.m. I couldn’t see myself finding a comfortable position on what I’d dubbed my “Bedrock” so I decided to take my first camp shower. And that’s the joke of the night/day.

I grabbed a flash light, scanning the ground for snakes and scorpions as I walked all the way to the dark bathroom. But what scared me out of my wits was a cat that ran out of the bathroom. The shower episode ended with me having to wait a half hour for a shower stall. But I got my scare and my shower so all’s well in my world. Yippie! Man, these guys are a trip...

Pat Post: Day 1 recap

Date: April 28th
Location: Tucson, AZ

The first day of the tour is over and I’m tired but happy! I’m definitely the youngest person here; most of the volunteers are in their twenties. When they ask me why I'm here, I tell them all about Do Something and how I’m reporting about young people who care about making a difference.

I spent a lot of time today interviewing people about why they joined the caravan. As I filmed and talked to the volunteers, a guy named Oscar Gubernati filmed me. Turns out, Oscar made a documentary called The Third Wave about how a small group of volunteers went to Sri Lanka and stayed for seven months helping the tsunami victims! Oscar’s now making a documentary about the Dirty Hands Caravan so we teamed up: I’m going around from bus to bus interviewing people while Oscar films us.

The bus ride took eight long hours but we got to watch The Third Wave, and people talked and played rock music and Pink Floyd. Sean Penn is on our bus and he's pretty cool. He’s quiet and doesn’t want attention on him but wants it on the volunteers and the event. I'm a little nervous about asking him any questions but I will tomorrow!

We got to the campground around 10pm and had dinner. They had choices for everyone – people who eat everything, vegetarians, even vegans! That's pretty cool! People sang and talked and swung on the swings. Tomorrow night we’re having a campfire and Cindy Sheehan is speaking. (Cindy Sheehan is an American anti-war activist, whose son, Casey, was killed during his service in the Iraq War on April 4, 2004. She attracted international attention in August 2005 for her extended demonstration at a camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch garnering her both support and criticism.) Now I’m off to bed.

Your friend Pat

Pat Post: Getting on the bus and meeting Sean Penn

Date: April 28, 4:08 p.m.
Location: Indio, California
Well, we are off! The Dirty Hands Caravan has officially begun! Three buses full of 120 willing volunteers are on our way to our first stop: Tucson, Arizona. I've already met so many amazing people in just a few hours, including 2007 Golden Br!ck Award winner Divine Bradley, who started a youth empowerment organization called Team Revolution.

Brick Award winner Divine and finalist Pat get ready to Do Something with Sean Penn and the Caravan-ers

Before the buses left, we heard from Sean Penn who had the idea to "Do Something" meaningful by starting this caravan to inspire others to take action.

Pat films before the buses depart (check out Mr. Penn in the background by the bus!)

Most of the people I talked to so far have all said the same thing: They joined this tour because they feel they haven't given back as much as they could, and they want to get their "hands dirty" helping others.

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A lot of Dirty Hands! Group photo by Pat

Pat tags the caravan with a shout out to Do Something!!!

Divine: Meeting Sean Penn (FYI, it's hot out here!)
Date: April 28
Location: California
At the meeting spot, we greeted by Mister Sean Penn himself and a few of his warm hearted buddies. “Great job on Mystic River!” I said as I walked over and shook his hand. He thanked me for being on the tour.

While waiting in the 90+ degree weather for more volunteers to arrive, I met my fellow Br!ck finalist Pat and his mom, Claudine. (She is cool to have flown all the way from Tampa and escort her 12 year-old son on a trip like this! Talk about support!). Pat stepped onto the field with two full bags of cheese burgers that he gave away. Great move, because each burger came with a breakdown of his organization, Driving for Donors. I gave him a wink to let him know he is doing his thing!

Then the tour director, Doug, gathered everyone around the clean buses, gave us paint supplies, and told us we could write and draw whatever we wanted on it! We had a blast painting our mural, filling it with great quotes and images.

Then Sean Penn introduced a really great guy named Cleve (inventor of the AIDS Quilt Day), who set the tone with his passion for change and projects that inspire. Everyone was charged. We hit the open road a little while later. Sean Penn is on our bus by the way... the coolest!

Divine

P.S. The medic on our bus told us we would be camping out in tents tonight at a camp site, and to beware of rattle snake and scorpions! I'm from Brooklyn! I guess these are the rats and roaches of the desert? This will definitely take some getting used to!

Pat Post: I'm on the Way to Cali!
Date: April 28
Location: Somewhere over the U.S.
I'm on my way to California to bring you all the latest info on the Dirty Hands Caravan (exclusively for DoSomething.org!) which leaves today from the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA. Me and hundreds of other volunteers are going to get our "hands dirty" getting involved and helping others on our way across the country!
more later...
Pat