Back to school

I’ve talked a lot over the past two years about Hoops For Heroes being a collective thank you to Veterans and service men and women. At its core, that’s what I’ve always hoped it would become.

For the last week, more than any other week, that’s exactly what it was. And then some.

We were invited to attend a Veterans Day assembly at Andover Elementary Middle School last Wednesday, where I spoke about HFH and was otherwise blown away at the proceedings. Every single student got involved. They sang. They read essays and poetry. They led the Pledge of Allegiance. They hosted a “Veterans Cafe.” They got a motivational pick-me-up from their old pal, Naval Officer Charlie Giles from New London, who instructed: “Don’t wait to be asked to help. Just help.” Best of all, they did it all in front of the posted colors and more than 30 local Veterans.

I participated by saying a few words about my project and then making a rather clumsy 100 foul shots with the perfectly able hands of Reilly Walsh, Ben Yusko, Elizabeth LaBrie and Alyssa Smith, and after the festivities I stuck around with their fellow students, Adrian Bolte, Logan Marcus, Keith Davis, Riley Anderson, Brandon Jackson, Bill Leber and Max Barrett, to make the last of our 1,000 for the day.

On Thursday, it was off to Kennebunk, Maine, where a good friend from high school, Erin (Crowley) Neale, is the Gifted and Talented teacher (of which she is both) at Sea Road School, and let me just say this: Wow. The fourth- and fifth-graders there were ready. It was not a Veterans Day assembly, per se, but it was all about gratitude. For the prior few weeks, they had been talking and learning about Hoops For Heroes, and they had a project of their own, “Helping Hoops For Heroes,” by which participating students picked their own talent and tried to raise a little money around it by soliciting donations from friends, family members and neighbors.

I arrived to a gym wrapped halfway around with artwork, and it was only after a little prompting that I realized that each piece of art was comprised of grids: colored-in squares, tiny squares — a million tiny, colored-in squares. Absolutely amazing.

So one group at a time, we talked about Veterans, we talked about respect, we talked about the daily reminder of service and sacrifice, and we talked about …

“THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!” … which is what they helped me to scream, at the top of our lungs, each time I pointed to the American flag. And let me just tell you, these were not large groups, but I’m pretty sure they came close to blowing the roof off the joint. As well they should have.

We shot some foul shots, too — a couple hundred made per group, then finished up to 1,000 sometime in the early afternoon.

Thanks to my buddy and sixth-grade teacher Tamy Anderson and her principal Tom Sica, Rundlett Middle School in Concord came next — on Friday, Nov. 4 — and just between us friends, let me admit to you that this was the stop that had caused me the most sleepless nights in the week before.

I mean, I remember what I was like in seventh and eighth grade, and it was not pretty. Get 400 12-year-old me’s into a gymnasium, and frankly, that’s not a gathering the 44-year-old me wants to be a part of.

But once again, I was wrong. They could not have possibly been more respectful.

The message at Rundlett Middle School, as part of their recently initiated PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program, is P.R.I.D.E., an acronym for Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline and Excellence. I was there to cheer them on for that endeavor, talk about my own thoughts on each of our “personal scoreboards” (were you a plus or a minus today?), tell them about Hoops For Heroes, and once again shoot a few foul shots.

They were loud when I prompted them to be loud (“THAAAAAAAAANK YOOOOOOOU!”), attentive when it was appropriate to be attentive, and clearly mindful of the Veterans-specific message I was there to deliver. Yet again, well over half the students raised their hands when I asked who had a Veteran or active soldier in the family.

I was a pretty lousy junior high kid. These kids were the opposite of the junior high me. On the way out, I went to Mrs. Anderson’s room to say thank you, and on the way there I went through a hallway full of sixth-graders. I think I hugged just about every one of them.

Finally, on Monday, it was time to visit my pal Dustin Rayno, who’s been filling out a million-square grid of his own for the past two years, at the school of my mom — Sutton Central — as part of its annual Veterans Day assembly.

Here was the deal at the SCS event: I followed the kids … and there was no following those kids.

As I told them, if I delivered my message 1,000 times, it would never be as poignant as theirs.

In the middle of the all-purpose room, in the middle of these students, rested a small table, set for one, symbolizing the fact that members of our armed forces are missing.

And then, the students began to move, as Nicole Densmore, the music teacher and producer of the event, orchestrated and narrated.

A white tablecloth, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to serve. A single red rose, signifying the blood they may have shed in sacrifice, and to remind us of the family and friends of our missing comrades, who keep faith, while awaiting their return. A red ribbon on the vase, representing the red ribbons worn on the lapels of the thousands who wish for their happy return. A slice of lemon on the plate, reminding us of the bitterness of longing for the soldier. Salt, sprinkled on the plate, reminding us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait. An inverted glass, as they cannot toast with us. A candle, representing the light of hope. And the American Flag, reminding us of their service.

Local Veterans sat and watched. It was a beautiful thing.

I said my piece. The kids and I screamed “THAAAAAAAAAANK YOOOOOOOU!”  I suggested that they practice saying those words, in honor of Veterans, each and every day … just not so loudly.

It was another darned cool day.

You know, over the past two years, the HFH message has been delivered in a number of ways, with the primary vehicle for distribution being electronics. Thank goodness for Facebook and its cousins, right? As we all know, there’s no better way, today, to get communications quantity than the never-ending e-stream.

If I want quality, though, I’ll unplug for a minute. I’ll shake the hand of a Veteran in Andover and tell him thank you where he can hear it. I’ll high-five a bunch of kids in Kennebunk, and hug a hallway full of sixth-graders in Concord. I’ll borrow that red colored pencil and help Dustin Rayno fill in a few of those little squares.

I’ve always hoped this project would be about gratitude, and I believe it has held up in that way, which is good. When that gratitude comes in the form of a genuine human connection, all the better.

By that scoreboard, this past week was as better as better gets.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

November 6: Chris and Katherine

Chris was in a good mood because his alma mater, Louisiana State University, had remained atop the college football world the night before by beating Alabama, 9-6 — on the road, no less.

Katherine was in a good mood because — well, look at her, she’s clearly a pretty happy person, AND because she was, at the time of our visit, one day removed from heading back to a world of warmth in West Palm Beach. Not that she doesn’t love visiting, of course, but c’mon … 13 inches of snow in October?

My point is that it was a happy day of shooting, made all the more happy by the fact that those beautiful Lorio kids were there to join us. That’s Reagan up there. She’s got a twin sister, Carly, who’s just as cute. Seriously. And their baby brother Brendan is in the same Carter’s commercial category. (That was a lot of unintended alliteration.)

So happily, we connected on 1,000 more foul shots, bringing the overall total to 996,007 down, 3,993 to go. And five days left to do it.

Smile!

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

 

 

 

November 5: Beans and Jandrue

Ever seen Superman and Batman in the same room together? I haven’t. But now I’ve seen Bob Jandrue and Jim Bean in the same gymnasium, which I have to consider to be the Hoops For Heroes equivalent.

Two rebounding forces of nature, are they: Bob for his assistance-persistence despite the obvious geographical challenge posed by living a couple hours away; Jim for his dogged pursuit of 50,000 assists in this project … a number which has now climbed to 52,000.

So there we were, along with a rebounding machine in his own right, Jim’s son Seth (42,000-ish?) … firing away toward 2,000 more on Saturday afternoon. When Bob’s former student Krista Rand showed up toward the end to lend her skills, the day was made complete.

Thanks for allowing those worlds to collide, men. We’re under the 5,000 mark to go … 995,007 down, 4,993 left, and six days to do it.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

October 29: Fifty grand!

Do you get the photo? Five. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.

We were at about the midway point of this project — you know, 500,000 down, 500,000 to go — when Mr. James Bean said he planned to assist on 50,000 of these things.  Seemed earnest enough, but truly I can’t say that I believed him.  That’s, like, a full 10 percent of what we had left.

I’ll be damned.  On October 29, with Bailey Ellsworth, Seth and Jim Bean doing the legwork, we put 2,000 more in the books to reach 988,007 altogether … and a total of five-oh-oh-oh-oh for Big James.

While we’re talking about it, I suppose it’s no small feat that Seth Bean (who’ll drop a 3-pointer or two on you, by the way) has assisted on about 40,000 of his own.  Quite a father-son tandem we’ve got here, and they’ll be collecting a few more in Springfield a few days from now, too.

Huge thanks, Bean boys.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

 

 

 

October 25: Terri and Gerry Gill

Gerry Gill of neighboring Deerfield was in the house again, only this time each family added another generation to the festivities. Gerry’s mom jumped in to help with the rebounding chores, and Li’l No (a.k.a. Noah David Cummings) joined us at the ECS gym to get a little dribbling practice in.

It was a solid 1,000 made free throws, after which Gerry informed me that he remains an avid Power Rangers fan, and that whereas 20 months ago we had established that I would be referred to as “Wolf” and he would be “Gold,” there was to be a new nickname bestowed: Li’l No is now officially Wolf Jr.

Thanks, Gold (and Gold Sr.) … That’s now 983,007 down, 16,993 to go to 1 million made foul shots.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

October 23 with Neal and Ryan

It is my eyes, or is that picture way, way, way out of focus?

Neal and Ryan Burns, however, seem to never be unfocused, and it was with great pleasure that we came together about a week ago — for the first time since Valentine’s Day 2010 (see below) — for an 11th-hour shooting session.

Ryan, a fellow sixth-grader to Noah at Epsom Central School, is the kid who does a whole lot of everything — sports, music, drama, technology, Scouts are what comes to mind, although there’s more — and it was Ryan who was solely responsible way back when for the life-changing realization that there is an iPod auxiliary cord in the gym that would allow us to put music to these days of shooting. That’s called a Burns-inspired epiphany.

Ryan is also a kid who (and I may have said this before) always looks like he knows something that you don’t. And he probably does.

On this particular morning, the younger Burns was responsible for the exchanges, catching the passes from the older Burns and handing them over to me for what I would guess was about 1,100 shots — exactly 1,000 of which went through: 981,007 down, 18,993 to go to 1 million made foul shots.

Always a pleasure, Neal and Ryan. Thanks again.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

October 21 at NHTI

Good thing there are only a couple weeks left in this project, because given enough time, I’m certain that I would show up for one of these shooting gigs having forgotten at least one of my feet. In that context, it’s really no big deal that I’ve developed a recent habit of merely forgetting my sneakers.

It happened again on a recent trip to the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, where my old pal and NHTI Coach Paul Hogan invited me to shoot with his team during a afternoon practice on October 21. So rather than pathetically ask if anyone had a pair of shoes I could wear, I simply strutted out to the foul line in a pair of socks, almost as if that’s just the routine … and nobody even looked twice.

This NHTI men’s basketball program, under Coach Hogan, has developed quite a national reputation in his 12 years at the school, including a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II National Championship in 2005. Keep in mind, this is a two-year school at which many players only stick around for one before moving along, so it’s no small task to develop continuity over a period of years. But Coach Hogan, who doubles as the athletic director, has done it.

His secret? Didn’t tell me.

What he did do, though, was permit his players to join me, despite my shoelessness. They came three at a time, four shifts, 250 made free throws per shift. In just about 40 minutes, we were through 1,000 more … and there were two new sweaty footprints on the Crocker Center gym floor.

Thanks Coach, and thanks to Sander Vanderveen (7-foot-2, by the way), Josh Morgan, Peralt Annulysse, Ben Hill, Ryan Sweeney, Tyler Yeaton, Brendan Norton, Satae Ayers, Patrick Lavin, Greg Lablond, Jackson Riel, Zach Stevens and Bobby Shatinsky. We’re at 979,007 down, 20,993 to go to 1 million made foul shots.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

 

 

October 15: Beans and feet

Adding to the long list of things that are great about the Beans: Jim has now assisted on 48,000 made foul shots, and Seth has done the same for 38,000 of them; they suggest fun things like, “Let’s do big-eyes” for photos such as that which you see above; and perhaps most importantly of all, they love me despite my gross feet.

Seriously, if your feet are grosser than mine, find a circus to join.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: To the faint of heart, now is the time that you should go back to playing Doodle Jump. This is the, let’s say, less appetizing part.]

Here’s what I’m going to do because I respect you: not show pictures of my feet. Instead, it will suffice to say that in addition to my toes all needing a good combing (if not electrolysis), most of the nails are full-on black and blue, and the nail on my right second toe (pointer?) is being held on by a Band-Aid. And now, over on the left side, I’ve got an infection of the middle toe (index?), that yesterday prompted The Beautiful Heth to send me to the emergency room so that it wouldn’t spread all the way up my leg. On my way, I dropped Noah off for some hoop at the gym, and from 10 feet away, our buddy Bill Welch told me it looked like I had exzema.

Hey, you were warned.

Within 30 seconds of my arrival at Horseshoe Pond “Urgent Care” Friday evening, the doctor diagnosed cellulitis (skin infection) and told me it would be 10 days of antibiotics. However, he thought there was a good chance that the pills wouldn’t get into the bloodstream fast enough, so if it were any worse in the morning I was to get back to the ER for intravenous antibiotics.

Then he did something really uncool, following what may have been the worst 19 words I’ve ever heard: “I’m going to burn a hole in your toenail to see if we can release some of the puss.”

I wish I was playing Doodle Jump about now.

Using a little stick about the diameter of a needle that was literally red-hot on the business end (think branding iron), he did just that, and let me tell you that it felt about like you’d think it should feel.

“MMMMMRRREMMEMRMEMMMMRMEMEMMMMEMMMMRMEM,” I said through clenched teeth.

“That hurt?” he asked (good one, Dr. Seinfeld), and then, worst of all: “Hmmm, no puss.”

He then covered up his handiwork with a Band-Aid, gave me my instructions, and sent me on my way, saying he hoped it didn’t get worse. “Keep that foot elevated.”

Nice to meet you, too.

This morning, good news: The red streak indicative of the infection, which last night had gone from the tip of the toe right up to the ankle, had receded back to the toe. Doxycycline 1, Cellulitis 0.

And that’s where the Beans joined in. There they were, Seth and Jim, reliable as ever. We tripped the alarm getting into the gym, but after getting that straightened out, it was all good. With Mr. Springsteen providing our soundtrack yet again and with Noah jumping in for a few hundred here and a few hundred there, we burned through 2,000 in about an hour and 22 minutes … bringing us to 974,007 down, 25,993 to go to 1 million made foul shots.

And not a single disparaging word was uttered about … well, you know.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

October 9: Waterville Valley love

This is one of my very favorite photos from the nearly two years we’ve been shooting these shots, and that makes sense, because Waterville Valley is one of my very favorite places.

From left, that’s Betty Martin, Tiffany Bean, ‘lil Jack Kay, Chris Hodges (who I just noticed appears ready to stomp on my head), Sarah Kay and daredevil Drew Hodges. We’re on the playground out behind the Waterville Valley Recreation Department. On the other side of the  building stands a flagpole with the Stars & Stripes, along with a memorial flag to Army Specialist Marc Decoteau, who was killed in action on Jan. 29, 2010 — about two and a half months after we began.

The Decoteau family continues to be a great source of inspiration.

Our love for Waterville Valley runs deep, and last week it got even deeper, as recreation director Rachel Gasowski had recently decided to make Hoops For Heroes the beneficiary of the annual Fall Foliage Foot Race.

She had asked a month back if I would be interested in coming up for the event, and gave me the option of participating in the 5k race, as I had done a year ago.

“Don’t feel like you have to,” she said, sounding an awful lot like she had seen me do my impersonation of a runner on that very same course in 2010 (not pretty).

But because I am still 24, not the 44 that my birth certificate would lead you to believe, I told Rachel that of course I would run.

Long story short: That was an ego-driven mistake.

The shooting was first, and the indefatigable and ever-supportive Hodgeseses — along with Chris’s mom Betty Martin, his sister Sarah Kay, and his nephew Jack Kay — showed up to take care of that business, assisting on 1,500 made shots (for a total of 968,507 down) before we got to watch little Jack belt a whiffle ball all over the gym. Drew pitched. I was the fielder. My hands still hurt.

Then it was race time, and without going into all the gory details … let’s just say I wasn’t a threat to win. Chris, who has done everything for HFH other than make the shots (and only because that’s against the rules), was a wonderful host. You may remember that it was just a month earlier that he had broken the north-to-south New Hampshire cycling record (230 miles in 12 hours, 38 minutes), so he’s actually an athlete. Even so, he was kind enough to hang back with me in a pretty casual jog.

The run itself was uneventful other that the brief moment of panic when I heard a “CLINK” a little after the 1 mile mark, then felt my chest and realized the Marc Decoteau memorial dog tag I’ve been wearing for about 20 months was missing.

I stopped and went back about 20 yards to look. Naturally, so did Chris. Probably 30 seconds later, there was Marc. Phew.

Chris stayed by my side throughout, and clearly could have gone way out in front. Then came the finish line, and 10 feet before he was set to cross in front of me, he stopped, and pushed me ahead. I had considered earlier that he might do this, and I had debated whether I would stand there and debate it with him, or just go.

I just went.

We finished about 25 minutes after we’d begun, which was probably a couple minutes slower than Chris should have finished, were he not waiting for the old guy.

Of course, it was a great day all-around, as it always is up there. The check to HFH was for $725 (Thanks again, Rachel!), the weather was absolutely perfect, and I even won a bag of Mad River coffee grounds in the raffle … which kind of makes up for the $10 parking ticket we’d gotten a couple weeks earlier at the State House.

Sure, I was barely able to get out of bed for the next three mornings (pathetically, that’s not an exaggeration), but hey … that’s the price of being 24 years old in a 44-year-old body.

Thanks again, WV.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.

 

October 6: Paul Sargeant

The last time that fellow up there and I met under similar circumstances, it was about 5 a.m., approximately 25 degrees and we had headlights illuminating the basketball court in Twin Mountain, NH.

I can assure you, the Epsom Central School gym is far more comfortable.

That’s where Mr. Paul Sargeant and I met most recently, with Paul agreeing to a 7 p.m. shooting session even though his beloved Yankees had a playoff game scheduled to start at 8.

We were joined by WOKQ radio reporter Sam Adams, who was interested in doing a report on Hoops For Heroes for an upcoming segment. Yes, Sam Adams gets a lot of comments on his name. And because I’m a relatively secure person, I’m going to tell you about the stupidest one he’s ever gotten:

“I’m sure they’re talking about the President, not the beer, right?” the guy with the basketball said, chuckling smartly.

You are correct: There was no President Sam Adams.

Despite that revelation that I am a [fill in your own preferred synonym for “idiot” here], Sam started rolling the tape, and the three of us (accompanied by one very interested and unrelenting housefly) chatted about the project for a half-hour or so.

When we got around to the shooting, Sam did a little audio play-by-play for 50 makes (as professional as Sam is, I can assure you that particular segment will not make the final cut). There was also a five-minute shooting-while-talking piece in which I was about as articulate as a glazed donut (filed under: two things at once).

Then Sam said goodbye, and left behind were the Red Sox fan and the Yankees fan, together in spite of our obvious philosophical differences … and a little over an hour later, we had a total of 1,000 in the books.

Paul is nothing if not a gentleman, and along those lines he didn’t complain even one little bit that the ballgame was already about an hour old before he left the gymnasium … and another half-hour home to Hooksett.

That’s 965,007 down, 34,993 to go to 1 million made foul shots.

For more on Hoops For Heroes, with a goal of 1 million made foul shots and $1 million raised for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.hoopsforheroes.com or contact Dave Cummings at 603-554-7855.