Like the innovation of the television and the telephone before it, the internet has re-mapped the boundaries of human interaction; placing those who would otherwise seem worlds away right on our doorstep. No web-based company takes the duty of bringing people together more seriously than Famous Friends™. Despite the significance of this mission, no other company in the world has had as much fun making it happen.
As it's name suggests, at Famous Friends™ visitors have an all-access pass behind the sound stages and velvet ropes of Hollywood. Here, more importantly, visitors and their favorite celebrities work together to shine the spotlight on some very significant causes.
Famous Friends™ was dreamed up in April of 2000. This flashy website with lofty goals began somewhere between the brilliant baby-blue walls of a tiny home office and the creative concrete walls of a college dormitory. More accurately, it began amongst a flurry of childhood dreams, melodies, and movie screens.
In the fall of 1990 a classroom of young, vibrant fourth graders were handed an enormous challenge. Every year, each classroom at Drum Rock Elementary School set about raising funds to be donated to the nationally known Toys for Tots. This year, Mrs. V. asked her students not only to raise funds for Toys for Tots, but for another organization as well. This task may have seemed insurmountable to most students, but these kids tackled it with determination, pride, and some very personal motivation.
The second organization to benefit from the children's effort was The imPossible Dream. The imPossible Dream is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to make dreams come true for chronically ill and disabled children. The primary office, which is fashioned to resemble a castle in the clouds, would eventually become home to an accessible playground where disabled and able-bodied children finally have a level playing field, literally.
One petite and energetic member of the class made this mission more special than that of previous years. Nine-year-old Jenny was troubled by Cerebral Palsy (CP), a condition she'd lived with since birth. Jenny's enthusiastic classmates took an immediate interest in helping to build a playground where they would all finally be able to play together.
As such, classmates elected her to be the student that would present their proceeds to the director of the imPossible Dream, John Florio. Little did she know that her public speaking duties were not all that awaited her.
After the presentation of our well earned $350, John asked me to go out into the hallway. We sat down on this set of chairs that was usually reserved for ‘bad’ kids. For a split second, I was scared... but then John asked ‘the question...’
To go to Disney World,
Jenny exclaimed, as thrilled as a quarterback whose team had just won the super bowl.
By January of 1991, she and her family were on a plane headed for Orlando, Florida. The imPossible Dream had paid for all of the expenses and accommodations at the Walt Disney World Resort. This unexpected retreat not only gave Jenny a new perspective on her often-wearisome disability, but also taught her a valuable lesson.
I spent most of the week in awe. I didn't really understand what I did to deserve this. As we were walking through the park one day, my mom pointed out how difficult it must have been for John to make his dream come true by founding the imPossible Dream. It was as if in that single moment, I figured out that all I had to do to make my dreams come true was work hard for them.
To most people, working hard to eventually achieve your dreams is simply intrinsic. But until now Jenny had worked hard, only to work harder, and harder, and harder...which made her feel as though “eventually” would never come. Keeping her new friend John's accomplishments in mind, this young girl had now made a conscious decision to fight for her dreams no matter how impossible or impractical they seemed.
Jenny's greatest dream was to become a dancer. But the physical inconveniences caused by CP left her legs sometimes unwilling to cooperate. Extremities obliging or otherwise, she moved, grooved, and swayed her nights away. Songs like Happy Feet, best known to Jenny as a classic by Kermit the Frog, and She's Only Happy When She's Dancin', by Bryan Adams became anthems that her family and friends used to describe her dedication to her craft.
As a little girl, I looked forward to dressing up, because those were the days I wore my ‘tap shoes’ At night when I took off my paten-leather Mary Jane's, I would slip them on my hands and pretend I was tap dancing,
she explains.
With newfound inspiration in John and the imPossible Dream, Jenny plunged into her dream, feet first. Many moves and tunes became her favorites as she immersed herself in melodies. In 1993, she danced her way to a solo performance in a recital that earned her not only her proudest Girl Scout badge, but also a standing ovation. I may not be a professional, but that was the day I truly became a dancer,
she says. I loved it then, I love it now.
In October of 1995, John Florio, with whom Jenny had become extremely close, passed away unexpectedly. Jenny was shocked and dismayed by the news. She struggled to reach understanding and find peace after losing such an influential friend. I couldn't comprehend why such genuine goodness, selflessness, and compassion would be taken from us. In my book, John was what the world needed more of...
To find comfort in this confusing time, Jenny turned to music. Surprisingly, it was not an upbeat dance tune that lifted her sprits. Instead, it was edgy pop-rocker Jamie Walters who helped to ease Jenny's mind. To her, the chart-topping ballad Hold On was more than just a song; it was a reminder of exactly what she needed to do.
Jenny held on tightly to her family and friends; tighter still to her dreams. However she held most firmly to the dreams and desires of her good friend, John. She was determined to carry on the hope that John had given to her and to others in whatever way she could but before her promotion of life's possibilities even began, Jenny received some news that would test the strength of her convictions and the practicality of her dreams, yet again.
At an annual visit to the orthopedist, the doctor passed on the news that Jenny might need surgery. As in everything, she had a choice, but choosing to continue her daily activities without the procedure would lead to significant physical difficulties in the future.
The operation would leave her temporarily unable to dance, which for her seemed torturous. But, would it increase her chances of becoming a successful dancer in the future? I knew it wasn't going to produce miracles,
she says, but I hoped that maybe I was wrong.
This would be Jenny's third operation. Before the surgery, she was overcome by a number of emotions. Recollections of the two procedures she'd endured as a child were not encouraging ones. These memories gave rise to the uncertainty, fear, and anger that her passion for dance had once helped to relieve.
As the recovery process began, a combination of emotional and physical stress had Jenny feeling defeated. Weary and restless, Jenny was forced to rely on others to help her accomplish the simplest of daily tasks. Angry, she once again turned music in to solace.
This time it was singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb who's music helped to articulate the mish-mash of emotions that came with surgery, recovery, and the physical challenges she often faced. Songs like Snow Day, All the Stars Have Fallen, and Alone became a source of strength that sometimes seemed to falter within.
To dance, to dream, or to draw strength from, Jenny has used music and song to score the soundtrack of her spirit. A soundtrack that she says her life wouldn't be the same without. Music has without a doubt shaped and lifted a heart, mind, and body that have faced barriers since the beginning.
Faith, family, friends, and music, in that order, had become the foundation of Jenny's livelihood. Slowly but surely, she learned how to find the silver lining in each day—even those that didn't seem to shine. This newfound goodness continued to gleam with gentle reminders from one more unlikely source: the silver screen.
Movies and TV have given me an occasional boot in the booty,
she explains. Every time I think about giving up, a film comes along and inspires me to take a chance.
She'll take that chance...
I was never more certain of how far away I was from my goal until I was standing right beside it.
At first glance, this statement from the 1997 science fiction flick, Gattaca, may seem discouraging. However, having lived through such an experience, Jenny finds these words to be nothing short of heroic.
Jenny was never more certain of herself than the day she began college. Here, every wish and whim could be realized... or so she thought. She stared work on her most practical dream first; to become a schoolteacher. After all, the sensible ways her family and friends had always encouraged did hold some truth and importance.
Her first semester had barely finished when Jenny decided to test the waters in dance. On a January day that was whitewashed with snow, she trudged her way across campus to attend her very first dance class. I was like, ‘forget the snow, man. I've waited my whole life for this.’
Over the next few weeks, the students and teacher worked together to choreograph their own number. When the time came to put all of the pieces together, Jenny's confidence turned into confusion. She explains,
We'd practiced the number, a lot. I was still a measure behind the other students, which I thought was understandable. Out of the blue, the professor blurts out, ‘if Jenny goes too slow on this time, just go around her.’
Standing in that studio, surrounded by dancers, Jenny was suddenly worlds away from her dream, just like Vincent (Ethan Hawke) in Gattaca.
But, fast forward to the films finale where main character Vincent finally discovers the self-worth, courage, strength, and means to reach for the stars. Here, Jenny finds hope:
Sometimes, there are light-years between you and what you want... believe, plan push... and what once seemed like light years will go by in seconds.
The Emmy award-winning TNT Original Movie, Door to Door (2001) tells the inspiring true story of Bill Porter. Those in the working world once deemed Bill “unemployable” because he contends with Cerebral Palsy. With unbelievable patience, irrefutable persistence, and a little help from his friends, Bill became a successful salesman for Watkins Products, Inc; a position that he still holds to this day.
Jenny finds a great amount of personal relevance in Bill's story. With tolerance and determination like Bill's etched in her heart and mind, Jenny sees no reason why she won't someday become a professional dancer.
I was proud to see the spotlight shone on not only Bill's struggles, but also the magnitude of his success. Other people may not have deemed him as a triumph... but that's the lesson I learned from his story, success is measured by how well you live up to your own expectations.
As he gets older, Bill travels less and less. But that doesn't stop him from selling his products. Bill has moved on from quiet neighborhoods in Oregon to the rowdy roads of the information super-highway, where he sells all of his products at the Watkins, Inc. website. A hard-working man with a pure heart, Bill donates a percentage of his earnings to non-profit organizations in need.
What better footsteps to follow than those of a man who has been called “unstoppable?” Frankly, absolutely none,
says Jenny, confidently. In this, she has created one of the most interactive, entertaining, and philanthropic websites in the world today: Famous Friends™.
The bright lights of Hollywood can often blind us to the simplest of facts; no matter how famous, celebrities are human. As people, the famous face many of the same of trials and tribulations, loves and losses, struggles and victories that we do. Even if they haven't experienced the same happiness or heartache, artists can write a song or a book, play a character or a sport, or even dance a disco that helps us to articulate our feelings and keep our eyes on the prize.
Fifteen years removed from where it all began in that fourth grade classroom, Jenny has crafted an innovative organization that integrates all of these inspirations. Famous Friends™ fuses philanthropy with fame, links gratitude to generosity, and converts inspiration into accomplishment. All this with intention to make Generations X, Y, and beyond the most benevolent bidders on the growing internet auction circuit.
At Famous Friends™ visitors will have the opportunity to bid on exclusive items donated by their favorite celebrity. With a single click, fans send a tangible “thank you” to their favorite stars. Proceeds from these auctions will benefit the organizations that call on the aid of Famous Friends.™
The future of Famous Friends™ lies with the stars and wishes of every day dreamers. Famous Friends™ has not officially been established as a non-profit organization. But, as in the dreams of her past, Jenny holds on to hope.
When asked if she feels Famous Friends™ will be successful, Jenny simply hums a tune that is greatly reminiscent of where it all began: When you wish upon a star...
site design by Allyson DuPont