8 Wishes

8 Wishes

My wife brought 8 Wishes to my attention and it is a site that needs a well deserved shout out in a major way. A man by the name of Paul Sanchez set out on a 10,000 mile bicycle journey and 8 Wishes to help children with dyslexia and learning differences. His 8 wishes all tied into raising money for scholarships for children with dyslexia and learning differences.

This is such a worthwhile cause and he has worked so hard and he needs a bunch of help from us. There are three ways that you can help:

1. Make a monetary donation called "chipping in". (My wife already did via PayPal, it's very easy)
2. Spread the word about his blog and myspace page.
3. Write to the people listed below.

Here are his eight wishes:

1. Raise $1 million dollars. All proceeds will be donated to the Dyslexia Awareness Resource Center (DARC) and the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). So far he has raised only $4,500, so he really needs your help.

2. 100 million views of the 10,000 Miles and 8 Wishes video. Generate the greatest amount of visibility with minimal funding.

3. Be interviewed by Oprah. She has the power and the audience to make a real difference. Here is another way that you can help. Please write to the Oprah show and send her the links to his blog and myspace page. Here is the link to email the producers of her show: http://www.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml

Secondly, I have started a group on Oprah's message board. I have to wait for approval and activation. But once it is approved, I will post the link here. Please post in it for Oprah to interview Paul on her show.

4. Interview Paul Orfelea, founder of Kinkos with dyslexia.

DONE! :)

5. Interview Sir. Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin with dyslexia. You can help by getting the message to Sir Richard Branson. Here is the link to contact him http://www.virgin.com/Contact/ContactVirginCom.aspx

6. Interview Charles Schwab, who also has dyslexia. You can also help by contacting Mr. Schwab using this email address: public.relations@schwab.com

7. Be on 88 blogs and websites. Together, we can prove the power of the internet and social media.

DONE! :)

8. All in 88 days! I want to keep this fun and exciting, while creating a sense of urgency surrounding this issue. The deadline is March 8, 2007, so we need to get moving people.

Please view his video on his myspace.com page. If you aren't moved by his dedication, then check to see if you have a pulse. If you can't afford to "chip in", then please write to Oprah, Sir Richard Branson and Charles Schwab.

About Paul Sanchez

Paul Sanchez, age 30, has suffered from dyslexia and ADD his entire life. In second grade, he tested positively for a learning disability but results were not strong enough to be placed in a special learning faciltity. Therefore, he was put in a regular schooling, where he “suffered through nearly 18 years at California public schools.

After attending numerous city colleges, Paul finally tested positive for dyslexia and ADD at Santa Barbara City College. Under a program that provided much needed assistance, Paul was able to earn his Associates Degree from the College in 2004 at age 28.

Following graduation, he set out on his mission to create a documentary about dyslexia and learning differences and the struggles of children around the country. From July 7, 2004 to February 2, 2005, Paul completed a 10,000 mile bike ride around the perimeter of the country. During this trip, he met 13 children with dyslexia or learning differences in 13 different major cities. He is now living in Santa Barbara, CA working to promote and raise funding for his documentary, Soloride, through the 8 Wishes initiative.


My rating for this site - 8 nyuks (on a scale of 1-5) :)