Winding down or Winding up?

The time has come. Today is my last day at the office. We have been booking screenings for the past 3 weeks and it is amazing to see how many people we are going to be sharing the story with. Last night we hit the 1000 mark! 1000 screenings of the Invisible Children film. The estimated count will be almost 300,000 people. 15 teams, 60 people, talking to 300,000. Freaking sweet!

But today is the last day that we are really going to be working on getting those screenings set. Next week is a lot of getting merchandise ready, packed in boxes, cleaning the house, accounting training, van repair, van maintenance training, and oh, TRAVIS IS GOING TO UGANDA! I leave early tomorrow morning to fly out to Kampala, Uganda with 11 other folks to tour the area that Invisible Children is running its programs. We will be there for 10 days.

I am getting really excited! I don't really know what to expect but I know I am going to have a blast! Who else get's to go to Uganda then be a Roadie? I can't wait.

I will not be able to access the internet as I will not have my computer, so it will be a while before I am able to post again.

I will make sure to take tons of photos and videos!

Here is a picture to make you laugh. This is my teammate Sean, getting work done!

Wow has it been a long time!

I am so sorry for how long is has been since I posted anything of substance! By the end of this you will understand why.

So San Diego is going through a heat wave. It was 102 yesterday and is today is a little cooler at 99. At least I can easily dry my clothes outside! My team and I were walking through La Mesa (the area where out house is) to get to Subway for lunch and I was sweating within minutes! It's even a little humid! Other than that, the weather has been a steady 70-85 degrees. It should cool off tomorrow.

So, the question I have gotten from a lot of folks is, "How are you?" or "How's the work going?" That is a great place to start:

So the idea behind what my job description is, is to travel the country telling the story and raising awareness. This fall, we are bringing 3 things to the forefront of our screenings.

1) Have President Obama make a public statement committing the US to lead an international effort to arrest Joseph Kony before Christmas 2009, commit to signing into law the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, and commit to the recovery and rehabilitaion of the LRA affected communities in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and the DR Congo.

2) The TRI Campaign: This is how Invisible Children is able to run all of it's programs both in the States and on the ground in Uganda.

3) The Schools4Schools campaign: Partners US schools with Ugandan Schools to provide money for new buildings, sanitation, dorms and scholarships.

So we have been calling people in out region at schools, colleges, churches, community centers, film centers and businesses to set up and advertise for presentations of our films. My region is Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. (If you live here and want a screening, call me at 703-470-2288. Seriously we are trying to tell as many people as possible). It has been a challenge talking to people I have never met but it has certainly paid off. It is going to be an awesome tour!

I am going to be flying out to Uganda on the 6th of Sept for 10 days. Invisible Children tries to send 1 person from each regional team to Uganda so that there is 1 person on every team who can speak with authority about the issues there. I am so excited that my team is allowing me to go! I can't wait. I will tell you about what we are going to be doing later.

That's all the news I have for now. I will post some pictures below. Adios!

This is the new image for the fall tour! Looks awesome!


The sunset from our house.


My teammate Bethany trying to hid from all the noise in the work room.


Brendan with one of the surfboards this guy from church loaned us. We took this 6 footer and three 7 1/2 footers on the buses and trolley. So fun!


Pacific Beach!

Update - 8/15/09

So I have been at the house for about 2 and a half weeks now! Things are crazy messy when you are living with 60 people. Wow. I have also learned a lot of patience and how to find a little bit of quiet in all the din. NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES! They are the best. A nice little sanctuary from everything else.
The office has been super busy every day with seminars about the conflict, how to give a speech and answer questions, how to schedule screenings, how to understand ourselves and what we are fighting for. It has been a real point of self-discovery. Really seeing how far I can push myself and how to overcome challenges.
I have met so many cool people that I have met since I have been here. And I am even more excited about going to Uganda than ever! I do have to go get a few shots this weekend but a few pricks for a trip of a lifetime is totally worth it.

Thanks for your support!
Travis

I'm going to Uganda!

Hey everyone!

Looks like I am going to Uganda for 10 days in September, right before we all leave for the Fall Tour. 1 member from each roadie team is going to Uganda to get a handle on the programs and the work that IC has there, as well as get a perspective of the culture and the conflict so that each team is equipped with someone who knows what they are talking about.

This costs a lot of money. I have to raise another $1000 to be able to go because IC doesn't have the means to pay for us all. If you would be willing to donate that would be ever so wonderful and greatly appreciated. You can send me a check to:

Attn: Direct Support - Travis Hammill
Invisible Children Inc
1620 5th Ave Suite 400
San Diego CA 92101

You can also donate via paypal!

Everything that is donated is completely tax-deductible.

Thanks so much! If you have any questions, please give me a call at 703-470-2288 and I will try to talk with you about it as best I can!

Travis

The Office

This is the gong: Every time we book a screening, we bang the gong.

This is our office space:

This is where we roadies work:

This is my team's work station! Hooray Deep South!