• Wish Love Hope Cure •
For those of you who don’t know, the man in these photos is my daily inspiration; Andrew McMahon (frontman of both Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin).
Back in 2005, Andrew was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) and since then has overcome his battle with absolute positivity to be where he is today.
In 2005, an organisation was formed called 11:11AM. It’s name was taken from the lyrics of the well-known Something Corporate song Konstantine - It is believed that this is the time when one should make a wish as all digits are the same. AM because in 24-hour time 11:11PM becomes 23:11, and also because it stands for the initials of our man of the hour - Andrew McMahon.
I still have my very first orange wristband which I bought in support of 11:11AM back in 2005.
Andrew never fails to amaze and inspire me, and him and and his music has saved me more times than I can count. Once upon a time I never though I’d ever get to see him perform live in Australia, let alone meet him - yet in 2007 all my dreams came true as I got to complete both those goals and have since completed them many times more.
Back in 2011 as a thankyou for me flying around to follow him on tour, Andrew rehearsed and played my favourite song in the world for me solo - Watch The Sky. I cannot express in words what that meant to me. Hopefully one day there will be another Something Corporate show somewhere in the world and I can finally hear him play Konstantine too.
You may have seen the license plate featured above before. The 3rd photo is of me which Andrew posted to his Instagram/Twitter account (“A Legit Plate”) and the 2nd is of Andrew taking the photo. He was amazed that this was my real registered West Australian license plate and that I actually had to unscrew it from my car. It took a lot of effort to get this personalised plate, but I feel so proud that I can share Andrew’s story with anyone who asks about it. I was originally going to purchase an orange plate as orange is the colour for Leukemia awareness, but instead chose blue. I’ve always associated the colour blue with Andrew as he references both the sky and the colour in many of his songs - I’d rather be reminded of those happier moments, than of a time when he was sick.
This plate is my way of sharing awareness.
If you took the time to read this, please visit both the 11:11AM and the Dear Jack Foundation website. Donate. Do your daily good deed and help somebody :)
This is AWESOME! Thank you so much for your support. People like you are what keeps this organization growing.
Tomorrow is 11/11/11, the big day! Who is going to the Dear Jack foundation benefit show in Los Angeles? If anyone wants to live blog from the show, tag your posts and photos with (1111am, dear jack benefit show) and we will reblog you!
We will also be posting flyers tomorrow to promote the Light the Night fundraiser, as well as an inspiring guest blog. Keep checking back for some awesome posts, and maybe a few surprise contests ;)
- 11:11 A.M.
Please click the link and check out the awesome items up for auction to benefit the Dear Jack Foundation. Items range from Andrew McMahon’s keyboard to tickets to the Dear Jack Foundation benefit show on 11/11/11. Place a bid and help the cause!
The annual Light the Night walks have been taking place all over the country, and will continue until November! If you haven’t checked out this event, please do.
Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual fundraising walk to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. Hundreds of thousands of participants raise funds for lifesaving research and patient services.
Please take the time to visit our fundraising page. We are raising money for Team Dear Jack/Jack’s Mannequin. Our goal for the Dear Jack team is to raise $125,000 towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma society and we are almost half way there!
We hope everyone is having a wonderful October!
- 11:11 A.M.
ABOVE: Andrew McMahon, photographed by Adam Deangelis
WARPED UPDATES!
DAY FORTY: THE GORGE, WASHINGTON
August 13, 2011
Today is by far the best venue to set up in. The scenery is just out of this world. The stage sits off a cliff and the mountains in the background are a great sight. With the size of the venue it allows us to walk around and talk to people about the cause and collect donations.
The Gym Class Heroes passes went pretty fast so if you plan on coming tomorrow, come to the tent quick! We also gave away some free button packs to people who bought any merch item. We will be doing the same for tomorrow. Still in shock that tomorrow is our last day. Can’t wait to write an end of the tour blog for everyone!
DAY THIRTY-NINE: NAMPA, ID
August 12, 2011
Tour is almost done. Two more days! Pretty crazy thought once you think about it. After almost two months on the road, and only two days left, it really makes you think of everything that has happened. Met thousands of people. Talked to survivors of cancer. And met some amazing friends.
Leah and I have had a great time on Warped Tour meeting everyone. I hope to see more people on these last two days. Hopefully, we will have a couple more signings! Keep an eye out on the twitter.
DAY THIRTY-EIGHT: MARYSVILLE, CA
August 11, 2011
Above is a picture from the day off we had recently. We were traveling through the desert for miles and miles. Not a sign of civilization for a very long time. Having lived in city life for the last 6 years, it’s different to experience the complete opposite.
Today we were in Marysville, close to Sacramento. For some reason, this date I do not remember from last year. Usually I am pretty good with recognizing the venue. Might have to do with where we were parked this year. That honestly makes a huge difference in helping me figure out where everything is. We met someone today who had a friend who recently passed away from cancer. It was really sad to hear the news as they told us but she thanked us for raising awareness. It reminded me how important the cause is and why we volunteer our time for it.
DAY THIRTY-SEVEN: CARSON, CA
August 10, 2011
Sorry we haven’t written in a while! Our generator broke and our batteries were just about drained. We have had a great couple of days and met so many people and friends.
Today was a day of familiar faces. Met a lot of past tour friends and volunteers. The Carson date always brings great memories.
-Adam
DAY THIRTY-TWO: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA
This was the first time we have ever been in Iowa…we had a great time and missed the large storm that hit right after.
Read the whole blog here!
DAY TWENTY-FOUR: COLUMBIA, MD
July 26, 2011
An awesome day! Kathleen from 11:11 A.M. was able to come out for the day to hang out. She’s been driving us around on our day off to do other work related things. She’s been with 11:11 A.M. since the beginning and essentially ships everything.
We had some cut the line passes that helps get people’s attention and we are able to talk to new people who haven’t heard about the cause. It’s always great meeting people who heard of Dear Jack but even better when we are able to educate new people about it. Come by the tent tomorrow to see how you can get a Gym Class Heroes drumhead autographed by the band!
DAY TWENTY-THREE: OCEANPORT, NJ
July 25, 2011
It feels like time is going by so quickly on tour. The routing is different this year so at times I think tour is just starting when really we only have a few weeks left. We had awesome volunteers, Brett and Melissa. Melissa is a cancer survivor and is currently in her one year remission. It was awesome to talk to her and learn about her story.
The Maryland show is a hometown show for 11:11 A.M., so we can’t wait to see our friends and other staff! We will have some cut the line passes hopefully for your favorite bands, so stop by the tent to get yours!
-Adam
DAY TWENTY-TWO: UNIONDALE, NY
July 24, 2011
We had a great signing with We Came As Romans today! A lot of the 11:11 A.M. Staff was out helping at the tent. It was quite a hot day but that’s been the trend lately! We are excited for New Jersey, hope to see new faces!
Andrew McMahon (Jack’s Mannequin & Something Corporate) tells you how you can get involved as a team member at this year’s The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Light The Night Walks! http://tinyurl.com/LTNTeamJM2011
Marissa and Leah bring you an update from Warped Tour in Mansfield, MA! Learn about what you can find at the tent and what we have planned for the rest of tour.
- 11:11 A.M.
DAY EIGHTEEN: MILWAUKEE, WI
July 19, 2011
This is probably my favorite venue, though everyone wishes the Chipotle at the venue was open. We had a fun day! All the non-profits were in its own grassy area which allowed a lot of people to find us easily. (Read the rest here.)
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