COKER TIRE COMPANY's "BIG ONE" 36" Wheeled Unicycle SURPRISE!!!!

A few years ago, my dad and I were searching the internet and saw a 36" wheel unicycle made by Coker Tire Company in Chattanooga, TN where I was born!  It was amazing!!  Since I had just finished my Unicycling For a Cure Event by riding 4 miles on a 20" unicycle to raise awareness and funds for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, I knew this size wheel would make the trek much easier for my next, longer Unicycling For a Cure! So, I wrote a letter to the owner, Corky Coker, and explained that I had Type 1 Diabetes and had created an event called "Unicycling For  A Cure". I explained how I had been looking for a larger wheel so that I wouldn't have to pedal as many revolutions and could, therefore, go further faster without working as hard! My goal, I told him, was to go from town to town and raise money and awareness for JDRF!  A few weeks later, UPS came to my door and with astonishment, I saw a HUGE box from Coker Tire!! They had sent me my very own 36" wheel "BIG ONE" unicycle to help in my cause!!! I couldn't believe it! It is the best gift I have ever received!!!

I was still a little bit too short to reach the pedals, but in September, just in time for the JDRF One Walk in Spokane, I was able to touch the pedals and decided to do the 3 mile course on the BIG ONE!!  My Carson's Cruisers team had 25 walkers and raised $1000 for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)! Thank you to all those who walked and all who gave money, but could not walk! We are gonna turn TypeONE into TypeNONE!!!  Below are some pictures of the Walk! #NotTwoTired

What a wonderful company in Chattanooga, TN, Coker Tire Company!  Mr. Coker and his team have been amazing heroes to me!  They surprised me with this article on their blogspot after I emailed them about unicycling the JDRF One Walk 5K in Spokane, WA.  Mr. Coker donated the 36 inch wheeled unicycle to me to aid in my quest to Unicycle For A Cure and I am so thankful!  If you have a second, please thank the Coker Tire Company in the comment section under this article! This world needs more companies like Coker Tire! Here is the article:

https://www.cokertire.com/blog/raising-money-for-jdrf-on-one-wheel/
                       

 At Christmas, my family and I went to Chattanooga to visit my grandparents and we were able to go on a tour of the Coker Tire Showroom and shop. Marla Moore, Coker Group Marketing Director, even took us to meet the man who makes wheels and he showed us how he makes them....so cool!! If you ever are in Chattanooga, you have to go take the tour at Coker!!  They have a wide variety of antique cars, motorcycles, and even planes!!  It was one of the best tours of my life!!

                                 Marla Moore, Coker Group Marketing Director, mom and me

                                                       The man who makes wheels!!

First Annual Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day in Idaho

Sorry, guys!  6th grade at Coeur d Alene Charter Academy has been taken ALL my time this year and I am just now getting to breathe and post about the awesome time I had in Boise with the Governor's proclamation of Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day in Idaho!!! My day started VERY early back on February 9, 2015!  KTVB's Maggie O'Mara interviewed me at 6 am! To see how I got the Governor to proclaim a T1D Awareness Day in Idaho, click here: http://carsonscruisers.blogspot.com/2014/08/one-step-for-t1d-and-one-giant-leap-for.html ~ Carson

To watch the  KTVB Today's Morning Show interview with Maggie O'Mara, click on  "View My Profile" on the right hand side of this page and you will see the video close to the top of the page on the left!

Fondra: Love this kid......it was SO EARLY (had to get up at 4:30 am) and as you can tell...Carson is half asleep during this interview....We fell in love with Maggie OMara! She was awesome with a sleepy, bedhead 12 year old boy who had not woken up yet!!! 

smile emoticon Thanks, Maggie and KTVB Boise Good Morning Show! #Ifeltlikeareallybigdeal

Here is Boise's Channel 6's evening newscast:

http://www.scrippsmedia.com/kivitv/news/11-year-old-asks-Governor-to-designate-February-9th-as-diabetes-awareness-day-291341801.html

I absolutely cherish this photo Katherine Jones, photojournalist with The Idaho Statesman took! Carson speaking to a crowd of well over 100 at the state capitol about how the Proclamation for a T1D Diabetes Awareness Day in Idaho came about! In the red dress is First Lady, Lori Otter, Tamera Felter, Exec to the First Lady, is next to her, then Nicholas Stout, assistant to Governor and writer of the Proclaimation, McCall Salinas, Miss Idaho preteen (and amazing T1D), and Sierra Anne Sandison, Miss Idaho (our phenomenal T1D advocate and friend!) Thank you, First Lady Lori Otter, for your belief in and support of the youngest advocates in our state! You have taken time out of your busy schedule on three separate occasions to listen to the dream of a young boy and helped him realize his dream! This momma's heart is grateful!! ‪#‎JDRF‬ JDRF Advocacy JDRF Inland NW Branch JDRF, Utah/Idaho ChapterJDRF

— with Lori Otter and Sierra Anne Sandison at Idaho State Capitol.

Governor Otter was sad he could not be at the T1D Day (he had hip surgery). He put this in his newsletter:

LOVE this amazing young lady! Sierra flew in early from speaking at JDRF Type One Nation in Kansas City to be with Carson on his big day...and even after the airlines lost her luggage and she had to find clothes to wear at midnight ...she STILL showed up with that always beautiful smile and told her story to over 100 people at the capitol! We love you, Sierra Anne!!!!

T1D Awareness Day would have never been the success it was had it not been for Pam Howland, JDRF Boise Chapter ATC, and her amazing group of volunteers! Since we live in Coeur d Alene...a good 8 hours north of the capitol, Pam and her committee at JDRF made signage, delivered invitations to all the legislatures at the statehouse, and arranged all the special guests from Boise who gave of their time to come educate about T1D! Both Pediatric endocrinologists from St. Lukes, HODIA Diabetes camp for kids, Humphreys Diabetes Center, St. Al's, Novo-Nordisk, nutritionists, and more....Boise JDRF asked T1D kids to make a tri-fold board telling their diabetes in word and pictures...they lined the 2nd floor rotunda and were truly inspirational! Thank you so much, Pam, and your team for all your hard work!!! We couldn't have done it without you!!!!!

— with Pam Howland.

"I saw many young kids, taking it upon themselves - "testing/adjusting" then running back to what they were doing. I agree with the First Lady Lori when she made the statement about not having to worry about the future with responsible kids and youth like these." ~Valorie, a guest at the T1D Awareness Day

If you want to take a look at the actual Proclamation of Idaho's T1D Awareness Day, here it is:

http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/proc/2014/8%20Aug/8.14.14%20Type%201%20Diabetes%20Day.pdf

www.andreasbraunlich.com
When the First Lady, the Lt. Governor, and the top Morning Show anchor in Boise hold your artwork and comment on how great it looks---you are a really Big Deal, Andreas. Thank you!

First Lady, Lori Otter, reading the official Proclamation from the Governor's Office for an annual Type 1 Diabetes Day in Idaho to be held the second Monday of February each year! We counted well over 100 people during the reading and lost count of how many came through!  Lots of awareness today to legislators and the public...just the way Carson envisioned it many months ago!!!

Lt. Governor Brad Little and Carson


Pediatric endocrinologists from Boise who took time out of their busy day to spend a few hours with us, educating people about T1D!

Spokesman Review article:

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2014/aug/14/idaho-declares-type-1-diabetes-awareness-day-urging-11-year-old-disease/

Boise, Channel 6 (see the wonderful evening news spot above)

First Lady, Lori Otter, giving her autograph!

Camp Hodia, camp for Children and Teens with Type 1 Diabetes in the Boise area!

 JDRF Boise, Idaho Rocks!!

 So many amazing displays of T1D resources throughout the Boise area, displayed all the way around the rotunda!!

 Diabetic Alert Dog at Idaho Type 1 Diabetes Day at the Capitol!!

 Boise area T1D kids made posters of their diagnosis story....hoping to have posters from across the state next year!!

 Type 1 Diabetes Facts, Info, and Symptoms all around the rotunda!

And, a nice dinner with Sierra and her friend, Brittany, at Applebees to end an amazing day of TiD Advocacy....can't wait til next February!!!!

Everyday Heroes: Carson Magee television segment with Nadine Woodward, KXLY Spokane

Our favorite news anchor of all time...Nadine Woodward! Producer Austin Regimbal, Casey Lund, Nadine and the KXLY team were such a joy to work with!  Honored and humbled that they choose Carson for their EVERYDAY HERO segment!  Scroll to the bottom for the video of the newscast!!