Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Incredible Faisal, College, and Future Girl.

September 29, 2010 Wednesday

Up early to ready the car for Bellevue College! Faisal, the assistant Dean of student programs meets us at DMC Northwest. He is a car enthusiast and has been friends with Toby (owner of the DMC shop) for more than 20 years and has owned many DeLoreans over time. He plans to bring his own modified DeLorean to add to the display, so he quickly does some detail work. He is so enthusiastic about bringing the cars to the campus, he helps us clean our car up too! He’s full of energy and a love for the vehicles, and his positive excitement is contagious. He teaches us a few tricks about the stainless steel we didn’t know, and gives us his remaining cleaning fluids so that we can have them for our Jamestown appearance! Very generous and fun person! We follow him to the school. It’s a cloudy day but there’s no rain. Security escorts us to the location, which is right in the center of everything, in front of the cafeteria and activity center. A beautiful fountain with a stainless steel sculpture is the background. (How appropriate!) Every 45 minutes or so (between classes) we are swamped by students passing through the square wanting to have a picture in the car. It’s a great day for friendship and fundraising. Faisal has prepared a nice sign, and we have our donation jug and banners and literature to hand out. The promotional video is playing, speakers booming. Oli and I pass out the left over MJFF flyers we picked up from the last event in Danville and Feisal makes many donations for his fellow faculty and students that want a picture! There is a special needs group taking a tour of the campus and I have the pleasure of showing our car to Amy, a blind student. She is shy to touch the car at first, but soon relaxes and responds to the descriptions. Oliver shows her the vents and she is surprised by the warmth still coming off the engine. We make our way to the drivers seat and she holds the steering wheel and stick shifter, and programs the time circuits, pushing the buttons and hearing the sounds.

Oli and I also learn how to say Back to the Future in sign language from a deaf student! Check out the video!

Everyone was so receptive and kind and generous. Oli and I enjoyed lunch as their guests from the cafeteria with Faisal and his wife Teresa. They are members of the Northwest DeLorean owners club, rally winners and fine people. We finish up at the school around 2 and say our goodbyes and depart for Oregon, having raised $300., thanks to Faisal and the wonderful students and faculty at Bellevue College! So many people continue to be surprised that the car actually starts up and drives! We figure if we make a straight shot for Portland we might have a chance to visit with Kristen Shelly, ‘Future Girl’ to any BTTF.com fans. She’s an avid Back to the Future aficionado and a talented writer, having published 5 books, with her sixth in progress! Everything works out and we meet Kristen at ‘Claim Jumpers’ a restaurant with a North West, 49er’s feel! After indulging in the Mother Load, a slice of chocolate cake that is over a foot tall, we had burgers and great conversation. Great fun. She points out that the company we are working with in Arizona, Hill-Rom, sounds a bit like Hill Valley, the fictional town where the movie takes place. I had never even thought about it!

Now we are in Salem, Oregon for the night and plan to get to the Redwoods tomorrow.

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