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>>> AS THE BACK TO SCHOOL BELLS 
START RINGING, THERE IS ONE 
THING WE HAVE LEARNED OVER THE 
LAST FEW WEEKS AND THAT IS THAT 
YOU STEP UP TO THE PLATE WHEN 
THERE IS NEED.
IT HAS TO WARM YOUR HEART TO 
SEE SO MANY STUDENTS HAVING 
WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.
ONE OF THOSE GROUPS IS THE 
EXTRAORDINARY LEAGUE OF 
GENTLEMEN IN SALISBURY.
HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT IT 
IS LEAK FOUNDER CHUCK EAST.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
>> EXPLAINED WAS REAL QUICK, 
BUT THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY 
GENTLEMEN IS.
>> WELL, WE ARE A FAITH-BASED 
NONPROFIT GROUP THAT OPERATE ON 
THE SHORE.
AND REALLY, OUR WHOLE MISSION 
STATEMENT IS REALLY TO ASSIST 
THE DISADVANTAGE LIVING ON THE 
EASTERN SHORE AND SURROUNDING 
AREA.
ONE WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS OUR 
BRIGHT MINDS BRIGHTON BOOKBAGS 
GIVEAWAY.
>> SO WHAT IS IT THAT INSPIRED 
YOU TO CREATE THIS GROUP?
>> WELL, WHEN WE END JERMICHAEL 
LOOKED AT WAYS TO GIVE BACK, IS 
THAT IT WAS THE DIFFICULTY WE 
HAD GROWING UP IN SINGLE FAMILY 
HOUSEHOLDS.
SO THAT RESONATED WITH US THAT 
WE HAD SOMETHING THAT CONNECTED 
US WITH KIND FOLKS WHO BLESSED 
US IN VARIOUS WAYS THROUGHOUT 
THE ORDEAL.
SO, WE FELT AS IF IT WAS REALLY 
INCUMBENT UPON US TO PAY IT 
FORWARD.
SO, THAT IS WHY WE DECIDED TO 
GET BACK IN VARIOUS WAYS 
THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, ONE 
BEING THE BRIGHT MINDS BRIGHTON 
BOOKBAGS GIVEAWAY.
ONE WAS THE GIVEAWAYS, LIKE THE 
DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE THAT WE 
HAVE.
BRIGHT FUTURES?
>> HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH 
BOOKBAGS?
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?
>> SO, I WISH I HAD THE ANSWER.
THE ONLY ANSWER WE TRULY HAVE 
IS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED US.
WE STARTED WITH 50 BOOKBAGS 
EIGHT YEARS AGO, NOW WE ARE ALL 
THE WAY BACK UP TO 2500, YOU 
CAN SEE HIS HAND IN WORK, 
ALLOWING US TO SO IN PLACES 
THAT NEED HELP, HELPING THOSE 
WHO TRULY NEED IT.
>> SO IF YOU ADD TOGETHER ALL 
OF THE LIVES THAT YOU HAVE 
TOUCHED OVER THOSE YEARS, THAT 
IS AN AWFUL LOT OF LIVES.
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?
>> SO, JUST OVER THE PAST SEVEN 
YEARS WE WERE UP TO 5500.
AS WE ADD IN THE 5500, WE ARE 
CLOSE TO 9000, AND WE WILL 
CONTINUE TO GROW.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 
RESONATES WITH ME THE MOST IS A 
ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTION WITH 
FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY MOTHERS 
WHO COME TO YOU.
THE HEARTFELT APPRECIATION FOR 
WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE ALL GO 
THROUGH VARIOUS TOUGH TIMES IN 
OUR LIVES.
WE CAN SEE HOW OUR SMALL LITTLE 
GIFT OF BOOKBAGS AND SCHOOL 
SUPPLIES MEANS SO MUCH TO THOSE 
WHO REALLY NEEDED THE TIME.
>> DO YOU SEE IT IN THE KIDS, 
TOO?
DO YOU SEE IT IN THEM?
ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO MAY 
NOT ALWAYS HAVE A LEVEL OF A 
PLAYING FIELD AS OTHERS.
SO SOME PARENTS, AS WELL AS THE 
FATHERS IN THE HOUSEHOLD, THEY 
ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE SURE 
THEY HAVE CLOTHES AND SHOES, 
FOOD ON THE TABLE.
SO BY US HELPING OUT WITH 
BOOKBAGS, THAT TAKES SOME 
FINANCIAL BURDEN OFF OF THEM.
THEY ARE SO HAPPY, TO BE A PART 
OF IT.
IT REALLY IS A WHOLE DAY OF 
FESTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE FROM 
CELEBRITY GAMES TO THE 
BARBECUE, TO THE POOL BEING 
OPEN WHERE THEY CAN SWIM AND 
LEARN ABOUT THAT STUFF.
WE EVEN HAVE FREE EYE 
SCREENINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
A COUPLE OF UNIVERSITIES WILL 
COME OUT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT.
IT IS JUST A GREAT COMMUNITY 
EVENT I AM GLAD THAT WE HAVE 
SUPPORT OF.
>> SO IF THERE IS A FAMILY THAT 
IS IN NEED, WHAT DO THEY DO?
>> ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SHOW 
UP AND BRING THE KIDS.
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT.
BRING YOUR KIDS TO BE A PART OF 
THE DAY.
WE WILL INTERACT WITH THEM TO 
EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF 
EDUCATION AND LIFELONG 
LEARNING.
THAT IS THE MAIN REASON WE DO 
THIS, WE KNOW THAT EDUCATION IS 
POWER.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THIS WORLD, 
YOU HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE, 
EDUCATED SO YOU CAN MOVE IN THE 
PLACES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE 
EDUCATED ON.
SO THAT IS THE MAIN FOCUS, 
EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING.
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS TO COME 
AND BRING YOUR KIDS.
>> JUST BE THERE?
>> YES.
>> SO WHAT CAN WE AS A 
COMMUNITY DO TO HELP?
>> SO, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS 
YOU CAN DO IS SHARE WITH THE 
WORLD, OUR SPIRIT CONFERENCE 
HERE, JUST BASICALLY TELL THEM 
WHAT WE ARE DOING.
DONATIONS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES 
ARE MUCH-NEEDED AS WELL AS 
BOOKBAGS, AND EXTRA DONATIONS 
AS WELL SO WE CAN MEET THE 
NEEDS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> AND YOUR DRIVE IS AUGUST 25, 
CORRECT?
EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING WE 
HAVE FROM THE SUPPORT OF THE 
MAYOR, JACOB DAY HE WAS A GOOD 
FRIEND OF MINE, A FELLOW VET 
LIKE ME, TO COMMUNITY LEADERS 
JERMICHAEL AND OTHER COMMUNITY 
MIKE MEMBERS, WHO COME OUT IN 
DROVES TO BE A PART OF THE DAY.
IT IS TRULY NOT ABOUT US, BUT 
THOSE WHO WE ARE TRYING TO 
