Some IndyCar Cruising

Chuck Zimmerman

Laura McNamara in a street legal 2-seater IndyCarWhile I’m here in Lincoln, NE this week with Michael Peterson, Laura is in Indianapolis having just too much fun. She’s primarily reporting for Domestic Fuel with sponsored coverage for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. Here’s her latest post from there:

There are lots of perks that come along with covering the Indy Racing League. Perks like meeting IndyCar Drivers, photographing the world’s most significant motor sporting event (Indy 500) and meeting some of the most talented journalists and photographers of the motor sports industry. Those amazing opportunities come on a regular basis with IRL coverage. Sometimes, a few extras get thrown in. In Kansas City, I got to take a couple laps around the track with IndyCar Driver Davy Hamilton. No, not in an IndyCar. But, it was an Indy pace car and we did go 118 miles an hour around a 1.5 mile oval, getting just centimeters away from the wall. By the way, Davy will drive the #22 Hewlett-Packard/KR Vision Racing car during this weekend’s race.

Just last night, I got to take another “Indy” style spin. This time it was in a street legal two-seater IndyCar.

Check out the video here:

I think Laura’s having fun wouldn’t you say?

Ethanol, Indy Racing, Video

Michael Peterson Provides Perspective

Chuck Zimmerman

Michael Peterson Hospital VisitAs I said in my last post, the My Real Life Tour is a community event. During the course of the week that the tour is in town events include shows and patient visits at local hospitals like this one in Columbus, NE.

Patients, staff and volunteers are invited to attend and they enjoy a show which really helps brighten their day. So besides working with young people and the military you’ll find Michael visiting the media and all kinds of people. This effort is about more than just trying to get people to support our military. It’s also about re-building pride in our country and values that matter. I think that more companies should consider becoming involved like New Holland has. I’m sure that you can contact Michael for more information if you’re interested.

You can hear a portion of Michael’s show for the hospital where he talks about “perspective” here: real-life-hospital-michael.mp3

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Audio, New Holland

Real Life Helping American Legion Legacy Scholarship

Chuck Zimmerman

Dave KamenskeWhen the Michael Peterson, My Real Life Tour, comes to town it’s not just a high school program. It’s really a community event. Well in advance a group of local volunteers or “circle of influence” people are solicited to help put together numerous local events, including school programs, press conferences, hospital visits and other types of events.

In Columbus, NE we were escorted into town by the Legion Riders and treated to lunch which they prepared for us. One of their leaders is David Kamenske, pictured here on the left. He says that part of what they’ll do, working with Michael and the tour is raise money for the American Legion Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship provides funds to help children of single parents, as a result of the war on terror, with their college education. Michael is the national spokesperson for this effort.

You can listen to my interview with Dave here: real-life-am-legion-kamenske.mp3

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Audio, New Holland

The Army and Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Army GuysSince the Army is the major sponsor of the Michael Peterson, My Real Life Tour – Strong for America, they need some recognition. These guys were watching the show in Columbus, NE last night.

I interviewed a couple more after the Grand Island Senior High School show yesterday. They’re very happy with how the relationship and mission is going. I think it’s interesting to see the Army and agriculture getting together on a project don’t you?

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

New Holland, Video

Faculty Love Having Michael Peterson

Chuck Zimmerman

My Real Life TourAnother part of the audience at the schools where My Real Life Tour stops is the faculty. As you can see, they get into it too.

The Principal of Grand Island Senior High School is Kent Mann. I spoke to him before the show yesterday and he was really looking forward to it. He said his only fear was how to top this next year. He also says that his son worked for years for my sponsor, New Holland, before returning to farming full time. It’s just another example of how much of a connection there is to agriculture with what Michael’s doing with the Army.

You can listen to my interview with Kent here: real-life-grandisland-mann.mp3

After the show I interviewed Kent again in his office, this time with video. I think he found the show to be all he expected.

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Education, New Holland

Student Reaction to Michael Peterson

Chuck Zimmerman

My Real Life TourWhen it comes to gauging how well students receive the My Real Life Tour message it’s best to hear it from them. The auditorium was packed at yesterday’s event, including the upper level seating.

I asked several of them after the show at Grand Island Senior High School what they thought of the program and here’s what they said.

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Education, New Holland, Video

Michael Peterson Reaching Youth in Ag

Chuck Zimmerman

My Real Life TourHello from Lincoln, NE where the Michael Peterson, My Real Life Tour, continues. The photo album is updated and I’ve been working on some video clips and audio. Now I know you may be asking, “What does this have to do with agriculture?”

Well, to start with, my coverage is sponsored by New Holland, a company that is also sponsoring the tour. Then you also have the fact that a lot of these tour stops are in farming communities like yesterday when we were in Grand Island and Columbus, NE. I talked to students and adults who are involved in farming who were thrilled to not only see Michael perform but with his message. He’s also becoming a regular speaker at FFA meetings too.

Speaking of message here’s a short segment from his Tag You’re It show at Grand Island Senior High School.

My Real Life Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Agribusiness, New Holland, Video

Peace Be With Lee McCoy and Family

Cindy Zimmerman

Lee McCoyOur friend and colleague Lee McCoy passed away early this morning in the arms of his sweet and courageous wife Aurora. She wrote us this morning to say that Lee “rode away on Chariots and White horses to meet the Morning Star.”

As many of you know, Lee has fought a tough battle with cancer for the past two years, defying all odds to be a survivor. He has participated in yearly cancer fundraising bike rides, raising over $6,000 last year for the BriarRose Grand Peloton cancer ride (see previous post).

We have known Lee for so many years that I don’t even know how long its been and he has always, always been a friend. He has worked for Southeast Agnet on and off for the past ten years or so and prior to that and in between he worked as a farm broadcaster in Texas. He is also a past NAFB regional vice president. SE Agnet president Gary Cooper posted a special farewell to Lee here on their blog.

We will all miss his humor, his special ties, his cowboy hat, and his great big heart. He was truly the “Real McCoy.” Ride on, my friend. Peace be with you and your family.

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American Legion Cake is Slice of Real Life

Chuck Zimmerman

On today’s My Real Life Tour we stopped in Columbus, NE at the American Legion for lunch and they made Michael this great cake. A group of members escorted us into town on their motorcycles and there will be pictures in the photo album later.

Michael is the spokesperson for the American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship program. While we were at the American Legion Post he held a press conference in advance of this evening’s performance at the local high school.

You can hear Michael’s press conference/speech here: real-life-am-legion.mp3

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

New Holland

Tag You’re It Program in Grand Island

Chuck Zimmerman

My Real Life TourToday on the My Real Life Tour we left Lincoln, NE early and headed to Grand Island where we had a Tag You’re It program on the final day of school for Grand Island Senior High School. The students were excited and I’ve got video interviews with some of them that I’ll be posting when I get to a good internet connection.

In fact, internet access has been spotty which is why I don’t have a Flickr album up yet. I think you’re going to enjoy it when I do and I’ll be posting a link to it of course.

If you’d like to hear the kind of message that Michael is delivering to young Americans then I’ve got a segment of his presentation for you. This one involves telling a story forward and then backward to make a point. Listen to the story here: real-life-08-michael-story.mp3

AgWired coverage of My Real Life Tour is sponsored by:
New Holland

Audio, New Holland