This blog was dictated by Roz and transcribed by her mother, Rita Savage.
Local time 21.32 on 5th May
Position: 02.70939S 161.71414E
I’d like to tell you about my master plan for a foundation, provisionally called The Ripple Effect. This is what we are currently fundraising for, so I hope everything will make a bit more sense after this blog of introduction.
This idea was born about 15 months ago, soon after Nicole came to work with me, and she and I have discussed it at length. At the moment it is still a pipe dream, but, hey, you have to dream something before you can make it real.
The inspiration for The Ripple Effect came from noticing the power of individuals to inspire, no matter what their field of expertise: a dancer, a speaker, a musician, an artist, a scientist, a thinker, an athlete. Any one of these can make me feel inspired, to see that anything is possible, to see that the world is ripe with potential
As a rising tide lifts a boat so when one person lives out the thing they were born to do the ripples of inspiration spread far and wide and lift everybody up to a higher plane.
Having stumbled onto something that others find inspiring and having figured a few things out along the way, about how to bring a future dream to fruition, I felt that this was a way that I could contribute to making the world a better place, even once my rowing days are over. I could nurture a future generation of individuals with the power to spread ripples of inspiration by providing them with support, logistical assistance, mentoring and a degree of financial support.
Grantees would have to show that they have a particular mission that they wish to pursue and would pledge to share their experience as they go about fulfilling that mission. This sharing would provide a kind of “how to” for other people wanting to achieve something similar, and of course, maximize those ripples of inspiration.
In other words, The Ripple Effect would be exactly the kind of foundation that I wish had existed 6 years ago when I decided to start rowing across oceans to promote a message of environment awareness and personal fulfillment. I have managed to muddle my way through by trial and error, but I would have loved to find a one-stop shop for advice on everything from fund-raising to website design, and a cash grant would have been a welcome bonus.
Over the last couple of years, I have been informally mentoring a few individuals who aspired to change their lives and/or embark on ambitious adventures. I have really enjoyed doing this and I hope that in the future I will have more time to work with such dynamic and purposeful people from the infrastructure to assist them more effectively
And of course I hope that the infrastrucutre will also benefit me to some extent as I pass through these final stages of my ocean rowing career and to other ways of communicating my message.
So there we have it. My grand plan. It is very unusual in that the concept is person-based rather than cause-based but it tallies with my belief in the power of the individual to make a difference.
If you have enjoyed following my adventures whether it be since the Atlantic in 2005 or since yesterday I hope my description of The Ripple Effect resonates with you, and if it does, I hope you will feel that can make a contribution no matter how small. The current fundraising drive is being organized by Nova Lee. She is creating a series of contests and sweepstakes to the “fun” into fundraising. Watch out on this blog for messages from Nova about new challenges and events over the coming weeks. To check out on events already under way, click on the GoRozGo button on the top right of my website and of course a huge thank you to all of you who have already contributed.
Thanks to recent donors: Kenny, Stanley Miller, Doug Grandt, Sam Miller, James van Remmel, Carol Lindsay, Ferit Findik, Cornerstone Fibres and Pauline Appleby.
Roz,
I think “The Ripple Effect” is a wonderful idea,
and it will have the positive impact you envision.
It’s a simple concept, but packed with inspiration.
You have inspired me once again, so in your honor:
Ripples from your mind
Spreading steadily outward.
Sea change! Go Roz Go!
Happy rowing, Roz
Cinco de Mayo, and I have just returned from a meeting in Cuba. As I believe I mentioned previously, it does seem that this oil blight may well come to the east coast of Florida and follow the Atlantic current (gulf stream) to The UK polluting along the way. Oil, the matrix of evil plastic in it’s organic form hanging a curtain on the west wall of the stream where the life wells up to the warmth, only this time to be poisoned. The oil will go away eventually, but I fear I may have seem my last season of the shore.
Go Roz! Let’s all try to ensure that the ripple becomes a tsunami!
Best wishes, Steve
I love the ‘Ripple Effect’ idea: good thinking! xW
Good Idea RoZ, Ripple effect is a pretty neat metaphor about how change can occur. Like your thinkin… You are making excellent progress across the pacific. Norm
Excellent idea! I know you’ve inspired me to be more environmentally conscious and to do more instead of just thinking about it.
Hi Roz, I love the name of your foundation, The Ripple Effect. There’s a quote from Robert Kennedy that relates to this notion, and I’ve always found it very inspiring: “Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and then the total — all of these acts — will be written in the history of this generation…It is from numberless diverse acts of courage such as these that the belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” It was from a speech he gave to the University of Capetown in South Africa in June 1966. I hope you find it similarly inspiring!