Re: [at-l] National Dance Institute

["Jim Hipp" <jimhipp@alltel.net>]

Just for the record, someone said...
>And although his dream of introducing children to dance is admirable,
maybe his way to draw attention to his new foundation could have been
better thought out, that's all.

I think the institute is actually an old institute. At least nothing
recent.

When I was hiking south this year and I heard that there was this world
famous, internationally known ballet star hiking the trail, I said to
myself that this guy is going to be a royal pain in the ass prima donna.

What I actually found was that Jacques is a genuinely nice guy who makes
everyone around him feel good. Always positive, always upbeat and
complimentary of other hikers efforts.

It takes 10 of these "good guys" to make up for the hand full of jerks that
hike every year. We are lucky to him. He takes nothing from the trail in
the form of hard currency and the goodwill that is created is invaluable. 

Give him a break, wish him well, it is the season for it.

Jim
South Walker ME-GA 1999
jimhipp@alltel.net
In hiking there is no special recognition given for speed, style or 
finesse. There are only those who do the hike and those who don't.

----------
> From: Coosa <coosa@alltel.net>
> To: Leslie Booher <lwbooher@evansville.net>; Thomas McGinnis
<tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us>; at-l@backcountry.net;
hike-usa@email.msn.com; list-aldha@netword.com
> Subject: Re: [at-l] National Dance Institute responds...
> Date: Thursday, December 09, 1999 10:33 PM
> 
> I think, and someone is sure to quickly correct me if I'm wrong, is that
> Jacques D'Ambroise is in effect exploiting the AT to promote his new
> endeavor of bringing dance classes to inner city kids.  He could just
have
> easily ridden a bike down US Hwy 1 or Route 66 or across the ADT, but he
> chose the AT.    From what I heard tonight, he was the USA's premier male
> ballet dancer in his younger days.  And although his dream of introducing
> children to dance is admirable, maybe his way to draw attention to his
new
> foundation could have been better thought out, that's all.   And he could
> have requested input or cooperation from the hiking community instead of
> igoring us as if we didn't exist!
> 
> Hiking to raise money for cancer -- is this exploiting the AT?  The
person
> hiking doesn't get the money, the Cancer Society does.  Hiking for the
> Kidney Foundation -- same.  Hiking for Habitat for Humanity -- same. 
Hiking
> to draw attention to yourself so you can start your own "non-profit"
> business -- IS this the same?    (I'm a skeptic -- there's a guy here who
> runs a 'thrift shop' and a church and draws no salary, but he gets a new
4WD
> truck every year and lives in a quarter million dollar house and tells
> everyone how he doesn't draw a paycheck -- well he doesn't have to -- his
> 'non-profit' pays all the bills!)
> 
> I've also been told that there is an 'entourage' of 30 plus hikers who
are
> together with him -- whether they are thru hikers or slack packers or
> assisted hikers, I don't know -- but there's reportedly a large wave of
> hikers who want to be on tee vee with him when he finishes the 18th and
the
> rumor is that he will be AT SPRINGER the 18th.
> 
> I'll be there in the yellow hard hat -- with apples and oranges and
probably
> colas -- and maybe a bottle or two of cheap champagne and a couple
> congratulation balloons  (there goes Coosa wanting another 15 minutes of
> fame!!!!)
> 
> LOL, Auntie Coosa
> Queen of her universe!
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> 
> >Why are we picking on this guy?  Lots of others have hiked the trail for
> >money for things like Habitat for Humanity, various disease societies,
but
> >nobody picks on them for funds for the trail.  Presumably (yes, I know
that
> >this is a BIG assumption), the man is a member of the ATC and has paid
his
> >annual dues.  Has everybody else on the list paid their annual dues to
the
> >ATC?  I think not.  Coosa may be right: those who are so led could carry
> >signs, nice signs, at the TV interview, just to let folks know that
there
> is
> >work and money involved in keeping the trail open for all.  But, for
God's
> >sake, we don't need to be picketing the guy.  So he wanted to dance his
way
> >from Maine to Georgia, so what?  If we'd met him, we'd probably have
> learned
> >the little dance, too, and had a good time.  Give it a rest!  Leslie
> >
> 
> 
> * From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List |  http://www.backcountry.net  *
* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List |  http://www.backcountry.net  *

==============================================================================