The Give Back Tour Begins

Gail Davis, 01 March 2011

So I must begin this blog by thanking those generous contributors who are making this week possible.

Thank you to my company Gail Davis & Associates, Justin Brannen, Vivian Brassel, Bobby Ellis, Jennifer Fanucci, Thomas Hood, Michelle Johnson, Sissy Littlefield, Bernie Nathan, Julie O’Keefe, Audry Rider, Carlos Rogers, Shawna Weldon, Jennifer Yount, Frank Leitzman, Callie Harwood, Luke Davis and Trystan-Bryse Vanderford.

Through the combined vision, financial support and commitment of these individuals, Andre and I will embark on a one week tour speaking at eight locations.

I will get to see Andre interact with many different audiences. He will speak to kids who are in trouble, he will speak kids who are privileged, he will speak at community events, two high school, two juvenile centers and a public forum open to the Dallas-Fort Worth community hosted my church, Good Shepherd Catholic Community, in Colleyville.

Lives will be changed in the next week and I decided that I want to capture that. I am making a commitment to blog over the course of the next week to keep everyone posted on the tour.

I pick Andre up tomorrow at DFW Airport. Our first stop will be to speak at the Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Detention Center located in Manitou, Oklahoma. This was a last minute add on to our schedule. We received a call from Kimberly Morrow asking us if we could stop to talk to her kids. My assistant, Stephanie, was practically in tears by the end of the conversation.

Their facility houses 82 juveniles – all involved in some sort of gang-related activity. Only eight of them are allowed to leave the facility with supervised visits. They are all under the age of 18. When Kimberly called we felt her passion and commitment to these kids. She told us that it was critical for them to understand this important junction in their lives. They will either return to normal lives or end up in prison.

I cannot believe this juvenile center is located so close to my home town and I never knew it existed. It’s time to reach out beyond what I know, what we know and get to know and give back to our communities. Thus, the name, “The Give Back Tour.”

It's time for me to get out of the office, get on the road and enjoy seeing people who seldom receive such inspiration get inspired by an amazing speaker who’s walked their road.

We have a new Facebook page – www.facebook.com/GDA - check it for daily updates from the road. And if you see us, don't honk - come in and see it for yourself.

Gail