Last week, I talked about how I’d been one of just 10 out of thousands chosen by New Kid Joe McIntyre to volunteer at the group’s concert Friday night in Virginia Beach. McIntyre recently started his own charitable organization, called the Let’s Get This Foundation, spawned by his favorite catch phrase, “Let’s Get This!” The organization’s slogan, “Helping the World, Step by Step,” comes from the group’s most successful album and single, “Step by Step.” Step One of the good deeds to be done by this organization is a children’s book drive, which began with the start of the New Kids’ summer tour last Thursday in Atlanta. The second night of the tour was my chance to lend a helping hand by helping collect donated books as concert-goers entered the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Virginia Beach.
After waiting at the will call area of the box office for over an hour, McIntyre’s representative, a lady named Iowa, finally came to fetch the lucky seven. For whatever reason, three of the lucky volunteers hand-picked by McIntyre to participate in this exciting event chose not to show. But for the seven of us who did, it was an experience we’ll never forget. We were teachers, moms, newspaper editors (in my case) or just fans of the group who are passionate about reading.
Iowa led us right past the fans who’d paid $375 for a VIP experience, and got on her walkie talkie, saying she was bringing “Joe’s guests.” We were the first to get past the gates and security, and boy, did we feel special.
Iowa took us to an area right outside the amphitheater and we could hear the sound check going on inside, on the stage. After a few minutes, Joe McIntyre himself came walking out of the arena, carrying three plastic boxes and wearing a huge smile. “Hey, ya’ll!” he exclaimed to us slightly starstruck fans.
We gathered ‘round him and he hugged each one of us, repeating our names after we introduced ourselves. While he explained to us what he needed us to do, he looked each of us in the eye as he spoke. It was clear the passion he feels for doing this book drive. He’s not just doing it to do a good deed; he really wants to make a difference. And so do I. And so did the six other young ladies who devoted a few hours to this cause.
After instructing us about our volunteer work, he said, “Oh, we need to do a picture!” I looked around for a photographer but oh, no, he pulled an iPhone out of his pants pocket and handed it to Iowa. All of us would later giggle like the teenage fans we once were, saying, “We’re in Joe’s pocket!”
I was impressed by him looking each of us in the eye while he spoke, and impressed again that even though my twin sister was next to him for the photo, he reached over and touched my shoulder, making sure I felt included, too. After Iowa took the first picture with his phone, he said, “Switch!” to make sure everyone who wanted to be next to him could be. Again, I was awestruck by his thoughtfulness and kindness.
I had wanted to ask him about doing a book drive in Anson County but after the picture, I know he felt rushed to get ready for the show and for the fans who’d paid a lot of money for their VIP meet and greet with the group. So I simply handed him a copy of last week’s editorial. He skimmed over it and said, “Oh my God, that’s awesome!” and seemed genuinely thrilled. Which genuinely thrilled me. He gave me another hug, and put the article in his pocket.
My twin sister got another hug, too, and then we hurried to our book drive duties. It was thrilling, honestly, when we’d see fans entering the concert gates, carrying an armload of books. We’d wanted to top Atlanta, which brought in 602 books, Joe had told us, but soon after we set up our tent, signs and boxes to start the book drive, the bottom fell out. A monsoon like I have never seen drenched Virginia Beach non-stop for nearly three straight hours. I’m sure that probably had something to do with the fact that we only collected 200-300 books, at the most.
Still, as we dried the books off with towels Joe had given us and carefully placed them in the plastic tubs marked “McIntyre” with a Sharpie, it felt as if we were changing lives. The seven of us volunteers— my sister and I from North Carolina, another from South Carolina, two from Chicago, and two from Virginia— commented on the books (“Oh, I love this one!” “That’s a great one!”) and guarded them with our lives.
Our main concern with the rain dripping through the tent was not messing up our hair or makeup; it was those books. And when it got closer to the time New Kids were to hit the stage and Iowa had still not shown up to collect the books from us, we all began to worry that we would miss the show. We were conflicted. Do we miss the show and stay with the books? Or do we go find our seats and leave the books behind? Finally, a venue rep told us she would watch the books and we could go find our seats.
The books, in the end, were the most important thing. We wanted the deserving children receiving these books to get all they expected and more— and now, we can rest assured that they will.
I’ve still not been able to find out what I can do here in Anson County, but I have been made aware that the Anson County Partnership for Children is doing a great job distributing books to the county’s children, at least for children through pre-school age. Maybe Joe and I— and my new friends, the fellow Virginia Beach volunteers— can do something about the kids after pre-school age. There’s only one way to find out... Let’s Get This, ya’ll!
For more information on the Let’s Get This Foundation, visit letsgetthis.org.
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