Love on Ottomatic

FOLLOW THE PERU ROCKS JOURNEY!
WWW.PERUROCKS.ORG

STARTING OCTOBER 6, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE PERU ROCKS TEAM AS WE EMBARK UPON OUR 10 DAY JOURNEY TO MACHU PICCHU.

1. Send us messages that we will receive on the trail.
   
2. Watch podcasts of incredible acoustic performances by Fastball, Nick Harper and members of The Fixx and Alarm.
   
3. Read daily journals from our cancer survivors and supporters.
4. View photos by photographer Gary Noel.
5. Join us as we pay tribute to Otto Schutt, one of our team members whom we lost to cancer in May. As promised, Ottos best friend, nephew and travel buddy will finish out his “victory walk” by carrying his ashes up the Inca Trail.
6. Celebrate with survivors like Tracey Callahan. Tracey was told she had no chance of surviving 5 years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Tracey is celebrating her 5th year since diagnoses by hiking with LHS.
   
7. Send someone with us in spirit by donating to the Love Hope Strength Foundation and adding their name to a prayer flag that we will carry with us. See Below for more info.
   

These are just a few of the many incredible moments and people this journey with celebrate. In conjunction with the amazing women of ALINEN, LHS will bring awareness and financial support to INEN, the main cancer center in Peru.

Give Thanks for your support!!!

http://www.perurocks.org/trekkers/lee-williams/

Dear Friends & Family of Otto,

I noticed something while reading Lee’s message, and Otto’s email (which made my eyes teary as well).  The words GIVE THANKS LIFE,  YOU ROCK IT!  were bold, and it struck me that gratitude was very very Otto.  he was always giving thanks and I loved that about him.  it’s something we can all use a little more of in out intention.

And so I am offering 2 limited edition bumper stickers, (see the attached document) for $5, with all proceeds to go to brother Lee’s effort to reach Macchu Picchu.  I hope to raise $500.00.  SO please spread the word, and send me an email if you’d like one (or 2 or 3), indicating if you want version #1 or #2.

amy8lam @ hotmail dot com

With love and thanks for all of you,
Amy

We have raised $2,556 so far for Peru!  Thank you so much to the people who have donated.  If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to help complete Otto’s journey CLICK HERE.

I still have a ways to go but am confident we will hit the target and Derrick and I will carry Otto to Machu Picchu!

Much Love,

Lee

Most of you have seen the video of Otto’s Husky performance from the 2005 CFDC show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MAHrPq9JVd4 – and several of you were there to see Otto’s fabulous runway debut in person.

Otto wore his Husky shirt A LOT since then, even when he was no longer quite husky-size on the outside.  He left me a voicemail many months ago, saying “even though I’ve lost some weight, I want you to know that I’m still feelin’ Husky, I’m still livin’ Husky, and that’s important.”  With that, Husky really started taking on a new meaning:  it’s about living out loud, with conviction, strength, and love.

Otto’s passing instilled in many of us a desire to keep his spirit alive by reaching out and helping others.  Since Husky had come to mean so much to us, we decided to have a batch of shirts printed up, and to donate the proceeds to the American Cancer Society.  Paul had the great idea to make these a special Limited Edition by adding Otto’s “Husky Love & Respect” signature to the back.

We think they came out pretty great, and we are happy to announce that they are now available at http://huskyapparel.com.  For a $30 donation, you get your own little slice of Husky love, and support the American Cancer Society as well!  As Paul said the other day, “It’s like wearing a hug from Otto all day long.”

Oh and don’t think these are just for the XXL’s out there – we’ve got all sizes in ladies and men’s. When it comes to Husky, it’s the size of your heart that counts!

Husky Love,
Paul & Stefbot
http://huskyapparel.com

As some of you know Otto had planned to beat this cancer thing and make a victory lap around Machu Picchu in Peru. We agreed he was going even if I had to carry him. This was something he could look forward to while staring out his hospital room window waiting for another surgery on his liver (the 3rd or 4th). Below is from the last email he ever wrote me.

I want to be diligent about protecting the original vision and intention of this journey. For me that is to GIVE THANKS for all that have helped me along this path so far, to increase my own sense of what is possible to accomplish regardless of where/when you are in LIFE and to walk with trail with YOU…so far this journey has had so much metaphor…it’s time we sweat it out and make the journey with our flesh and bones, blood and sweat, I want to reach the top of that rock with YOU and then fuggin’ ROCK IT!

Guess I shouldn’t have added that because now the tears in my eyes aren’t helping me type this. I am keeping my promise and making that journey with Otto. My flesh and bones, blood, and sweat will be carrying Otto’s ashes along with his nephew Derrick. We are linked up with an amazing organization called Love Hope Strength whose mission is to help with cancer screening and treatment in 3rd world countries. To join this team of Rockers and Survivors I must raise $10,000. Your donation is Tax Deductible and all of it goes to support the foundation. I am responsible for the $3,500 in travel cost on my own.

I cannot do this without your help and am humbly grateful for all who can contribute (if not financially, please support me in your thoughts). Otto and I spent a lot of time thanking people who didn’t even know him who send well wishes and money in his time of need. I will never stop being amazed by the community of which we are all a part. Give Thanks! Please forward to others who may like to help.

Click Here for more details on how you can help. http://www.perurocks.org/trekkers/lee-williams/

Thank you for making this possible.

Much Love,
Lee

Thank you to those who continue to send in donations either by check or through PayPal for Otto’s family.  There were a number of unsettled bills and these gifts of love have been very kind at this difficult time.