Tom Weber and magnetic marketing

By Chris Johnson
Director of Communications

One of my jobs here is to help market The Fuller Center for Housing. One of the great things about that is that I don’t have to feel any shame about that. It’s not like I’m trying to convince people to buy lottery tickets. I’m helping to promote a great product – simple, decent housing for families. Who’s against that?

Another great thing about promoting a worthwhile organization is that you’re never alone in doing it. Folks left and right are always ready to proudly wave our banner. And it’s always exciting to see someone new to the team start waving the flag.

One of those new folks proudly marketing The Fuller Center is Tom Weber, the Colorado resident who suffered a dislocated shoulder in the June 7 Fuller Center Bike Adventure van and trailer crash in Idaho. The 69-year-old just wanted to ride a bicycle from coast to coast and find some like-minded folks. He found our Bike Adventure team.

Though Tom wasn’t necessarily looking to take up a cause, he began to research The Fuller Center and read about Millard Fuller and soon found himself waving the flag for us. He’s already topped his personal fundraising goal for the ride, and last week he rejoined the Bike Adventure team in Salt Lake City. Next thing we knew, he was trying to get friends to help our team get their hands on our replacement trailer (now sitting in Colorado Springs) a few days early. We almost have to tell Tom to slow down. He wanted to seize any marketing opportunity while the team’s stuck pulling a U-Haul trailer, but luckily in Salt Lake City we managed to hook up with some folks who donated two new magnetic decals for the replacement van purchased in Washington state. The decals promote the Bike Adventure and Fuller Center. It’ll help the marketing until the team picks up the official trailer in Colorado Springs next week.

Karen and Ric Anderson of Sign-A-Rama in Salt Lake City donated the new magnetic decals. We’re going to paint our logo on the van when it returns to Americus, but the Bike Adventure magnetic decals are nice little additions to the team’s marketing efforts.

While I may not be that envious of the bicycle team’s 75-mile rides and such (OK, maybe a little), I am envious that the bikers get to hang out with Tom. He’s the oldest rider in the bunch and maybe the most energetic and determined. Though, I’m not sure Tom’s got this whole retirement thing figured out. All those successful years in business, and now he’s either biking, playing tennis or volleyball or taking up ballroom dancing with his wife. AND promoting The Fuller Center. I called Tom last week, and I’m not sure I could keep up with the guy! Of course, I can’t keep up with my 11-year-old, either. I guess there’s no hope for me.

I hope when this is over, someone can get Tom a recliner and a nice remote control so he can take another stab at this retirement thing. But something tells me Tom will be fine-tuning his dancing skills and planning another cross-country journey with us.

Having people like Tom Weber waving our flag is a Godsend. If only that guy would just slow down long enough for people to see it! 🙂

The Bike Adventure is a fundraiser … click here to donate in honor of any of the riders or the team in general!