Today we’d like to introduce you to David Clements and Kevin Black.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My friend Kevin Black, the brother of Country Music Super Star Clint Black, lost his daughter Cortney to a very rare disorder called Rett syndrome when she was sixteen. That was in 2003 and ever since Kevin and I along with some help from his brother Clint, have been trying to raise money and awareness for the disorder with the hope that by doing so a cure can be found and we can keep other families from having to endure what the Black Family went through.
We have done 5k walks, golf tournaments, fishing tournaments, music concerts and most recently we self-published a book of music photography, titled Raising A Hand, This book was created in the hopes of furthering our reach beyond our local area to the rest of the USA and perhaps the world. (Note.. our hope is that you can help us promote the book as all the proceeds go towards Rett syndrome research.) Folks can learn all about Rett syndrome and purchase copies of the book by going to www.RaisingAHand.com BTW this is a book of 208 entertainers on stage each raising a hand while performing, each having agreed to be in the book and all the proceeds going toward research… see photos I’ve attached.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road as it has been tough for Kevin personally having to always be reminded, day after day, that he lost his daughter at such a young age. It has been tough as there are many good and important causes in the world and we are but one. Getting the attention of possible donors is difficult AND these girls are worth all of our effort, without question.
And Rett syndrome knows no borders. Girls with Rett are here in our County, City, State and across the USA and around the world. Besides the aforementioned the entire book project was done by volunteers that sacrificed lots to help make our book happen and finding and gaining approval of the performers represented in our book was no easy task and took us almost three years to complete.
Please tell us about Raising A Hand For Rett.
Our ‘company’ isn’t a company at all. We are a 501 c 3 nonprofit and basically, two old guys trying to help little girls afflicted with Rett syndrome with a mission to keep our efforts going until the end of our lives or until a cure is found.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Maybe not my favorite, however, growing up in Virginia if you were ‘raising a hand’ you were raising a hand to help someone in need. It was from that childhood memory that the book Raising A Hand’ was born!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RaisingAhand.com
- Phone: 713 410-6076
- Email: david-clements@msn.com
- Facebook: Raising A Hand-The Book
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
