Friday Presentation |
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER 9, 2022!
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About the Event:
Who is Dick Beardsley?
For a brief moment during the 1982 Boston Marathon, Dick became the most famous athlete in the world - by losing the race. That was the beginning of a lifetime of extreme highs and devastating lows. After he retired from competitive running, a series of near-fatal accidents left him physically broken. In November of 1989, while using an auger to lift corn into a bin on his Minnesota farm, Dick became entangled in the machine; it began to literally tear him apart. Dick was not expected to live or walk—much less ever run again—but through hard work and dedication he survived. During the next few years, Dick was involved in a severe car accident, later he was hit by a truck while running, later still, he rolled his vehicle in a snowstorm. If that wasn’t enough, while hiking one day the ground gave way and he fell from a cliff. Each time he ended up in the hospital with multiple surgeries and each time the doctors were able to put him back together, giving him another chance at life. These injuries, understandably, took their toll on Dick’s body. He would go from doctor to doctor obtaining pain killers, ultimately forging his own prescriptions. Dick found himself spiraling out of control and addicted to prescription narcotics. It wasn’t easy, but he faced those challenges with faith, hope, and perseverance. He redeemed himself. He found the strength to go on, only to be faced with the greatest challenge of his life. Dick’s son, Andy, died by suicide. Andy was a victim of PTSD due to his time spent serving our country during the Iraq war. To learn more about Dick’s incredible story of faith, hope and perseverance, come to the Friday Presentation on Friday, December 9 at the North Dakota Heritage Center. Get your FREE tickets online beginning October 1. |
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OUR 2021 FRIDAY PRESENTATION WAS HUGE! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CAME FOR OUR AMAZING FRIDAY PRESENTATION. HERE IS A RECAP:
About the Event:
- We hosted the Friday evening concert “Stories, Music, Journeys” featuring Ben Shirley, the musician from the movie “Skid Row Marathon” and Bismarck Symphony Director Beverly Everett.
- Ben was a professional musician who played bass guitar in a heavy metal band. Alcohol and drugs destroyed his career. After losing everything, he found himself on Skid Row. He joined the running club weighing nearly 300 lbs.
- The Basin Electric Beacon of Hope award will be awarded during this reception to a RADD runner that has used running to make the biggest difference in their lives.
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About Ben Shirley:
Ben Shirley is an accomplished concert composer, film composer,orchestrator, and musician whose atypical path to success informs his music. A touring musician for 25+ years, Ben was previously signed to Epic Records, as a bassist, releasing rock radio singles charting in the Top 5. Not long after, drug and alcohol addiction drove him into homelessness. In 2011, Ben sought refuge at the Midnight Mission, in Los Angeles’ notorious Skid Row. He returned to school and rebuilt his musical life from the homeless shelter, where he resided for 26 months. In 2015, Ben was accepted into the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music, as a student in the inaugural class of the Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) Program. Today, Ben is 10+ years sober. His works are commissioned, performed, and recorded by prominent ensembles, including the Grammy-award winning Pacifica Quartet and Quadre. His music has been performed by members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Opera. About Beverly Everett:
Everett believes in being a positive role model and advocate for young people. She was invited to be a guest speaker at Cottey College's Institute for Women's Leadership and Social Responsibility to speak on Women's Leadership in the Performing Arts, and received a subsequent nomination to the National Advisory Committee for the Institute, on which she continues to serve. (Jan. 2012). She has been a founding Success Coach in the Students First! mentoring program of Bemidji since its inception. She is a member of PEO Chapter F of Bismarck, and in 2013 was the recipient of the state Shining Star Award. Everett is a distance runner and triathlete and is a member of the Bismarck "MeFirst" fitness group that promotes fitness by example in the community. |
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