Welcome to the OFFICIAL Eli Hops - Playing for Hope thread!

Here, in conjunction with Redirecting... , you can read info and updates leading up to this years Eli Hops fundraising event!

Eli Hops is a group that was founded in December of 2010 to raise funds and awareness for Autism and other special needs causes each year.

Eli Hops was founded by David Herrera when he noticed that his son Eli, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder earlier that year, was significantly helped by playing with a yo-yo.

Through the international yo-yo and skill toy community, David found similar benefits were being observed by the parents and friends of “differently abled” children the world over. It was then he decided to form Eli Hops to not only raise funds but also to help spread the word about these special kids through play.

Eli Hops is about special kids and special young adults having fun along side professional and amateur skill toy performers, sports players, artists, musicians, and all sorts of volunteers with one common goal; to “Play for Hope”.

Thank you for visiting Eli Hops!

This is a really good thing. God bless you.

I have loved seeing this blossom from its conceptual stage to a full fledged event! Great job!

We realy proud of you sir.

So I have send emails and press packs to 5 different yo-yo companies and 2 skill toy stores asking them to be a part of Eli Hops. Sent them last night and two this morning.

I know its way too soon to get any kind of reply yet from any of them but its hard to wait.

So send emails to your favorite skill toy company saying how they should be a part of Eli Hops! I want to make this the biggest fundraiser in the history of fundraising!

Dave

just amazing im speechless :o

Here’s one. I made this video a few weeks ago. Just to raise diabetes awareness

Hey guys
This is Eli Hops first public show of support. I know its short notice but if you can make it it would help thousands of MA special needs kids. All you have to do is show up for an hour or two and yo-yo or whatever. Doesn’t cost anything. Thousands of kids helped for life for one hour of your day.

So if you are a yo-yo player you probably know who John Higby is… if not go here: www.yoyoshow.com

I sent him and his wife Rebecca an email a while back asking if they would be interested in doing something for Eli Hops.

He just wrote back today saying he is going to be there! I did a happy dance and everything when I got that email!

Its just going to be him but this is the biggest thing to happen to Eli Hops since we got the facility!

I will give you guys more information as I have it and as always keep your eye on our facebook page!

www.facebook.com/elihopsforhope

elihopsforhope@gmail.com

It’s been great working with Dave/ Eli Hops the past couple of weeks!

Also:

Okay guys- today is the day to show support! Come say “No Way” to the $8mil budget cut to special needs kids! 10am Boston state house! Nearest parking is at #0 Charles street! See you there!

Man, I wish I could I’m in Mississippi.

I need a plane ticket… here i am, in school, in florida…

I’m unofficially supporting this from some faraway land!

How’d it go?

So yesterday Eli Hops went and showed support against the budget cut of $8mil to special needs early intervention care. I’m happy to say that over all turnout was fantastic. The halls were so crowded with concerned people and families that it was hard to get around. The sheer mass of people there will definately give the legislation something to think about.

I also got to meet the two geniouses behind a new up and coming yo-yo company. It was so refreshing to get to chat with these guys in person and sense their enthusiasm and genuine care for what Eli Hops does. I rarely meet such nice people.

I also get the VERY rare pleasure of being the vessel in which they will introduce their new yo-yos to the world. Exclusively at the Eli Hops event, they will offer a selection of hand made, competition quality, one of a kind yo-yos! That’s right, each throw there will be #1 of ONE. Take it from me, this is NOT to be missed out on. The name and more info will come through Eli Hops as I get permission to do so.

Be excited.

Be very excited.

Back to Boston. There were so many people there, news crews, reporters, and strollers everywhere. There were pamphlets and signs, most being held by cute kids who were not so patiently waiting for their parents to speak with a local representative.

On a personal note, trying to tell an autistic 2 year old that, yes you do have to walk through the metal detector, no you can’t just walk around to the open side, no you can’t ram your stroller into the tourist who is standing in front of you to make them go through faster, is a feat reaching impossible proportions.

It was a very large showing. There were places where it was so packed with people that you couldn’t get from one side to the next. Families and service care providers and concerned citizens from all walks of life and backgrounds all came together to show the world how important these services really are. It was a truly moving experience and one that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I can’t wait til August!

Dave

Hey guys! Huge deal! Yomega yo-yo and skill toy company just called me this morning confirming that they are going to be at Eli Hops!

This is the line up for vendors who are coming to the event this August:

YoYoExpert.com - The best selection of yo-yos and tops on the internet! Run by yo-yo superstar André Boulay! (He might even be there!) www.YoYoExpert.com

Yomega Yo-yo - Amazingly fun yo-yos and skill toys! www.yomega.com

Plectics Yo-yo - Drool worthy custom hand made, one of a kind, competition grade yo-yos!

MadHat Music - Breathtaking custom made instruments! They sound even BETTER than they look!

Josh’s Toys and Games - An awesome toy store! The best brick and mortar toy store in New England!

Swagger String - Probably the best yo-yo string on the planet. Period. Seriously.

Avon - High quality cosmetics!

Lexi the Potter - Cool hand made pottery (she’s making yo-yo shaped jars!) More cool stuff too!

Every one of those vendors is donating either a portion of or all of the money they make at the event! I can’t stress enough that even if it were just the vendors this would be the best place to be ever, think of the gifts! Think of your own collections! One of a kind yo-yos for sale! One of a kind instruments fore sale! Piles of toys and games and skill toys for sale everywhere you look! I am excited!

We can’t forget about the entertainment lined up as well:

John Higby - The Yo-Yo Guy is the 2008 World Yo-Yo Champion and Guinness World Record holder. He has performed his unique high energy comedy show in 22 countries and has been featured on David Letterman, Time Warp on the Discovery Channel, and even has his own TOPPS trading card! www.yoyoshow.com

Brett “Ooch” Ouchcunis - A professional entertainer, motivator, dancer and DJ rolled into one, compact package. He has been dancing for about 21 years now and specializes in step and yo-yo dancing. Brett danced all the way through high school, competing in major dance competitions around the country and then graduated from UMass, Amherst with a degree in Communication in 1998. Directly out of college he got picked up by Yomega Corporation, a yo-yo company based out of Fall River, MA. and became a touring yo-yo professional. www.oochworld.com

Fiske and Herrera - A nationally recognized and acclaimed, award winning local folk duo with 3 albums and radio airplay. I have never met anyone who doesn’t like this group! www.fiskeandherrera.com

McDowells Martial Arts Academy - A fantastic karate school is sending some of their best to do demonstrations for us! www.mcdowellsmartialarts.com

Volunteer yo-yo players and skill toy players will be showing and teaching visitors how to do tricks, local artists will have their work on display and for sale, face painting, raffles, volunteer readers (for quiet time), and more to come!

On top of everything else, all the donations we make are going to the Autism Support Center, one hundred percent!

An event like this is NOT to be missed! Its all for an amazing cause! Man I can’t wait for August 14th!

(6 southside rd. Danvers, MA at 11am!)

See you there!

Arc and the Autism Support Center:
www.ne-arc.org/familyservices/autismsupport.htm
www.ne-arcautismsupportcenter.org/

Eli Hops
www.facebook.com/elihopsforhope

COOL!!! I REALLY wish I lived up there!

Man, I can’t waiut to go!

Fun fact, I live near and know the owners of Josh’s Toys and Games…

Hey guys, I know its been a while since I have posted an update… but that’s mostly because nothing new has happened. The event is still going strong, with all the mentioned performers and vendors still coming. Next month I am going to.start contacting news outlets and I will keep you all posted as I learn anything.

Thank you all for your support and I can’t wait to.see you all this August!

Dave