Preflight: Mixer thanks Tanya and Gita!

Mixer sent in these photos and this text to have posted!
Here are Mixer and Tanya flint on board their scooters! 11 year old Tanya is the child that suggested to Mixer that she do this fundraiser in the first place.

It was Tanya’s mother, Gita that surprised Mixer with a mobility scooter when she was loosing her ability to walk, and the rest is history.  Gita and Tanya (aka PG) have been pivotal factors in the success of Blaze'n for the Raise'n.  Their volunteerism has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Mixer and Tanya will ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to start off Mixer’s trip, symbolizing all the work this family has done.  Tanya says she is very excited about going over the bridge with Mixer and riding along the route with Mixer for as long as she can.  It will be a day she will never forget.

Preflight: Subscribe to our RSS feed

Starting now you can add Blaze'n for the Raise'n to your RSS News Reader. Subscribe now by clicking on the link below. This feed has been configured so it should work with most readers.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlazenForTheRaisen


A big thanks to the folks at FEEDBURNER for providing the conversion from ATOM and an HTML version of the feed.

Preflight: Natural Foods Co-op

Natural Foods Co-Op will be providing Mixer with food and other products during her trip. Natural Foods Co-Op is located at 1900 Alhambra Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95816, phone (916) 455-2667, fax (916) 455-0762, and can be found on the web at http://www.sacfoodcoop.com/

Preflight: Article is in Sac Bee today

The Sacramento Bee today ran an article, by Sandy Louey, which provides insight into the life that Claire leads, and how her disease has impacted her physically as well as how it has strengthened her. It is a terrific piece, available online with a color photo on the main page and two additional photos available by clicking a link under the photo section.

"I'm stronger than I thought I was," said Mix, who is 44. "I want to show people that they can be stronger than they think they are."

You can view the entire article by visiting the Sacramento Bee web site (free registration required). Our thanks to The Bee for their support and for the compassion they bring to their discussion of this disease.

View the photos from the rehearsal that the reporter and photographer from the Bee attended.

Preflight: Own a piece of this event!

Blaze'n For The Raise'n Specialty Gift Shop
We hope everyone will show up at the Golden Gate on July 16th in a Blaze'n t-shirt or polo! Your order helps support the National Parkinson & Susan G. Komen Foundations. And you'll get a really cool t-shirt!

CafePress is extending the Summer LOL Sale another two weeks! Sale now ends July 14, 2005. $3 off all apparel. Use the coupon code LOLSAV at check out.

You can also support this event by buying and downloading music from Claire's CD, "Singing In A Hairbrush" for just $15. [Get music]

Preflight: McDonalds. Are you as surprised as I am?

Okay, so let's not let the fact that Claire is a vegetarian get in the way of our delight in having the McDonald's franchisee Yin donate A DOZEN SALADS for Mixer and her team to enjoy while on the road.

We're working on getting more information so we can properly credit these generous folks, so check back!

Preflight: Target to donate goods!

Claire would like to thank the Target store in Elk Grove for their donation of three two-way radios, two cases of water and two six packs of Ensure!!!

Elise Lippincott, Guest Services Manager
Target Elk Grove Store
7505 Laguna Blvd.
Elk Grove, CA  95758
(916) 683-5356

Our thanks to everyone at Target for their support!!

Preflight: Sacramento Bee attends rehearsal today

Reporters from the Sacramento Bee attended the Elk Grove Mixer Kids rehearsal this afternoon to prepare a piece on the choir and Claire's fundraiser that will run this weekend, Sunday June 19, in the Elk Grove section of the Sacramento Bee.
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UPDATE 06/15: The Bee has decided to run this piece in the Metro section, so publication date is being pushed out and is currently TBD!
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(Also see the News 10 photos.)
Photos by JD Warrick, from the rehearsal this afternoon.

Preflight: Mixer Choir performance becomes surprise fundraiser for Parkinson Foundation

Following the performance of Mixer's two Faulks Ranch Elementary School choirs last night, the school presented Claire with a certificate showing that $220 had been donated by the Junior and Senior choirs to the National Parkinson Foundation in honor of Claire. Parents attending the event then came up onto stage and presented Claire with gift cards from Target, Home Depot and American Express. It was an emotional evening attended by about 750 parents, school faculty and administration, and friends and relatives, including Claire's mother, Ruth (a cancer survivor), and her brother, Eric. The performance by the two choirs received a standing ovation, after which teachers made a presentation to Claire, who received a second ovation as well as gifts from the parents. Mixer is simply overwhelmed by the support and is very appreciative for the donations she received at the end of the night.

Preflight: Mixer to check out fundraiser route

Later today Claire will make a trip over to San Francisco where she will ride her mobility scooter across the Golden Gate Bridge as a test before making the fundraising journey next month. Claire will be picked up on the other side of the bridge, and will drive the proposed route the rest of the way back to Sacramento.

Preflight: Safeway, Bel Air & Ralph's sponsor event

Safeway on Alhambra in Sacramento and the BelAir and Ralph's located in Elk Grove will be helping with the event by providing food for Claire and her road team during the fundraising trip. Claire will start off across the Golden Gate bridge on July 16th and ride her mobility scooter all the way to Sacramento. Our thanks to these businesses for their support!

SAFEWAY is located at 1025 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95816. Phone: (916) 456-0852
BEL AIR is located at 5100 Laguna Blvd., Elk Grove 95758
RALPH'S is located at 7101 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove, CA 95758 - Store Phone: 916-683-2599 - Pharmacy Phone: 916-683-2780

Preflight: Photos from News10 segment taping

For a few more photos, visit the Mixer Kids web site!

Preflight: Audio Blogging starts today!

Audio Blogging has been enabled to allow Mixer to post audio reports via cell phone during her trip. Her first audio blog is a "WELCOME" message, encouraging everyone to participate in this event by downloading tracks from her CD and leaving comments on this page. Look for the "Play this audio post" link at the top right column!

Preflight: Mixer to be featured on local TV segment

An upcoming segment on Sacramento area ABC affiliate News 10, with anchor Dale Schornack, will feature Claire Mix and the Mixer Kids. News 10 will attend an Elk Grove Mixer Kids rehearsal on Tuesday May 31 to help publicize this important event. Stay tuned for details.
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UPDATE Monday, May 30, 2005 9:45pm
News 10 confirmed their attendance at the Elk Grove Mixer Kids rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. The piece will air as part of the News10 GOOD PEOPLE series next Tuesday on the 11:00pm broadcast, and then again the following day during the evening news.
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Preflight: Scooter Trip Start Date Changed to Saturday July 16, 2005

Mixer has announced that the start date of her fund-and-awareness raising scooter trip has been moved to Saturday, July 16, 2005. The date change allows Mixer to accommodate the schedules of some yet-to-be-announced celebrities who would like to be with her as she starts off on her journey. As with any live event, dates and times are always subject to change, so please be sure to bookmark this site to keep up to date!

Preflight: Support Mixer's Fundraiser - visit the Blaze'n Gift Shop!

Have some fun AND help us raise awareness & funding to support these great causes! Wear your official BLAZE'N FOR THE RAISE'N tee, tank, polo, hat, apron or button now, and through the month of July, to support of Mixer and her fundraiser! Our gift store features THREE DOZEN products for you to choose from, and can be found at http://www.cafepress.com/blazenraisen.

A portion of the proceeds from your purchase will directly help the National Parkinson Foundation, The Susan G.Komen Foundation, as well as Mixer Music. Thank you for your support!

Preflight: Elite Bicyles to sponsor Mountain Bike

Elite Bicycles [directory] in Citrus Heights, will sponsor Mixer's trip by donating a mountain bike for use by Mixer's trip companion. Elite Bicycles is owned by Eric Dyer, and can be reached by phone at 916-728-2812. They are located 7032 Sylvan Road in Citrus Heights, CA. Mixer is very grateful for their generosity and support.

Preflight: Electric Mobility Corp to donate two scooters

Electric Mobility Corporation [web] has offered to donate two Rascal Scooters [info] for Mixer to use on her fundraising trip from the Golden Gate Bridge to the State Capitol in Sacramento in July. The Rascal mobility scooters include luxury features such as a seat lift to help the rider get up, and superior suspension for smooth riding.

About Electric Mobility Corporation
Electric Mobility Corporation is a family owned and operated company with its headquarters in Southern New Jersey. The company has a proud tradition of innovation and achievement that began in 1974 with company founder Francis Flowers.

About Rascal Scooters
The best built scooters on the market, Rascal Scooters offers the patented ConvertAble® System that adapts to meet your changing needs. These mobility scooters are equipped with all the luxury features including a swivel seat and electric seat lift-both making it easier for you to get on and off your scooter. Rascal also has versatile indoor/outdoor scooters and a rugged outdoor scooter with a top speed of 8 mph.

Preflight: Local web company to provide online support

Montanesque Enterprises, in Elk Grove, CA, will be assisting Mixer with set up and management of an online web Blog at Blogger.com [web]. The BLOG technology will allow Mixer and her team to quickly publish online information and photos relating to the trip. Mixer will be able to publish photos and text from the road using email or from her cell phone.

About Montanesque Enterprises
Montanesque Enterprises is a Sacramento area design firm that has worked with Corporations, SOHOs and individuals since 1995. Montanesque Enterprises can be found on the Web at http://www.montanesque.com

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Preflight: ABOUT CLAIRE MIX

Claire Mix is an elementary school choir teacher in Elk Grove California, affectionately known as The Mixer by her students. Known for her inspirational and exciting teaching methods, Claire is constantly in high demand. She conducts four youth choirs, one of them is called The Mixer Kids. The Mixer Kids are acclaimed for giving benefit concerts for charity. In the last five years they have raised a large amount of funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Singing original music composed by Claire has given The Mixer Kids an original appeal to audiences. After being asked to perform at the inaugural celebration for California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger, The Mixer Kids and Claire Mix’s music has become widely popular.

In the past two years, 44 year old Claire Mix has been dealing with a progressive neurological disease in the Parkinsons family. She has recently acquired a mobility scooter which her students lovingly call The Mixer Mobile. It’s not an unusual sight to see Mixer rolling to a show and giving a young Mixer Kid a ride on her lap to the stage. Mixer can still walk short distances and lives a very full life despite her new limitations. Her students view her no differently than before her body became noticeably symptomatic. It is a great lesson for any child; to see the human being before the chair, crutch, walker or cane.