Presented to Chelan Rotary on October 9, 2018

1. The Grandpa Project
Rod Brooks – Founding Grandpa
www.TheGrandpaProject.com

2. The Grandpa Project
Who are the grandpas?
Married to a grandpa?
Who have a father that your children know as grandpa?
Who never knew their grandpa?
Who have children that won’t know one or both of their grandpas?

3. The Grandpa Project

4. Becoming a grandpa

5. Becoming a grandpa
Twenty-five years of doing what a lot of
men do. Cat’s In The Cradle life.
- Working long. Working hard. Making ends meet.
- Climbing corporate ladders. Dreaming big.
- Getting by. Believing that it will all be worth it
. . . someday
Making a living and life
for your family . . .
Without really living for
life with your family.
A child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
Now I've retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you, if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time
My new job's a hassle and the kids got the flu
But it's nice talkin' to you Dad, it's sure nice talkin' to you"

6. Conversation to transformation
• Personally struggled with my size and weight for years.
• Felt trapped in a body I didn’t like, disappointed and
ashamed of who I’d become.
• Ready to accept being “one of the big guys.”
• Worried that I wouldn’t be around to know my
grandchildren.

7. Conversation to transformation
• It was a courageous conversation
with my eldest son when I was
reminded that there had been
three generations of our family
who didn’t know or experience a
relationship with their grandpa.
It ends with me!
#TheGrandpaProject

9. Why we exist begins with belief
Standing for the possibility of
• Connected families
• Generational love
Inform
Inspire
Celebrate
Serve

10. Why we exist begins with belief
Standing for the possibility of
• Connected families
• Generational love
Inform
Inspire
Celebrate
Serve
Every child deserves the benefit of a grandpa experience!

11. We love to share stories

12. We learn from the children

13. We’re listening and learning

14. We’re creating experiences

15. First Grandpa Camp in Chelan!

16. Picture this!

17. The Grandpa Project invitation

18. The Grandpa Project
Grandpa Camp – Quarterly
Grandpa Camp Festival - 2019
Volunteer Grandpas – Morgan Owings Elementary
Grandpa of the Month - Local and regional media
Grandpa’s Voice Locker – In very early development

19. Thank you very much!
Spend a little less time
climbing career
ladders, and more
time on treehouse and
playground ladders.
Leaving a legacy of
memories is far more
valuable than a legacy
of cash and prizes.
#TheGrandpaProject