Calling all TOPS members who have truly transformed their lives with our great organization — are you coming to Seeds of HOPE? (We sure hope so!) Would you like to get involved with a great event we’re scheming up? (We hope so!)
I’d like to call it “TOPS Triumphs” and highlight our wonderful members who’ve transformed their lives, from the inside out. Full transparency, I think this sounds incredibly fun, but it didn’t start as my idea. However, I’ve been handed the keys, so I’m going to begin with this call-out: Anyone interested? In watching the event, or taking part in it?
Our inspiration, as I’ve mentioned, has been our members … members like Linda Brown, from Missouri (pictured above!), who’d be a perfect candidate for People magazine’s annual “Half Their Size” issue. A Coordinator in Missouri, Randy Givan, who’s taking the lead on planning Seeds of HOPE — among many other things; Randy is also a TOPS Board member! — sent me Linda’s photos, with her permission of course, and said we could use her example, to see who else might be interested. Linda’s on board!
I think it sounds fun to feature people who’ve dropped a significant amount of weight with the help of TOPS, but I’m not going to set a threshold, like “you must have lost at least XX pounds.” Also, the scale doesn’t always tell the full story. If you feel as if you’ve transformed, even on the inside, or you’ve gotten stronger with TOPS, or you’re able to run a 5K now; you name it, I think we’re happy to accept anyone interested in participating! Fill out that form above.
You see, we want Seeds of HOPE to be FUN. Yes, it’s true that the event will feel like a series of TOPS Talks, and you’re encouraged to attend sessions, and think about how you can be living in a healthier, more balanced way. But in the evenings, we’re hoping to cut loose a bit and plan some activities to bring us all together!
We’ve heard from some of you over the years, saying you miss IRD and the camaraderie that the event brought. And well, Seeds won’t be a replacement for IRD, to be frank, but we can still have togetherness, idea-sharing, new TOPS friends (heck, maybe even inspire some of the non-members to join us!), etc. So let’s do it.
Just a reminder, Seeds is open to TOPS members and non-members, so just a nudge … if you’re thinking about coming, PLEASE do. And bring your spouse/kids/friends from chapter! You could even expand it into a longer trip, especially if you’re coming from a long ways away — and use the trip as an opportunity to see what else the region has to offer. We put together this fun page, for you to explore exactly that.
See you there?
