Scooting4Scooter Italia!
Forward written by Renee Scampini
(who joined us in Italy with our mom!)
Our dad was almost inexplicably proud of his Italian heritage --- his BBQ apron summed up his feelings: "being fifty percent Italian is better than none at all." Italy was one of his favorite places, so this Scooting4Scooter in Italy is particularly special.
It was impossible to go to Italy and not think of our dad. But for some reason, I kept seeing our Grandpa Carlo, Scooter’s dad, in the men in their 70s and 80s sitting on chairs in the shade, drinking, playing cards, ribbing whomever was losing, inappropriately shirtless in the sweltering heat out in public. And then it hit me why I was gravitating toward these scenes: this was the retirement our dad deserved.
This was the retirement that his anxiety-ridden, obsessive, hopelessly depressed mind didn’t allow him to enjoy and eventually took from him. This mind that he hid from his loved ones, golf buddies, card players and business partners out of fear and shame for most of his life.
That is the heartbreaking effect of stigma. And that is why we scoot4scooter. We are mental health advocates and allies, and we donate the amount we spend scooting in each country to BringChange2Mind. Join us, share your story, continue the conversation, and end stigma. If you’re so inclined to match our donation (thank you!), please put #scooting4scooter in the notes.
$25 scoot = $25 donation