Got 81/2 minutes?
You’ve got time to watch the new Godstock DVD.
Godstock, a nonprofit organization based in China Grove, helps families of critically ill children with living expenses.
John Bouk, Godstock’s executive director, has wanted to make a DVD about the organization for many years but knew such a project would be cost prohibitive.
All money raised by Godstock goes to its Community Aid Fund. Administrative costs are covered by grants and several local churches.
There’s not a lot of money for extras.
Then Bouk met Marty Jenkins, a Charlotte retiree who introduced him to Joe Martin, also of Charlotte. Martin owns PAL Productions, and was interested in making a DVD about Godstock.
“I trust the guy, because he always follows through,” Bouk says of Jenkins.
Martin didn’t charge a penny for his 10 days worth of work.
“He decided he wanted to be a part of Godstock,” Bouk says.
Then Jenkins had a golf tournament to pay for the cameraman’s expenses.
Terry Stewart, who often works with Martin, came in from Austin, Texas.
Bouk and Martin scouted out locations at Brenner Children’s Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital and Carolinas Medical Center, the three hospitals with which Godstock works.
Over three days in April, Martin interviewed Bouk, parents, social workers, physicians.
Martin told Bouk that 8 minutes is the ideal length for a DVD of this type.
“You’re not boring people,” Bouk says. “You’re getting the message out. You want to hammer ’em real quick.”
The DVD may only run 8 1/2 minutes, but hours of preparation went into it.
“They’d spend two hours just getting the light right,” Bouk says. “The work that went into this was amazing to me.”
The crew filmed Anniston Gunn, a South Carolina toddler who was finishing up chemo.
They interviewed Tania Myers. She and her husband Steve were parents to Adam Myers, the first child Godstock assisted back in 1994. The Myers’ daughter, Kaley, 13, reads a letter about Godstock during the DVD’s opening scene.
“John asked us to participate and we agreed,” Tania says. “We’re always going to be involved. It’s great that there is such a thing as Godstock. Your whole world stops, but the rest of the world continues on.”
Chanda and Brian Courtney of Charlotte were also interviewed. They’ve stayed involved with the organization after the passing of their son, Jacob, in 2003.
“It’s real hard to give up that kind of control, to let somebody take that burden from you,” Chanda says in the video. “But I feel like once he did, it allowed me to relax a little bit.”
Bouk had 200 copies of the DVD made. He’s giving them out and he’d also like to show it to any interested club, church, business, school group or civic organization.
“When you speak to a group,” he says, “you’re lucky to get 20 minutes. This tells everything in 8 minutes.”
Bouk hopes the DVD will generate interest, involvement, donations and sponsorships for Godstock.
“I want to be as busy as I can, going around and showing this DVD,” Bouk says.
After all, Godstock has found its niche over the years.
“Someone’s child is dying, and we say, stay home as long as you want. How much more impact can you have than that?” Bouk says.
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If you’d like to have John Bouk share the Godstock DVD with your organization, call him at 704-857-7011 or johnbouk@hotmail.com.
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Contact Susan Shinn at 704-797-4289 or sshinn@salisburypost.com.