Teen with autism granted sports dream through nonprofit

Originally written for WVUA 23's website. Read the original story here.

Meeting Nick Saban, participating in The University of Alabama’s homecoming parade, being gifted an iPad and enough Crimson Tide swag to start a fan club is nothing but a dream for most Alabama fans.

But all Kurt Cherry had to do was wake up on Oct. 12.

Cherry, an 18-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, lives with autism. As an avid Alabama football fan, his lifelong wish was to attend a Crimson Tide football game. That came true through a nonproft organization called Dream On 3 (DO3) and a man named Brandon Lindsey.

Lindsey spent 15 years climbing the corporate ladder with the sole goal to make as much money as possible. A Christian man, he said his life took a drastic turn when he received a nudge from God.

“I was at a point in my life where God was saying there is more to this,” Lindsey said. “In November of 2012, God laid on my heart that I was chasing trophies which had no value. He laid on my heart a vision of an organization that would make dreams come true for some very special people.”

Lindsey said this urge was so clear that he was more afraid of not doing it than doing it. He shared his dreams with his wife and two daughters, and with their enthusiastic support, Dream On 3 was born.

“Fast forward five years, He has put this organization together in a way that we could have never imagined,” Lindsey said. “He has blessed us in a way that only He can and in the process He gave me a new definition of success – to serve.”

While DO3 is not strictly a faith-based organization, Lindsey said the past five years are a testament to his relationship with God and DO3 is a significant part of his personal testament.

DO3 is headquartered out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Its mission is to provide kids with special needs opportunities to fulfill their dreams with sponsored trips to meet sports legends. In its five years, DO3 has connected kids with dozens of athletes like Steph Curry, Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lindsey’s team puts together sponsored trips, called “Dream Experiences,” by partnering with local businesses to help fund and accommodate their “Dream Kids.” The Birmingham business community played a major role in Cherry’s trip to Alabama, from the Ross Bridge Resort providing free rooms for everyone and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance loaning a van for the team’s transportation from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

Cherry’s Dream began the morning of Oct. 12 when he boarded his first-ever plane ride headed for Birmingham. The team immediately sped off to Tuscaloosa, where Cherry attended the Nick at Noon luncheon at Bryant Conference Center.

Cherry’s cousin and caretaker Joe McLean said he had never seen Cherry happier than when he was talking to Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.

“(Saban) was standing there and Kurt just put his arm around his neck and got the greatest picture in the world. And I love that about Kurt. He had no nerves, he was meeting his idol and he was going to get the best picture ever – and he did.”

Cherry was also taken on a tour of the University of Alabama campus before he went back to Birmingham for a welcome reception put together by Ross Bridge Resort and Sigao Studios, a local software development company.

Auburn University alumna Madison Hall and the Sigao Studios team gifted Cherry an iPad loaded with apps from BridgingApps, a Houston-based company that specializes in creating digital software for people with special needs.

Chris Sims, CEO of Sigao Studios, said being able to pair a client of theirs to a project like Cherry's dream is a great experience for him and his team.

“We have worked a lot with organizations that work with special needs children and creating applications for them,” Sims said. “So Kurt is interested in football, (BridgingApps) will find apps that will … bring apps and people with different special needs together.”

Sims mentioned that the weekend could not have been such a success, if not for the support from other local businesses.

“Knight Eady provided a bag full of Alabama sportswear and apparel. Influencer and Ross Bridge helped provide accommodations for Kurt and the crew,” Sims said. “It’s really just kind of connecting a lot of different things to make the dream even better, which has been an honor to be a part of.”

Sims said the most important part of this experience is combining forces with other businesses and coming together for a common cause: making Cherry's weekend of a lifetime a success.

“It’s a great family, Kurt is such a great guy, and seeing his dream to meet Nick Saban, to be part of this and to able to add to that has been a real honor,” Sims said. “In Birmingham, and really businesses in Alabama, we’re such a great and giving state all around. But, it ties in with Sigao and our mission of being able to meet people that have needs with the technology to meet those needs.”

The next day, the DO3 team headed back to Tuscaloosa, where Cherry participated in the homecoming parade. McLean said Cherry’s favorite thing is to yell “Roll Tide,” and that morning, he was in heaven.

“The biggest smiles I’ve seen today was when we were in the 1949 truck by Mr. (Jim) Gibbs, all fancied up and Roll Tide and everything, he got to stand up and hold on and wave and ‘Roll Tide’ to everybody for an hour,” McLean said.

Later, Cherry was able to go onto Bryant-Denny Stadium’s field to watch the Crimson Tide warm up from the sidelines. He then got to watch Alabama beat Missouri 39-10 in a homecoming win that McLean said was the “highlight of the night.” And according to Cherry, the whole weekend has been one he will never forget.

“I got this cool ride and I went to Tuscaloosa,” Cherry said. “(Nick Saban) is like, the legend. I’ve been in a parade … I got to take a lot of photos with girls and cheerleaders. I really want to see Tua Tagovailoa … It was awesome.”

McLean works for Developmental Disabilities Resources, a company that helps kids, children and adults with developmental disabilities. As Cherry’s caretaker and an employee of DDR, McLean knows how difficult it can be for someone living with autism. But, he said he is humbled by the experience he was able to have with his cousin, and he owes it all to DO3.

“I can’t express it enough, Dream On 3 made my cousin’s dream come true,” McLean said. “He would not have been here if it wasn’t for Dream On 3. I will get to hear all the great stories he actually thought when we get in the car with just me and him because he can articulate it to me.”

Apart from the hospitality he’s seen from DO3, McLean gives kudos to the state of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham communities for the love they received over the weekend.

“Everybody’s been so good to us,” McLean said. “Good food, good people, nice reporters. He’s received so much love and so much care, and it’s been so amazing.”

Cherry's Dream is not just another win for Lindsey’s nonprofit. The experience is more about the love and connections he and his team made to make the weekend a success.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support of The University of Alabama, Nick’s Kids Foundation, we got a ton of support from the local business community,” Lindsey said. “It’s been extremely humbling to see the passion and hospitality we’ve seen in this community.”

Not only has Lindsey found a family in Alabama, but the football culture may even be getting to his head.

“This is hard for me because I’m a Clemson guy, but I’ve said ‘Roll Tide’ more in the last 24 hours than I have ever said anything,” Lindsey said. “It’s a great fan base, a great community, and what a great atmosphere. We’re all having a blast.”

Dream On 3 has dreams of its own, as well. Lindsey said the next step is to take the program into schools as part of a sister program called “Junior Dream Team.” High school and college students come together to identify one of their classmates as eligible for a Dream Experience. The students fundraise, work through logistics, provide awareness and set it all up with a big send-off for their Dream Kid.

“You’ve taken a model to where you’ve impacted one kid, now you’ve impacted thousands in the process, in teaching them the importance of social responsibility and giving back,” Lindsey said.

Ending a successful weekend is always bittersweet for Lindsey, but he stressed that the impact these experiences make are not just on the Dream Kids, but everyone involved.

“Kurt lives with a lot of challenges, and there are things that are difficult for him, but there are so many things that he does better than we do,” Lindsey said. “He loves well, he is happy, his attitude is always up and he is always smiling. We end up learning a lot from them in the process. I think we get more out of it than the kids do.”