runningfool pressrelease

From zefrank

(pic of Luke)

Do you trust this man?

Almost 300 people do, and most of them have never met him in person. His name is Luke Vaughn, and he’s doing a road trip during his winter break. The twist? He’s being driven across the country and back by a relay of volunteers known to each other, almost without exception, by only an internet username and the sparse contents of a bulletin board membership profile page.

But they trust each other, and they trust Luke. He’s a member of an online forum hosted by the popular videoblogger Ze Frank. Frank, known chiefly for his daily postings, has been accreting a loyal following for years. His fans love his sense of humor, his intelligence, and his frenetic style, but most of all they love taking part in the projects he sets up for their collaboration. Evolving from simple picture requests in the early days (play with your food, when office supplies attack) through flash drawtoys and galleries (drawtoy, flake maker, the scribbler), with the advent of The Show With Ze Frank this community has really taken off. 

Back in June of this year, Ze announced a project to create an earth sandwich by enlisting his fans, known as Sports Racers, to collaborate in laying two pieces of bread on the ground simultaneously on exact opposite sides of the planet. A mere month later, the Sports Racers had come through, and the challenge was complete. An audio clip of a song that a man named Ray had written for his daughter fell into the hands of the Sports Racers, and they not only remixed the song multiple times, but actually tracked down Ray (a man known only by his first name) to thank him for the inspiration.

Now, the Sports Racers are sending Luke from Eugene, Oregon to New York City and back.

Why?

Because they want to. Because, as Luke says, the internet is not as scary a place as most people think. “There are actual people behind those computer screens who are interacting,” he says, “and they’re forming complex communities that really aren’t understood yet.” So, is this a kind of proof-of-concept? “Yes, I think so. I think the internet is a hugely positive thing, and that people don’t give it enough credit. I’m hoping this is going to be something that will bring home to people that this kind of community is valid, and it’s useful, and that it can make a difference in people’s lives.”

Remember those bygone days when giving a lift to a hitchhiker was normal? Have you ever heard your grandparents tell stories about the depression and about cooking meals for people they’d just met? In an effort to prove that openness and goodwill still survive in the world this holiday season, Luke Vaughn will become a human baton in the Ze Fool Relay.