Optimus Prime surprises over 2,000 students in West Virginia
The world's only fan-built AOE replica of Optimus Prime and his driver, Joe Fiduccia, recently visited the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia ... continuing their mission to inspire thousands across small-town North America. And the impact was nothing short of life-changing for many.
"I was contacted by Dylan Handley from City Of Point Pleasant Festivals and Events a few months ago, who was organizing a community block party for Halloween," says Fiduccia. "He had seen some of our social media posts, and felt the addition of Optimus would become a feature attraction for families to enjoy. We established a partnership, and I graciously accepted Handley's invitation to be part of it."
Always looking for ways to make the biggest impact possible during their travels, Fiduccia immediately suggested the idea of visiting their regional schools earlier in the week to deliver an anti-bully presentation to the students of Mason County.
Fiduccia says: "I take a lot of pride in sharing Optimus with fans. But whenever I'm invited into a community, especially the smaller ones, I try my best to do more than just 'park the truck for a day'. I work hard to inspire young minds alongside a fictional hero they already know and look up to."
Tapping into his connections within the community, Handley was able to gain the support of the entire Mason County school district. In total, permission was granted for Joe to deliver an anti-bully presentation to 7 of the regional schools.
Fiduccia arrived on Sunday, October 27th to prepare. Over the next several days, he drove Optimus up and down the county ... visiting Point Pleasant Primary School, Point Pleasant Intermediate School, Roosevelt Elementary, Leon Elementary, Ashton Elementary, Beale Elementary, and New Haven Elementary.
He offered the students words of encouragement, while sharing his own personal experiences with bullying and how it led to building Optimus Prime. The students were offered the chance to get pictures after the presentation was complete, and they all received anti-bully pledge cards to sign, making them part of 'Team Prime.' Even a Bumblebee replica made a surprise entrance for them as well.
"We gave these students an opportunity to be part of an elite force, while encouraging them to rise up in their own way against bullies. It was an experience I know most of them will never forget. And I hope it makes a positive difference in the paths each of them chooses to take in their lives."
Several local businesses also supported their mission, whether it was for staging grounds or providing the necessary funding for Optimus and Joe to visit the area schools. This includes Point Financial Services Insurance, Farmers Bank, Mountaineer Power Plant, Letart Corporation Sand & Gravel, APG Polytech, ICL-IP America Inc, as well as Superintendent Farmer and the Mason County Board of Education.
Even Point Pleasant's Mayor Tatterson along with US Congresswoman Carol Miller happened to be in town, and couldn't miss the opportunity to grab a picture with Optimus.
"I realize work doesn't stop just because the Transformers are in town," jokes Fiduccia. "Thus I did not get the opportunity to meet all of the businesses who helped make this happen. But their sponsorship did not go unnoticed, and was very much appreciated. I am especially grateful to Dylan for organizing virtually all of it. Without his connections and diligence, it is unlikely we would have been able to pull it off."
Zach and the team at John Sang Ford stepped up to provide a safe haven and indoor wash bay for Prime. A Transformers-edition Bumblebee Camaro even joined in for the school presentations, driven by owner Virginia Marsh. In fact, the pair made the voyage from over 5 hours away to enhance the Transformers-themed experience for the students.
Fiduccia tells us: "John Sang Ford willingly provided a space for us to keep Prime safe and secured. Without this garage to store him, we would not have been able to make the trip. And Virginia's willingness to take several days off of work to drive Bee a great distance speaks volumes of her support of our ongoing mission. I am extremely grateful to all of them for helping me make a positive impact in Mason County."
The school presentations were further supported by an unprecedented number of local and state police, as well as the various township fire departments. This includes the West Virginia State Police, Mason County Sheriff's Office, Point Pleasant Police, Point Pleasant Fire Department, Flatrock Volunteer Fire Department, and New Haven & Community Volunteer Fire Department, Point and New Haven Police Departments.
Fiduccia explains: "I always try to incorporate these agencies into our presentations. Not only do they help provide a very cool grand entrance for Prime and I, but it promotes community collaboration. When the students see their local heroes siding with Optimus on this mission of anti-bullying, I believe they will be much more inclined to want to be part of it. So I truly appreciated their escorts to each of the schools."
Joe's travels across Mason County did not come without its challenges. Some of the damaged roadways caused one of the welds on Optimus Prime to break apart while in route to a school. But within just a few hours of learning about the damage, Brent Hereford and his students at the Mason County Career Center answered the call and got Prime back up and running in no-time.
"That is one of the reasons I love visiting small towns," says Fiduccia. "The people in these communities rally behind something they truly believe in. I am grateful to Brent and his students for helping me get Prime patched up so we could continue our mission across the county."
Coincidentally after stopping for the repair at the Career Center, the other classrooms in the school learned that Optimus was parked out back. Within minutes, the entire school came outside and swarmed Optimus and Joe while the repair was being made.
"They made an announcement over the PA system that we were parked out back, and I immediately said to myself 'OH NO'," jokes Fiduccia. "But for the most part the students were all very respectful of Prime. It was great to see grown teens get excited in the same way some of the elementary students do."
In the end, over 2,000 elementary and intermediate school students witnessed something they had never seen before. A surprise visit from their favorite fictional hero, with a motivating message of anti-bullying attached to it. Fiduccia believes the students will never forget their visit from Optimus, and hopes his message will resonate with more than the typical few.
"The timing of your visit couldn't have been better, as October is anti-bully month," says Handley. With recent threats to the schools, it was a great opportunity to reach what I refer to as 'the future of Mason county' with a positive message."
Fiduccia ended his visit to Mason County by participating in a two-hour community Block Party for Halloween ... the original reason for their invitation to Point Pleasant. Prime and Joe were greeted by an overwhelming number of families who expressed their appreciation for visiting their small town. Several of the school students also came up to Joe, wanting pictures together and showing off the pledge cards they signed after the presentation was completed.
Preliminary numbers point to a block party attendance between 7,000 - 8,000 people, which is a new record for the community.
"I can not thank Dylan and the Point Pleasant community enough for the outpouring of support. They welcomed us into their small town as if we were A-list celebrities. They appreciated our visit immensely, and couldn't say enough about the positive message we brought to the kids. I can confidently say the impact we made in this region will remain with all of them for years to come."
"I've made friends for life down here, and it would be an honor to return anytime. I even get to say I've seen the Mothman statue. Even though I had no idea who the Mothman was until arriving in Point Pleasant."
You can read more about this impactful visit via this article from WV News.
