Twelve thousand miles in and Rhonda is going strong.
Rhonda doesn’t need much – some gas and the occasional tune-up and wash and she’s ready to go.
Rhonda is a 1997 Gulf Stream Conquest and she is the mode of transportation that allows Vanessa CdeBaca and Brett Isaacson to travel across North America and capture people’s stories on camera.
After nearly four months on the road, the duo has traveled to various places to help local communities and discover the stories that make this country great.
From working to organize youth basketball events – called the “Hoops and Hope” tour – to helping document the successes of small businesses, the duo has visited more than one dozen cities.
“It’s a way of bringing people together,” CdeBaca says. “When you think about it, almost everyone has played or seen basketball. It’s a common bond that helps us begin our conversation.”
CdeBaca – a Santa Fe native and New Mexico State University alumna – left her job in Washington, D.C., to go on this adventure.
Together with her fiancé, the pair have shot hours of footage for a documentary.
“As we started to see more places and meet more people, we were captivated by their stories,” she says. “We started the process of getting a documentary put together. We’ve been editing our footage while we’re on the road.”
As far as the “Hoops and Hope” tour, CdeBaca says Isaacson’s employer – One on One Basketball Inc. – has been a big supporter.
CdeBaca says they have traveled to Camden, N.J.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Stoughton, Wis.; and Moore, Okla., to name a few places.
“We handpicked some communities that were experiencing some turmoil,” she says. “The one-day basketball sessions have been a hit with the kids. What I’ve learned so far is that the kids are all the same. They may be from different economic backgrounds, but they have similar stories.”
While traveling through Flint, Mich., the pair met Luke Lloyd, who had an inspirational story and they captured him on film.
Lloyd is a former basketball standout from Flint Southwestern and he created a device called the “Dribble Stick.” The item is used in basketball training across the country.
“When you hear of Flint, you think of all the economic turmoil that the city is in,” she says. “Then we met Luke and he’s one who is relying on his hopes and dreams. He invented this product and is trying to get it all produced in his hometown. He’s working at creating jobs for the area and that’s an amazing story.”
CdeBaca says the trip is one about hope.
“I was working in D.C. and I forgot how beautiful the country is,” she says. “There’s so much to it and when we’re stuck in the daily grind, we often forget that there’s a bigger picture.”
The couple started their journey on July 5 and later this month will arrive in Park City, Utah, and stay put for a while.
“This will give us a chance to bring the tour to Albuquerque,” she says. “We want to get back to the area and maybe hold an event on one of the reservations.”
As far as the documentary is concerned, CdeBaca hopes that it will be out within the year.
“We might look at Kickstarter to help with funding it,” she says. “But there are so many other stories to tell. It’s been an adventure and I’d like to make this tour an annual thing and bring it to more places across the country. Hopefully we can get the backing that we need to keep the project going strong.”
SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.
