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The Evolution of Dee Dee Ricks: Part1

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Dee Dee Ricks

I called Dee Dee for our phone interview and she asked the first question in regard to my thoughts on the film.  I should have seen this coming since if you saw the documentary Dee Dee is a very take control type person.   I found Dee Dee to be emotional, warm hearted and caring. She told me she has continued to evolve and is not the same woman we last saw in the documentary.

What was my first response to Dee Dee’s question?  Dee Dee’s entrance into the world of fundraising reminded me of my first fundraising event and the lessons we each learned!  The first event never goes as we expect even with the best of plans and hard work. However I would have been thrilled to have raised as much as Dee Dee did in her first event!  Dee Dee’s goal of raising 2.5 million dollars for Harlem’s Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care in one evening was what she wanted to achieve and was disappointed that evening that she was only able to raise $800,000 from 22 people! I call that amazing! Now Dee Dee realizes how successful her event truly was and would be happy raising $800,000 in one night anytime!

I also wanted to try to understand the time line and how this documentary came into play. Dee Dee is on stage with Steven Tyler and announces she has breast cancer and is having a double mastectomy!  Cameras are with her from the start of this process.  How did this all come together so quickly to start filming at the very beginning of DeeDee’s journey through breast cancer?

Dee Dee makes things happen quickly!  The purpose of Dee Dee filming her story was for the benefit of her two young sons and the rest just happened.  The footage shown of Dee Dee on stage with Steven Tyler came from footage shot by the Robin Hood Foundation during their event in 2007. This documentary is the icing on the cake for it started as a single mother’s determination with her sons in mind so they would have something to remember her by just in case.  A call to a good friend and cameras were filming her in no time at all. This documentary was filmed in a three year time period with the last of the filming done a year ago.

The cameras are gone now.  We last left Dee Dee moving into a new home.  How is Dee Dee doing now?

 

See you on Tuesday for more of my interview with Dee Dee Ricks, an incredible woman who is making a difference in the lives of so many.  Monday check out our blog Monday’s with Jean!

 

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