Proposal to turn ice cream truck into “Bailout Mobile” submitted to Awesome Awards

Background:  When The Real Estate Cafe bought an ice cream truck in January 2007, our hope was to repair the vehicle and create a mobile podcasting studio that could turn any open house into a BlockpARTy.  In addition to free ice cream (paid by sponsors), the truck would be filled with art supplies so prospective homebuyers (our clients) could meet neighbors as their children created art on the street.  

Two years later, that dream is dying a slow death.  Unless the truck is rescued by an Awesome Award or the Harvard Lampoon Society (they’ve expressed preliminary interest), the truck will be crushed into scrap metal by the end of the week. Before that happens, we beg the awesome judges to consider this 3 act play or write their own ending:

Act 1:  While Wall Street celebrates the 1st anniversary of their $700 Billion dollar bailout, an estimated nine million households are at risk of foreclosure across America.  To protest that injustice, the ice cream truck could be turned into a whimsical “Bailout Mobile” in Act 1.  Anyone who is “underwater” on their mortgage could help turn the vehicle into a giant collage, chronicling the rise and collapse of the real estate bubble.  (see concept proposal from last year).

Act 2:  One Awesome judge astutely observed that a “Bailout Boat” would be a more effective way to rescue someone who is underwater on their mortgage, hence that bold suggestion stretched our original vision.  We invite more brainstorming in Act 2, and one BETA House member already suggested creating an amphibious vehicle.  It’s not hard to imagine creating a virtual version of the truck that can fly anywhere and host BlockpARTies in Second Life!

Act 3:  If the proposals above are too ambitious, one side of the ice cream truck could be cut from the body to become a modular, mobile facade or “stage” which could be reassembled at remote locations.  This would enable the truck to achieve it’s original mission — to turn any open house into BlockpARTy.  Ideally, the modular truck could be attached temporarily to a garage or be free standing — think of a giant lemon aide stand!  

Metal Artist and “Soul Mechanic” Mahmood Rezaei-Kamalabad as agreed to act as consultant to the project.  Like his artwork, our ice cream truck seeks to build unity, both by inviting neighbors to meet each other, and by inviting Real Estate Cafe clients to donate a portion to their rebates to provide housing or shelter subsidies for AIDS orphans.  

You can learn more about The Real Estate Cafe and ASAP: AIDS Shelter Alliance Partners at:
http://realestatecafe.pbworks.com/timeline
http://realestatecafe.pbworks.com/SaveASAP

Our clients have saved over $1 million in two of the past three years and the Wall Street Journal likes us, too!

PS.  Readers are invited to submit proposals for the ice cream truck, too.  We are particularly interested in hearing ideas from the Art Car community — have you seen the movie “Wild Wheels“?