With family, there are always strings attached. So when my brother promised to visit
for the holidays last year “on one condition”, I kept my hopes in check.
“I’m not coming unless we go to Caine’s Arcade”, he said.
Relief! My
girls love arcades.
Granted they can feed quarters into a germy skeeball faster than the Octomom can dole out Goldfish,
but it's a great (read: energy burning) pass time.
Admittedly though, I had never heard of Caine’s Arcade, and wondered what it
was that put this one above the rest. To Google I went.
Caine Monroy is a young boy living in East LA. The son of an auto mechanic, Caine
was stuck with a summer vacation stationed in his Dad's garage. So, while many children spent their break
traveling from tennis camp to swim lessons in an air conditioned SUV, Caine
built his own arcade. Yes, he
built his own arcade, using cardboard boxes, tape and whatever
supplies he could find in the shop. The result was nothing short of incredible.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of filmmakers in Los
Angeles, and at least one was in the right place at the right time.
The next 11 minutes will change your life.
From the moment my brother and his family boarded a plane
for LA, I stalked the Facebook & Twitter accounts associated with Caine’s
Arcade to find out when they would be open for play. My nephew Nicky, a second grader in Connecticut, was so greatly
inspired by Caine and his limitless creativity that I suspected introducing them would be a
greater gift than any Disneyland Speedpass.
And, it was.
Visitors from around the world have come to be inspired by
Caine and his imagination. Donations have poured in from continent to continent, with the hope that
Caine’s vision will gain the momentum and voice to reach every home on the
planet. Now, it has reached yours.
I guarantee you’ve dreamt about what you could accomplish if
you had a bit more money… but have you ever wondered what you could do with
none?
