There
is a connection between technology and goodness in this
world, and the person who is the most emblematic of this
connection, as far as I know, is Rick Newman.
Rick has achieved a number of firsts: he owns the
world's largest robot collection; he appears to be the
most sought after person by science fiction movie
producers for space suits and other space artifacts,
and, arguably, he has the biggest heart and is the most
generous in donating to charities and in personal time
to kids in need.
Rick’s
Halloween
Sound, Light & Laser Show
raised $2,000 in donations for the Make
a Wish Foundation.
Dancers
from Jewels Dance Studio did a re-enactment of Michael
Jackson’s “Thriller".
Rick notes on his website that it could not have
been done without the help of dancers who volunteered
their time to put on several live performances in
his front yard! You can see a sample of the show Here.
Rick has a Holiday
show at Christmas
that starts on Thanksgiving Eve at 6 pm and continues
every night until December 31st. This year on Christmas
Eve he has arranged for Santa himself to be here with
his sleigh giving out candy canes and being photographed
with kids of all ages.
Amazingly, the local municipality tried to
crackdown on Rick and stop his Halloween and Xmas
front-yard shows on the theory that they were commercial
enterprises. However, all donations at the performances
he has coordinated go to charity, he does not pocket a
dime, and the pressure from the local city authorities
ultimately became a National
News Story.
How generous is this roboteer? Rick has at times
visited hospital rooms to personally bring robots and
entertainment to very sick kids as young as two and
three years old. He tirelessly rebuilds and upgrades his
animatronics robots for his Halloween and Christmas
shows, and it’s all for the kids.
The Sci-Fi movie
trailer for “Ares 11”
was shot in West Palm Beach, close to where he lives,
and most of the panels, blinking lights and space suits
used in the movie are from his unsurpassed collection.
His inventory of space artifacts are both used in movies
and displayed at museums. Robot magazine will feature
Rick’s incredible robot collection in our March-April
2012 issue, which will be available in January.
Stay tuned for more on this remarkable citizen
who has done so much for his community. In the meantime,
explore Rick’s websites! HighTechScience.org,
High-TechProductions.com. |