#HolmanPrize
Holman Prize: Life is too Short - Anthony Ferraro x ASF Vision - 2019
Thank you, Wanda Walborn for helping write my speech.
Thank you, Kelly Walborn for capturing a majority of the photos and videos used.
Thank you, Chris Suchorsky for completing the film & changing my life.
Thank you, Oliver Ferraro for everything you did in your life to help with mine. I love you and miss you everyday. JKL.
Special thank you to Brad Bennett for helping me put together this video at no charge to me. Donating his time to ASF Vision and my quest for the Holman Prize. THANK YOU, BRAD!!!!
Video editing by Brad Bennett / Shaking Hands Productions, LLC .
More about Brad: Beginning his career documenting professional surf culture across the world, Brad focused on cinematography and video journalism until he began his own production company in 2004. Bennett produced the award-winning documentary, FORGIVE-DON’T FORGET, which was acquired by Gravitas Ventures and later released on HULU and Xfinity On Demand. His work has screened at Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, DOCUTAH, and premiered internationally. Bennett has produced content for non-profit organizations such as Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, and No Kid Hungry - shfilms.tv
Video Transcript:
My name is Anthony Ferraro and I’ve been blind since birth with Lebers Congenital Amerosis. I’m the youngest of five and went to St. Lucy’s Day School for the Blind in Philadelphia from K-6th grade.
In 7th grade I mainstreamed into a public school and was Encouraged by my Older brother, Oliver, to start wrestling. I excelled in this area and became 2 time district champion with 122 high school wins. Oliver decided to do a film of my life as a blind wrestler. After Oliver passed away unexpectedly in 2015, film maker Chris Sikorsky vowed to complete The film, called A Shot in the Dark, that was just released. After the trailer for the film went viral, I received a phone call from The United States ParaOlympic Committee asking me if I was. Willing to compete in judo. I am now training with hopes of making the 2020 ParaOlympics.
The past 6 months I have been developing a non profit called ASF Vision. I have the hopes of inspiring transitional youth to set goals high while pushing past obstacles and empowering adult influencers to raise youth with no limits. It is my desire to provide sport scholarships for the blind to attend camps of their choice and white cane scholarships for those who want to take risks and become more independent. The Holman Prize will help me fully establish my non-profit, form the necessary scholarships and continue to travel to schools sharing my film and story.
Life is too short to not follow your dreams and through the Holman Prize & ASF Vision, I hope to help others dare to start that process.
