Reggie Bibbs
Reggie Bibbs
Founder of the 'Just Ask' Foundation to promote NF awareness
For his doodle, Reggie Bibbs included a photo from a recent beautifully written article published in The Leader News in Houston, TX.
Just Ask started as a simple concept. Its founder, Reggie Bibbs, spent the first 40 years of his life in hiding with a little known disorder called neurofibromatosis. He was concerned about how his particular disfigurement affected people that didn’t know him. He was less concerned about how they made him feel as he was concerned about how he made them feel. He struggled to find a way to spread awareness and let people know that he, at heart, was no different than anyone else.
That's when Reggie teamed up with Lou Congelio, founder and Chief Creative Officer of ACME Fish Advertising in Houston, TX.
Reggie approached Lou with a simple, yet ingenious idea. To design a t-shirt and business card campaign featuring the slogan 'Just Ask.' The shirts and business cards were designed to make others feel comfortable approaching Reggie, giving him the opportunity and confidence to not only interact with total strangers, but to tell them about NF.
He wanted people to 'Just Ask' about his condition – and ask they did!
The more Reggie put himself out there, the more positive responses he received from others. Now, rather than sitting in his house wondering what life was like, he started living it.
Reggie can now be seen at major Houston events all over town. The International Festival. The Art Car Parade. The Houston Roller Derby. There's nowhere Reggie wouldn't go. And everywhere he went; he made new friends and spread the word about NF.
With the success of his 'Just Ask' movement, word spread. Others with NF wanted to follow Reggie's example. So, with help from a handful of friends, Reggie turned his simple idea and grassroots movement into the Just Ask Foundation – an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about Neurofibromatosis through the people most affected by it.
A British film crew produced two documentaries about Bibbs shown on The Discovery Channel. Both "My Brand New Face" and "Beauty and the Beast" have aired in the US and internationally. As a result, Reggie has fans around the world.
He has also been interviewed by WikiNews.
For his latest campaign, a former school bus has been customized and is now the "Just Ask" World Tour Bus. Reggie and Lou Congelio will travel "everywhere" to promote awareness of NF and to help people accept themselves and each other.
"The Just Ask World Tour will visit as many major cities in the U.S. and Canada as we are able to raise awareness of neurofibromatosis. It is so important for us to receive funding through our supporters as we are operating without any financial assistance from any NF organization or corporate sponsorship. The Just Ask World Tour consists of two guys driving around trying to make a difference. Any help you can give us would go a long way in ensuring we’ll be able to visit your town! Thanks, everyone and I love you all!" -- Reggie Bibbs
Just Ask Foundation's Website