Durham Man with ALS Brings Krispy Kreme and BIGG Ideas to CBC

CBC’ers on Western Blvd had a special visitor on Friday morning, July 11, 2014. Chris Rosati, who has quickly become a legend with his Krispy Kreme Cruiser tour, stopped by WRAL-TV to give donuts to our employees.

“He was at an event at Pullen Park, and stopped here to give donuts to our folks,” said Corp HR Admin Asst Mary Eaton. “What an amazing man he is; his greeting to everyone who asked, ‘How are you?’ was ‘Blessed’.”

“It was a wonderful day!” said WRAL-TV Creative Director Shelly Leslie. “Such an inspiring presence he is. Wow.”

FOX 50 Special Revenue Projects Manager Sylvia Lanier told Capcom more about man who is not letting his battle with ALS slow down his desire to make the world a better place:

Chris Rosati and His BIGG Challenge
Around 10:52 am on Friday, July 11^th, I received an email from Chris Rosati that read as follows: “The Cruiser is about to pull up in front of your studio.” When I walked outside Chris Rosati and the Krispy Kreme gang were in front of the WRAL & FOX 50 studios with free donuts for our staff. What an AWESOME surprise!

After the savvy marketing executive was diagnosed with ALS more than three years ago, Chris has been on a mission to stop worrying and to spend his remaining days bringing blessings to others. He’s used his marketing skills to come up with the BIGG Challenge which stands for “Big Idea for the Greater Good”. The challenge encourages Triangle students to think of ways to inspire, support, and encourage others. Ten ideas have been chosen from more than seventy entries. The challenges will be captured on video and highlighted on August 3^rd at the BIGG Red Carpet event at the Carolina Theatre.

FOX 50 has partnered with Chris to produce one of the Challenges. The Super Hero Challenge, created by 15-year-old Milagro Rosales, features 14-15 year old students dressed up as super heroes spending time with patients at Duke Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Durham. Milagro came up with the idea because she had been sick when she was younger and thought this would be a way to cheer them up. As I walked into the hospital lobby during filming last Thursday I could hear chatter and laughter as the super heroes visited with each patient. The expressions on the patient’s face, “PRICELESS”.

I first met Chris back in 2008 when we served on the John Avery Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors together. This was before the ALS diagnosis, the features on CBS, the local news coverage, and the Krispy Kreme Donut Heist. He was full of great ideas then and he still has the same passion and drive now.

Whenever you ask Chris how he’s doing. His answer is “I’m Blessed”. For everyone that’s had the pleasure of meeting Chris, I think that you’ll agree that he’s a BLESSING to all of us.

A Note from Sloane Heffernan, Anchor/Report for WRAL-TV about Chris:
I hunted down Chris after his first story with Steve Hartman aired on CBS. I was so touched by his story, and amazed by his tremendous attitude! I cried during our first interview. I try to make a practice of not crying during interviews, but I couldn’t hold back the emotion. Chris is such an incredible person. Here he is dying, but instead of being sad or angry, he is spending his last days on earth making other people happy. That’s amazing!

Anyway, he got a kick out of the fact that I cried. He said it showed that I was a “real” person. I told him I would love to help him in any way that I could in his mission to spread smiles. Shortly after, he asked me to be on his steering committee for the BIGG Project. I helped select the BIGG ideas that were ultimately selected. I was also instrumental in connecting Chris with FOX 50 and Capitol Broadcasting Company.

Stay tuned for more on Chris Rosati, the BIGG Project and FOX 50 after the Red Carpet event.

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Thanks to FOX 50’s Sylvia Lanier & WRAL-TV’s Sloane Heffernan for this Capcom Story and to FOX 50’s Gayle Hardy & WRAL-TV’s Jay Yovanovich & WRAL-TV’s Shelly Leslie for these capcom photos.