Thought Quotient

On Monday, platinum selling, Dove Award winning recording artist, Mark Schultz, began an ACROSS AMERICA bike ride to raise support for orphans and widows. With his back tire sitting in the cool waves of the Pacific Ocean at Newport Beach, Schultz began his first day logging 84 miles thus far on the trip from California to New Hampshire.

Although the day started rather sublime, the ride become progressively difficult at Schultz found himself riding through 40 mile-per-hour winds, up steep inclines and in 90-degree heat.

“That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” says Schultz. “Coming up on those last eight miles I think I pulled over about every two miles and I just yelled at myself, ‘You can do this! You CAN do this!”

Mark will be posting daily video blogs documenting his journey. Day one’s video blog outlines his day from sun-up to sundown and gives fans and supporters of the cause a first hand look at Mark on the road. He will also be stopping along the way to perform concerts featuring music from his acclaimed best-selling album, Broken & Beautiful (Word Records). More information about the Across America ride, including tour dates, video blog updates, and Mark’s progress can be found at www.markacrossamerica.org.

When Don Levine created the Original G.I. Joe in 1963, he revolutionized the world of boys’ toys and changed the face of the toy industry forever. With over five billion dollars in worldwide sales, G.I. Joe remains one of the most treasured and collectible action figures in the world. This month, Levine introduces a new line of action figures called Almighty Heroes, specifically targeted to the Christian marketplace.

“It is my desire that these inspirational action figures and fashion dolls create excitement for kids and develop their interest in the characters and messages of the Bible,” says Levine.

In development for more than two years, the Almighty Heroes line offers something for both boys and girls, featuring Old Testament characters such as Samson, David, Noah and Moses, along with 12″ fashion dolls of Queen Esther and Deborah the Warrior. Each character comes with its own Bible storybook as well as accessories. The pre-school boys’ action figures retail for $12.99. For girls, the Queen Esther and Deborah the Warrior dolls come with their own parchment stories from the Bible and retail for $24.99 each. Levine says these dolls are designed to be both beautiful and durable, withstanding the most active environment.

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