The D.R.E Experience

New Orleans Recap

Layah Willis

Wednesday morning, we got on the plane to New Orleans. We sat together on the plane and although we were excited for different reasons we all knew the purpose of the trip, which was to bring the PitBull brand to New Orleans. A plan was set and things were in motion.

To take advantage of our time we explored New Orleans. On Thursday, Thanksgiving morning, our first stop was the area that was hit by Hurricane Katrina. As we drove through the neighborhood where the hurricane caused the disaster I was wowed and overwhelmed. When we first arrived I felt a feeling of hope and strength that came from the people who returned to their homeland. I expected the neighborhood to be rebuilt and if not, then almost complete. However, as we got deeper into the neighborhood, we passed by abandoned houses with shattered windows, soiled wood, and chipped paint. We could even see inside some houses because either the door was left open or there were huge holes in the houses. They were completely left to the care of nature. Mr. Farr was able to get a few words with two locals before we left. I was angry and overwhelmed at first but overcame it with hope, strength and positivity that came from the locals.

We got our focus back as we headed back to the area near our hotel. We stayed at the Chateau Bourbon, which is steps away from Bourbon Street. Our first stop was the convention center where we handed out energy bars to the homeless and elderly. For the rest of the day we ate good food, had a meeting to maintain our focus and enjoyed the vibe in New Orleans.

Friday came and we found out that the product would not arrive until Saturday morning. It was unfortunate that we were unable to distribute the product that day but we were able to experience something that we did not expect. We attended the Battle of the Bands and Greek Show! We sat high up and watched over the entire stadium. There were thousands of Grambling State and Southern University students and alumni. I’ve never seen so many black people for one occasion in my life. It was amazing! The crowd was fun and the show was incredible.

Saturday arrived and we were out the hotel by 5am to get the product where we needed it to be. We took great pictures with the Grambling band and set up near the Louisiana Superdome, where the Bayou Classic took place. We were all excited and ready to get down to business. We handed out over 17,000 Pit Bull Energy drinks to college students and alumni! We did it.

We rested for a little while after our accomplishment and met up to have another meeting to reflect on our project and the day. We exchanged good comments and feelings about each other and our experience in New Orleans. One thing that I will not forget is someone saying “I turned into WE”. It was all about teamwork and working hard during the entire trip, but most importantly during our mission.

We all gave up a Thanksgiving with our families to spend it together doing something that will benefit our future. As part of the experience, we learned what DRE is about. It is about teamwork, integrity, initiative, doing something different (thinking outside the box), completion/execution, focus, and bringing good people together to do positive things. Despite everything that seemed to be a negative, we still performed and conquered as a team. I had never been to New Orleans before and I am happy and honored to have gone with D.R.E. members.

- Layah Willis

The D.R.E Experience

New Orleans Recap

Rebekah Payne

In the beginning of my trip to New Orleans, my ultimate objective was to create brand awareness for the PitBull Energy Drink at the Bayou Classic Event.  However, as the mission began to unfold, it became so much more. We, as a group, were able to experience the poverty issues in Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Katrina. We recognized the true meaning of pulling together as a team when faced with adversity and stepping out of our comfort zone to express emotions/feelings with a group of individuals that we have never connected with before. I am truly honored and blessed to be a part of such an outstanding organization and look forward to our future endeavors.

- Rebekah Payne

The D.R.E Experience

New Orleans Recap

Erica Alexis

I gained a lot through the D.R.E. experience. Our first official day in NO, we realized the product would come the following day, so we took the tourist route. First we all were eager to view the impact of Hurricane Katrina but that dissolved into a humbling silence once the 90 billion dollar damage was right outside our car window. It’s been five years but the coldness of 1,836 fatalities and the unjustifiable magnitude of homelessness from the under-prepared Flood Control Act of 1965 felt only weeks old. It’s hard to wrap my mind around why our government is onto other countries when we haven’t dealt with the post effects of a natural disaster on our own land. 

The next morning, we distributed some Pit Bull energy bars in the New Orleans convention center where the city provided a thanksgiving dinner and entertainment for the homeless and local inmates. The gratitude expressed as we shared our product with the crowd was so rewarding. 

We also experienced Bourbon Street where live bands vivified every other street corner or local bar. The hurricane and swamp water alcoholic drinks people held were as long as our pant-legs and the women on Bourbon Street were dressed similar to those of the red light district in Amsterdam. 

We all had a taste of the melting pot cuisine some refer to as Creole dishes. The seafood was so fresh and the seasoning was great!!! 

The next day, we found out we had one more day to explore NO before the product was available for distribution. We decided to tour the area where we would be promoting, the Superdome, home of the annual Bayou Classic. We were privileged to watch the traditional battle of the bands and step show. The bands were amazing!!! The passion behind the band members, their instruments, their costumes, and their talent made it an incredible experience. 

Last full day in New Orleans we receive access to the product. We began at 8am, after transferring the product into our possession, we parked on Poydras and went to work! We got rid of about 1.5 tons before lunch and had a meal and quick exercise in the wobble dance line with New Orleans natives to shake out the tightness in our muscles from carrying so many boxes. 

The game ended by the time the song was over and we gathered our second wind. This was when we began to team together and strategically plan the fastest way to distribute all of the product to the largest amount of people. 

We distributed all 4 tons by 7:30pm. Despite our meal break which we didn’t take until 3pm, D.R.E distributed 4 tons of Pit Bull energy products within 10 hours. We saw our weekend idea of success and goals come to fruition. Good times, good group, and success, the ultimate D.R.E. New Orleans experience. 

- Erica Alexis

 Photos include DRE’s Monthly meeting and our trip to Malibu to see the sites.

A few photos from the Pitbull Promotion and DRE monthly meeting, October 17th and 18th.

DRE PitBull and A-List Models INC colab to take on Skid Row, USC vs Oregon & UCLA vs Arizona Football Games.

This weekend A-list did some major sports marketing and promoting of the Pit Bull Energy bars at several different locations in Los Angeles, Ca. We hit up the UCLA vs. Arizona football game at the Rose Bowl and the USC vs. Oregon game. Along Figueroa street we also did some drive by give-aways to pedestrians, by-standers and even random drivers. Though we got great feedback by having participants fill out surveys,this not only gave us important data but great input about the product. However, the best was yet to come. We visited a Youth Center in South Central LA and gave boxes of energy bars to the kids at the center. Then to end the day, we made our way through Downtown LA at a place called Skid Row, where a majority of the homeless and unfortunate live in their very own community. There are homeless shelters in the area, but from what we experienced they are not fulfilling the needs of the people. I must say the time we spent in Skid Row was the most valuable and overwhelming. We passed out dozens of energy bars to the homeless and they were so appreciative as if we were passing out something of greater value. For them, these bars were of value considering they probably haven’t had a meal in days, maybe even weeks.

(Source: a-listmodels)