A Documentary on Huntington's Disease and Lawn Mower Racing

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The project will focus on the father and son racing team of Jim and Jason Mikula of Michigan and Al Miniker of Wisconsin. The Mikula racing team is one of the more successful teams in the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA). The Mikulas have lost six members of their family to Huntington's disease, a progressive, degenerative disease that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to waste away. The family is very active in Huntington's disease advocacy and hosts a race in their home town of Sparta, MI to raise research money in order to find a cure or treatment for the disease. It is the aim of the project to give the audience an overview of the disease as well as the steps being taken to find a cure.

Al Miniker AKA the Lawn Monkey was a young man with little or no direction and by his own admission was not a nice person. He was on a path to nowhere until he discovered the sport of lawn mower racing and the community which surrounds it. His involvement in the sport has brought him a new outlook on life and a wonderful wife. With his love of the sport and those involved in it Al has become a great ambassador for lawn mower racing. He has found redemption through his participation in the sport.

The culture of lawn mower racing will be explored at races and other race related sites in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, DC.

The sport of lawn mower racing is enjoyed by a wide variety of Americans with little regard to age, sex, or economic class. It is a fast, exciting, and most importantly an affordable motor sport. Dozens of racers organized into different classes compete for trophies and bragging rights as there are no cash purses.

Racers who desire to claim the title of national champion participate in a series of national points races held though out the eastern and mid west areas of America. Some racers will travel as much as 20 hours at their own expense to compete in these events.

There is a great sense of community among the racers. Many of the races are fund raisers for charitable organizations such as volunteer fire houses and youth recreational centers.

The Mikula family puts on a USLMRA national points race in their hometown of Sparta, MI to benefit those suffering with Huntington's disease. All proceeds from admissions, memorabilia auctions, and a racing lawn mower raffle is donated to the Michigan chaper of the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA).

Expected length: feature length
Media: MiniDV video tape, Super 8 and 16mm film
Edited on Final Cut Pro
Music: Theme song to be written and recorded by Alien Crime Syndicate

It is expected that this documentary will be seen by motor sports enthusiasts, fans of independent films, and anyone who is interested by sports which are perhaps a bit off the beaten path.

Writers Guild of America West Registered.