Bring "LUCY & THE LAKE MONSTER" to life!

WATCH CBS NEWS REPORT ON OUR BOOK & FILM HERE:

Do you agree that children today face stressful situations & need positive role models? Do you hate bullying? Do you love a good story? Do you believe a good teacher can make a difference?

If you answered "yes-amundo" to any of these questions, then this Gofundme is for you! Read on...I promise you, it's a story from a 32 year Greenville public school teacher that you'll want to see become a movie to impact children, and there's a child within us all.

30% OF STUDENTS ARE BULLIED (ABC NEWS)

160,000 STUDENTS STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF FEAR OF BULLYING. (CBS 48 HOURS)

14.9% OF STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CYBER-BULLIED.

20% OF STUDENTS WHO ARE BULLIED HAVE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

13.6% HAVE MADE A SUICIDE ATTEMPT BEFORE GRADUATING.

I’ll just let that sink in for a second ….

My name is Richard Rossi and I'm writing to ask you to help retired Greenville public school teacher Kelly Tabor Cromer see the stories she told to her students for 32 years come to life on the silver screen, to impact kids and stop bullying, and inspire children to overcome obstacles to reach for their dreams, just like Lucy. I am the director of the upcoming children's indie film "Lucy & the Lake Monster," based on a novel I co-wrote with Kelly, my lifelong friend. Our book just won "Best Children's Author" at the Red Letter Awards in Nashville, and has been a hit with kids who have lined up at our book signings at Barnes & Noble and elsewhere.

Lucy and the Lake Monster tells the tale of a nine-year-old orphan and her grandfather as they search for a sea serpent in Lake Champlain – one of the largest national lakes in the country and located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in New York and Vermont. They battle bullies, naysayers, and mercenary forces seeking to exploit them. Their journey is an allegory for humanity’s search for spirituality and carries a strong anti-bullying message.

Published in 2022, it is the first in our proposed series. You can buy our book “Lucy & the Lake Monster” online at Amazon, Walmart, or Barnes & Noble.

It is the work of Kelly and myself, Richard Rossi. I’m a filmmaker whose works include the award-winning "Canaan Land" and "Baseball’s Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories" that starred Olympian Jamie Nieto and Project Runway winner Marilinda Rivera.

We’ve been friends since we were undergrads at Liberty University, and the project came together in the past few years. I was playing the role of Rev. Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll in a stage musical in Los Angeles about Alice in Wonderland. I got the inspiration to write a classic children’s story of my own since I’d just become a grandfather.

After a series of surgeries where I almost died, I moved the children’s book from the inspiration list to the bucket list. That is when I remembered Kelly’s true stories of Champ, the legendary creature that lived in the murky waters of Lake Champlain near where Kelly grew up and whose sightings were recorded by the Iroquois hundreds of years ago. Her stories about her childhood searches for the famed creature inspired hundreds of students over the decades.

“I looked for Champ when I was a child, I heard stories about it, I have had family that have seen it before,” Kelly Tabor said. “Telling these stories and sharing them with my students was always a wonderful experience.”

We wrote the book together over the course of a year often using Zoom to communicate since I live in California and Kelly lives on the East Coast. During this time, we started working on a film version as well because it was such an inspirational story.

The main character, Lucy, is an orphan girl who’s nine years old and she’s mocked by people for her belief in Champ. I see it as similar to Alice in Wonderland, or something that could be an allegory for other things.

You've helped us make wonderful progress. We're about 80% done with the film. We completed shooting and are almost finished with post-production.

We're currently trimming it a bit, working on the audio and the colorization, and the visual special effects to add Champ the sea serpent into the film. "Papa," is played by me, and his granddaughter, Lucy Lago, is played by actress Emma Pearson. Kelly plays Lucy's teacher. Lucy and Papa go on a search for Champ, America's Loch Ness.

SAVE CHILDREN FROM BULLYING & ANXIETY

The story has a beautiful spiritual message and it helps children overcome issues of bullying, worry, anxiety, and low self-esteem, because children need you and I to encourage them like never before. We even have a handful of celebrity cameos that will be revealed when the film is screened.

Bullies taunt Lucy in a scene from the film. "Your mother died, because you're junk and she didn't want to stick around you," Butch the Bully said.

Lucy rose to her feet. "The only junk around here is the junk that comes out of your mouth," Lucy said.

TAKE A STAND TO PREVENT BULLYING

"The story of Lucy helped me stand up to the mean kids, and stop bullying and talk to my teacher and Papa, the way Lucy did," (Lauren V., age 9, Orlando)

Your support is needed now to bring "Lucy & the Lake Monster" to life & finish the film because indie moviemaking (outside the Hollywood studio system), to impact children costs money. Funds assist us finish the film, to enter film festivals, distribute and market the film, for P&A (print and advertising), and to take the film worldwide into theaters, schools, churches, and synagogues, and community centers. Your contributions today are 100% tax-deductible through our film ministry of Eternal Grace, (our tax-exempt non-profit since 1988). Thank you for your consideration. Every donation, even a small donation, is a huge help to us! For a contribution of any amount, large or small, you will be thanked in the credits of the film.

A SOCIAL MEDIA SHARE, SHOWS THAT YOU CARE

Please share this today with your friends, co-workers, relatives, & neighbors through text, email, social media, & word-of-mouth.

READ THE NOVEL

"Lucy & the Lake Monster," the novel, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Walmart, thanks to you. (Co-authors Kelly Tabor & Richard Rossi pictured below at Barnes & Noble book signing)

PEOPLE ARE TALKING: EDITORIAL REVIEWS

"An Instant Classic! Perhaps once per decade a story comes along like "Lucy and the Lake Monster" to inspire, empower, and equip children with the tools they need to walk this journey of life with faith, confidence, and wisdom." (TV-6 NEWS)

"Champ, our favorite Lake Monster, is the star in this book and film series. Tabor, a teacher in South Carolina, and Rossi, a filmmaker in Los Angeles, have put their creative minds together to form "Lucy and the Lake Monster." (CBS, Kelly O'Brien)

"A gift to bring joy and smiles to the children of the world..." (Religion News Service)

"The unique story and plot twist have made this novel one of the most beloved children's books in the UK." (UK Wire)

***** "Five Stars Out Of Five! "Lucy and the Lake Monster" by Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor is a deeply thoughtful, heart-warming, inspirational, and timeless children's novel. I loved the sweet and caring relationship between Papa Jerry and Lucy. Their dialogue is reminiscent of the precious and unique love between grandparents and grandchildren. Despite the negativity that infuses their world, including bullying and ridicule, Rossi and Tabor managed to keep the story light-hearted. They maintained a perfect balance throughout the plot between the innocence and simplicity of Lucy and Jerry's world and the evil threatening to enter and destroy their faith. I think "Lucy and the Lake Monster" is an excellent book, beautifully written and filled with many pearls of wisdom that will inspire children never to lose their childlike wonder." (Readers' Favorite, Jennie More)

A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM DIRECTOR RICHARD ROSSI:

"What We Need to Finish, Distribute & Market the Movie":

TO WATCH, CLICK BELOW:

IMPACT CHILDREN TODAY: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Would you like to bring a children's classic to the silver screen and impact the lives of children worldwide, for generations to come?

Thank you for considering helping me to help a dedicated teacher of 32 years make this happen for thousands of kids.

Join our cast and crew in bringing the story to life. Click the donate button below now. Complete your donation today. Every penny will help. We'll be very good stewards of every dollar coming in. Your gift will be put to work immediately.

We're bringing this wonderful adventure to life and we need your help. Your generous donation becomes a stepping stone to a world of enchantment. Be a part of this extraordinary journey! Support "Lucy & the Lake Monster" today, and make a child's world a little more marvelous.

Join the Adventure! Help bring "Lucy & the Lake Monster" to the silver screen. Bring to life the story of Lucy & her Papa discovering Champ, a mysterious lake monster living in the heart of Lake Champlain, and together they embark on an unforgettable journey.

Your name will be thanked in the credits of our indie film in perpetuity for your generosity, unless you prefer to be anonymous. Every little contribution helps so please dig deep. See you on the red carpet! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for joining us on this journey! Have a Champtastic Day!

Donate Today: Every dollar counts! Contributions above our goal will directly fund the purchase and distribution of "Lucy & the Lake Monster" books and film to children, schools, foster homes, child advocacy centers, churches, shelters, and underserved communities.

Your generosity has the power to transform lives, one story at a time. Join us in spreading the joy of reading and fostering a brighter future for children everywhere.

Thank you for being a champion of literacy and compassion. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young readers across the globe.