Alonzo enjoys demonstrating his sculpting abilities for school groups and other audiences, as long as these events are not too frequent. He is accompanied by his assistant, Nancy Mason, or another friend, who tells some of Alonzo’s amazing story as he sculpts one or more of his animal figures.

The effect of meeting Alonzo and observing him “doing his thing” can be profound for many in his audiences, and can act as ripples spreading outward on a pond.

A teacher who hosted Alonzo invited a certain parent to attend; this parent had been very opposed to the integration of children with disabilities into her child’s classes. She left the presentation with tears in her eyes.

While Alonzo was at the grocery store one day, a young man approached him. “I remember you; you came to my school many years ago. Meeting you inspired me to follow my own dream to become a dancer.” And he broke into a little jig for Alonzo, right there in the aisles.

The fifth-graders in one class that met Alonzo were assigned to write a paragraph about their impressions. A number of them made comments such as: “Now I’ll think differently about my (cousin, neighbor, etc.) who has a disability.”

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