as mental health services, adult literacy and case managers to help those on the verge of homelessness. Philip and Shannon Kirkman have been able to donate nearly $55,000 to the organization through the calendar. To purchase a calendar, visit nyctaxicalender. com. www.qns.com i LIC COURIER i DECEMBER 2016 35 driver strike up interesting conversations with clients and also leads to better tips. He was also able to meet one of his idols through this job. “I remember seeing Questlove form The Roots,” Rodas said. “He was actually hailing for a cab and I saw so many cabs passing him by.” Rodas got out of the cab to open the door for the musician and was able to take a photo with him. Rodas said he has fond memories of driving around in a cab with his father, who was a taxi driver in the ’80s. “He was driving those big checker cabs, picking me up from school,” he said. “I used to love that.” Rodas said he stopped working out for a while because he had knee and back pain but has recently started running again. He’s going to use the photos as inspiration to start getting active again, he said. Rodas would also like to use his new-found fame to convince taxi and limousine commissioners to encourage fitness and a healthier lifestyle for his fellow drivers. He’d like the commission to sponsor yellow cab drivers to run in the New York City Marathon and even has a sneaker design in mind exclusively for taxi drivers. “Why wouldn’t they want to promote health and fitness in cab drivers?” he said. “You’re sitting pretty much 10 to 12 hours a day.” The calendar costs $14.99 and the proceeds go to University Settlement, America’s oldest tenement house. The 130-year-old settlement serves about 30,000 immigrants and low-income families every year with programs such Photos by Shannon Kirkman
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