Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Dad to the Rescue!

My quest to find a new team for The Unforgettable Journey just got a heck of a lot easier. My dad, Rich Sparks, is dropping everything back home in DC to come ride with me for the next few weeks.

He's bringing out our van, and will be riding alongside me as a support vehicle, carrying some of my gear so I can make up a little lost time. He'll also be carrying big coolers of water and Gatorade, so he can stop and offer support to other cyclists along the TransAmerica Trail.

Dad will ride with me at least until St. Louis (visiting two of his sisters along the way), at which point, hopefully we'll have met up with some other eastbound cycle-tourists that might be willing to let me tag along on our way to Yorktown, VA.

There are certainly lots of variables left to work out, but I'm pretty confident that with my Dad by my side, things will start moving in the right direction.

The plan is to drive from St. Paul on Saturday with my Uncle Dale and Aunt Martha (Rachel and Amelia's parents), heading down to Wichita. We'll pick up our bikes at Mark's house (my professor who came to rescue when we got the news about Jay), Dale and Martha will head back to St. Paul with the girls' gear, and I'll be back on the trail by Sunday morning, with my Dad at my side.

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts, prayers, (and emails) over the past week. It has meant so much to the whole team, and especially Rachel, to have such an outpouring of support. For those of you who may be interested, Jay's family has asked that memorial contributions be made to Friends of the Mississippi River -- a environmental conservation non-profit in the Twin Cities.

Until the next time,
Kendal

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Well, Kendal, am glad your dad is joining you. If I was in better shape, I would join you on my bike. We are looking forward to hearing your stories. We are doing well -- Gene is doing great. I write this from our cabin where we are spendind a week.

We sent a donation to Alzheier's Association from your link and want to be sure your project gets the credit.

Until we see you, may the Force guide your bike and spirit. We love you. Nan and Gene