A message from the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation

Ryan and Dwight hope to raise $10,000 to support the burn camp, which will host 70 children between the ages of 8 and 18. They are determined to reach the West Coast as a personal challenge as well as helping young burn survivors.

Started in 1991, the Arthur C. Luf Children's Burn Camp is located in northern Connecticut on 176 acres. Every summer, burn survivors come to the burn camp, which is a safe and fun environment that helps kids heal emotionally and physically. The Burn Camp is free to the children, who come primarily from the Northeast and some foreign counteries, but any burn survivor child anywhere is welcome. More than 70 adult counselors, primarily active and retired firefighters and burn unit nurses, occupational and physical therapists, child psychologists and even a doctor will serve as mentors for the week.

It's also our goal to promote burn awareness and fire prevention and education, which we do year around. We sponsor a burn survivor, burned in a car accident that involved speeding and drinking alcohol, who speaks to high school students throughout Connecticut. We also support the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital, helping to purchase equipment.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

I'm in love with Wayne, OH

Yesterday we took a local cyclist's advice and left Route 6 for the less busy Route 281. It was probably the best decision we've made this whole trip. We stopped at a library in the town of Wayne, where we made yesterday's posts, shared our story with a few library-goers, and before we knew it, we were overwhelmed with gestures of generosity and kindness. One woman asked us if we needed anything, told us she lived just down the street, and then gave us twenty dollars. Shortly thereafter, one of the librarians told us that an anonymous donor had paid for us to eat at the restaurant down the street, The Country Market. While enjoying the delicious meal, served to us by a couple of very nice girls, we were approached by the mayor of Wayne, who said she had been told about our quest and wanted to come greet us, tell us she was glad to have us in town, and wish us well on our continued journey. These were just a few of the friendly characters we encountered in our brief visit to this community of fewer than 700 people. After we left, we couldn't stop grinning for miles and miles.

When we first reached Ohio, I was a bit disappointed by the "flatness" I had heard so much about, because it seemed to me that, though they were considerably smaller than their Pennsylvanian counterparts, there were still plenty of hills to be reckoned with. When I would register this complaint with Ryan, he would just roll his eyes and shake his head. But if this was supposed to be the flattest of flat, I had lost my faith in the existence of true flatness. Now, my faith has been restored. Flatness abounds, now that we've come a bit farther west. True flatness. Beautiful. A bit redundant, maybe, but refreshing after climbing those Appalachians on my ten-speed.

We've also encountered some pretty gnarly canines along the way through farm country, who like to bark viciously and give chase as we ride by. My technique for managing this situation involves talking to them sweetly with baby voices. I've had mixed results with that.

As you can see, we're approaching our first $1,000 on the fundraising front, which is exciting. We're not quite on pace to reach our goal, but hoping that things will pick up a bit as we advance along our trail. Even if everybody who visits the site gave just a couple of bucks we'd have...several dollars. A start, though, no? As an incentive to get more participation in this fundraising effort, I certify that whoever gives us the donation that breaks the millenium mark will be entitled to a kiss from Ryan. I can't guarantee that he will recognize the validity of that certificate, but as far as I'm concerned, he owes it to you.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Guys! Awesome blog, great read. It sounds like you've been well taken care of along the route.

Ryan, how's the Jamis treating you?

Ride safe,

Matt

Ryan said...

It's awesome! I haven't even had a flat, yet. It's like riding on a cloud. With a brooks saddle, it might be perfect.

Thanks Matt

-Ryan