A ride for the Dads
A ride for the Dads
Date: June 21st 2009
Day: 16
Miles: 60
Destination: Butte, MT
As the team prepared to depart from Philipsburg this morning, we received some unexpected news. The Sweet Palace, an iconic local candy shop which unfortunately had been closed the previous day, was opening its doors early to accommodate us! Grateful for the gesture and excited to check out the store’s selection of over 900 kinds of candy (many made on-site), we cycled over in a hurry. Once there we were treated to delicious complimentary samples of candy and fudge – the perfect way to brighten a rainy morning. As we moved on in the direction of Butte, Montana, we faced a mountain pass climb early in the ride. Luckily for us, the climb also provided some of the most captivating scenery we have seen thus far (which is definitely saying something). At one crew stop, many of us took part in what seemed like a full-fledged photo shoot beside a mountain stream.
After completed our 60-mile ride to Butte, the team settled into our lodging accommodations at the YMCA. Immediately, most people shifted their attention to a truly awesome indoor pool – complete with a slide that would give many water park attractions a run for their money. After spending some quality time swimming and lounging in the hot tub, a group departed to check out Butte’s famous Berkeley Pit. The extremely deep pit was used in the town’s mining operations and holds the distinction of being the most toxic lake in the world! Needless to say, another swimming session did not take place.
We capped off the day with a friendship visit at the local BWS center, a place that provides work opportunities for people with disabilities. We toured the facilities and learned about how employees manufacture items such as boot liners for the military and park benches for their local community. We were then treated to a generous chicken dinner provided by Mary Jo Mahoney that coincided with an employee named Richard’s birthday. It was inspiring to hear the individuals there talk about how they look forward to the team coming through each year and I was particularly moved by a woman named Marlene. When it came time for us to leave, she pulled a number of us into a huddle to tell us how proud she was of what we are doing and how we are her “favorite team in the world.”
On a final note, Happy Father’s Day to all the JOH dads!! On behalf of the team, we hope you all had a great day and we appreciate the support of our families so much as we continue our cross-country adventure.
Bobby Hoppey
Elon University, NC
Setauket, NY
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