Lea's Foundation

About Lea's Foundation
In 1998, Lea Michele Economos, a young woman who died of leukemia at the age of 28, made a dying wish to her parents that others would not face the hardships she encountered by finding a cure for this disease. Her family started this charity to carry on that wish. Today, Lea’s Foundation takes an active role in finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma and to better the lives of people living with these diseases. At the UCONN Health Center, the Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders sponsors research in this field. A new program covers the cost of bone-marrow testing to help recruit life-saving transplants for patients. Also, annual scholarships are given to children with leukemia who are planning to attend nursery school. For more information on other projects carried out by Lea’s Foundation, please visit their website at www.LeasFoundation.org.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Crossing Nevada








6.25.11 - Truckee to Fallon - 112mi
Got an early start to the day. Lots of miles to be covered and we wanted to avoid the heat. Plus, we were heading to Lake Tahoe and we definitely weren't just going to buzz by that. The road down to Lake Tahoe was nice. We picked up a bike path near Squaw Valley (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics) and we were able to cruise that down the valley to the west shore of Lake Tahoe. We loved the beauty and tranquility of the Lake. We stopped at King's Beach and admired the views for a while before setting off round to the east shore where we'd pick up Route 50, into and across Nevada. On a side note, Rt 50 is known as the lonliest road in America. We soon learned why. But back to Lake Tahoe. We skirted the lake as the road rose and fell along the water's edge and marveled at how the big, smooth boulders seemed to be all that held the tall pines from marching into the clear, blue-green water. It was a perfect way to leave California and we held on to that image as we crossed the parched deserts of Nevada.
Out of Cali and into Nevada, we climbed up to over 7000ft before descending, over the course of about 9mi, to around 4500 ft in Carson City. It was a shocking change of scenery as we left the lush mountain environment of California and entered the hot, barren desert of Nevada. We pushed our way across the landscape and made good time to Fallon. The harshness of the land was offset, however, by the kindness of the people we met in Fallon. We stopped for dinner at Don Julio's and they were incredibly kind in donating our meals. We were famished and the food tasted fantastic. Then we went across the street and the Best Western also graciously donated a room for the night. We learned that they were also donating rooms to families of victims of a nearby trainwreck so we were very grateful of the generosity. While in the lobby, we met a man who overheard us talking about Lea's Foundation and right there on the spot donated $40 so we could buy lunch and dinner the next day. As we spoke with him, he told us that his father had passed away not long ago, after battling cancer and he thanked us for doing this ride.

6.26.11 - Fallon to Austin - 114mi
According to James, this ride shouldn't be too bad. We had a few modest climbs by which we would gain about 1500ft. By the end of the day, we had climbed no fewer than five 800ft climbs and netted over 4000ft of elevation. This was our hardest ride yet, and will no doubt be the toughest one of the entire trip. We baked in the barren desert for over 12 hours as we climbed relentless hills, sweat pouring off us with each spin of the crank with naught to look at but dried brush, parched earth and each others backsides. The monotony was broken only by a bar/restaurant, seemingly dropped into the middle of nowhere. It was called Middlegate and we could only assume that somewhere along the line, they had dropped "of hell" from the name because that's exactly where we felt we were.
But fortune threw us another line. As we sat eating, rehydrating and hiding from the scorching heat, we met another cross-country cyclist named Terry, a retired gentleman who has been biking and competing in Ironman Triathlons for 20+ years, heading in the same direction as us. He was faster and his bike was lighter so we agreed that instead of falling back to our pace, we would meet up later in Austin.
We slowly crept out of the rustic comfort of Middlegate and headed off to finish the remaining 64 miles. We hoped for an easier ride, but it was not meant to be. We struggled, swore, sweated and finally managed to drag ourselves into Austin. Off course, the town wasn't going to give itself up so easily to travelers. After 12+hours spinning our wheels, we had to climb up several hundred feet over the last 4miles, which in our debilitated state, took nearly an hour. We secured a room, and wandered across the street to the International, restaurant/bar with a strong western character and ordered pizzas. While the owner couldn't afford to donate dinner, the waitress helping us was sweet enough to pay for our sodas, which we guzzled, craving anything cold and sugary. We took the pizzas and cokes back to our room, devoured everything and collapsed into our beds.

6.27.11 - Austin to Eureka -71mi
We each woke and wondered who had come into our room last night and taken a baseball bat to our legs. They were sore and ached in places we didn't know existed. The town of Austin itself clung to the side of the mountain and to get out, the only way was up. A steep up. Not what we had in mind. On the way out, we stopped at a gas station for some road snacks and when we mentioned our purpose for the ride, the attendant said that her son-in-law had died at the age of 41 from Leukemia and said our snacks were on her. We continue to be amazed at how many people are touched by cancer and we're happy that we can at least do something and help by raising a little money.
We arrived in Austin in the late afternoon, battered by a billowing wind for the last few miles, unbeknownst to us foreshadowing what was to come. We were unable to find a room for the night but Austin had a surprisingly nice little public park and we joined our cycling friend Terry (already there and set up) in putting up tents in the lush, green grash. It was such a stark contrast to the burnt orange of the mountains we climbed that that park seemed like a tiny paradise and we settled down in comfort. Just as we were about to hunt down dinner, we got thrown a curve ball as the sprinklers in the park came on. Luckily enough for us, they came on in sections and began watering an area just out of reach of our tents. We were able to contact the sheriff's office and they very kindly got someone down there to turn the sprinklers off for the night allowing us to get a peaceful and dry nights sleep.
We found a local restaurant and had a great dinner and a couple of beers with Terry, sharing stories and having a good time with a fellow traveler before we all headed back to the park and our tents.

6.28.11 - Eureka to Ely (pronounce it E-lee or else risk getting yelled at by the ederly market sheckout lady) - 80mi

When Elements Attack - WIND!! That's all we remember about this day. We pushed and fought for every last inch of that road. I couldn't tell you a single thing about what we passed today. The only thing I stared at was the ground under my feet as I ducked my head and tried to minimize the drag my body created. Funnily enough, we checked the weather at the end of the day and found out there was a severe wind advisory for our area. Glad we didn't know that before we left.
Mother Nature waged war on us today. We can only assume that she felt we were mocking her by trying to cross rt 50 on mere bicycles and unleashed on us the fury of the wind, ravaging us with headwinds of 30-40mph. Regardless of which direction the road headed, the wind was never at our back. Never before have we had to climb DOWNHILL. We pedaled with all our might to get uphill only to be met with a wind so forceful, we thought it would push us right back up. When the wind wasn't driving headfirst into us, it was pushing us from the side in an attempt to put us into oncoming traffic. Then, as we were about 15miles out from Ely, Mother Nature, in Greg's words, assaulted us with water. Massive gumball sized drops of rain were whipped at us at speeds of 40-50mph and I thought the paint from my bike was at risk of being peeled away. Undeterred though, we rode on. When Mother Nature saw our determination, she changed tactics, sending the wind in waves. One moment we were fighting to stay upright, then the next we were puzzled as we rode in nothing but a gentle breeze. But then, without warning, we would be hammered with a gust of wind that would nearly stop us in our tracks. But we rode on. Try as she might, we weren't going to be stopped. We rode into the town of Ely in the early evening and fortune smiled on our efforts and rewarded us in the form of a kind hotel manager at Main Hotel who gave us a room for the night. We met up with Terry again and had another great, filling dinner before crashing into bed for a recovery.

6.29.11 - Ely to Border Inn on the Utah/Nevada Border - 65mi
The wind started early and for the first 20mi we battled another strong headwind. But today, we knew how to deal with it and as we headed into the mountains, we had the wind at our back and we were able to make good time. We stopped by the side of the road for lunch allowing Terry, who started after us, to catch up and join us. He rode with us for the second half of the ride, which spiced things up a bit and as we crested the last pass, we could look down on the open valley ahead of us and about 8mi in the distance, we spotted the lonely motel where we'd stay for the night. The sole purpose of this motel was to give the gamblers of UT a close destination in which to leave their money. Happy to have crossed Nevada in one piece, we relaxed in the room and took care of our beaten and damaged bodies. The local weather forecast storms for the following morning so we kept an eye on the tv and hoped our stay on the border would be as short as possible.

6.30.11 - The Border Inn to Delta, UT - 90mi
82miles of lonely highway before we would be able to find food or water. We hoped that the storms overnight had flushed out the winds and when we poked our heads outside in the morning, we were relieved to see no a single blade of dried grass moving.
Terry joined us for the ride and we were soon climbing the more vegetated slopes of the Utah mountains and thoroughly enjoyed dashing down an 8mi stretch of valley squezzed between two towering mountains. Once out though, we crossed some of the flattest, longest stretches of road we've ever seen. With only a few climbs of a couple of hundred feet and no wind, we were able to crank through the miles with a feeling of euphoria and elation. No longer did we have to fight to go 6 or 7 mph on the flats. We were able to push 19, 20 mph (considering the weight we carry, that's pretty good) and the miles just fell by. The landscape began to change as the mountains became greener, apart from the salt flats we passed, as the land felt the relief of water.
With no impediments to our journey save for the physical ones imposed on us by our tired bodies, we made it into Delta in time to enjoy a bit of the afternoon. The local Days Inn donated us a room and we piled in, showering and taking advantage of the refreshing pool, washing away the accumulations of the road.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Half Baked in the Sun





6.21.11 - Davis to Penn Valley - 75mi
We left the Wilke's rested and fully stocked with sandwiches, m&m's (which we fully knew wouldn't last through the heat but were too tasty to leave behind) and trail mix and headed north. With temps supposed to hit triple digits during the day, we were preparing ourselves for a tough day of riding and we were hoping to get to Grass Valley, about 85mi away. We would begin our ascent of the Sierra Nevadas today, which we were all excited about because it meant not only a reprieve from the blistering heat, but also a change of scenery to the snowcapped, pine covered mountains we love. The only catch was we were still basically at sea level and our hopefull destination for today was around 2500ft; tough climbing on the hottest day we'd seen.
Even with the high heat, we stayed relatively cool by keeping up our speed and letting the wind cool us down. We adopted drafting train to help keep us sheltered from the wind a bit and with all the bags loaded onto our bikes, it was the equivalent of drafting behind a semi. We each took a turn riding the lead for 2mi before rotating to the back of the line and by doing so were able to keep our average speed up quite high. Before I continue, I must say that with the Tour de France soon to start, we would have to decline any offer for work as a domestique this year as we feel that we need to concentrate on finishing this ride and getting back to the work of med school. Our deepest apologies to any riders who were hoping to secure our talents but we wish you the best of luck.
As we hit the foothills of the Sierras, our pace slowed and we were left to grind it out up the hills, under the baking sun, with narry the slightest breeze to cool us. We slogged for hours up the hills, climbing closer and closer to the sun and were struck with the cruel irony of knowing that today was the first day of summer and thus was the longest day of the year. With sweat dripping from our faces and jerseys soaked in sweat, we found a resturaunt at the top of one of our climbs and quickly retreated to the shade of the awening out front. Hoping to refill our dwindling water supplies, we reached for the door only to be greeted with the hours of operation indicating that today, tuesday, was the only day during the week the resturant was closed. Deflated, we resigned ourselves to sitting in the shade of the building, and waiting out the afternoon heat. We began again once the heat let up and quickly realized that the difference between 105 and 95 degrees is really negligible when the heat radiates off the asphalt under you and we made a joint decision to cut our day short and stop at Penn Valley where there was a gas station and a couple of resturants. Our only problem was that we now had no place to stay and looked for somewhere close to pitch our tent.
While we searched, James struck up a conversation with a local biker, Ramsay and his wife Mellony and before we knew it, they offered us a spot on their property to pitch our tents. They had a beautiful spread up in the hills and we spent the evening in conversation as Ramsay told us of his days as a sniper in the army and his time working as a mediator between the biker gangs of California back in the day - the Hell's Angels, the Mongols, etc. On the side now, Ramsay and his wife are part of the growing medicinal marijuana industry with a covered plot out back where they grew their crop. As Greg noted, this guy rivaled the Dos Equis Guy as the Most Interesting Man in the World. Between Ramsay's tales, Melony would impress upon us the benefits of medicinal marijuana and where she hoped it would go from here. We were utterly bushed after the day we had so we retreated to the comfort of our tents and under a dazzlingly clear night sky, we were out.

6.22.11 - Penn Valley to Cisco Grove Campground - 47mi
We left Ramsay and Melony early in the morning, hoping to knock out some miles before the heat set in and made it to Nevada City for supplies and a quick breakfast. We were now going to be hitting big, steep, long climbs and our goal was to sit out the heat of the afternoon again and right off the bat, heading out of Nevada City, we were in for a 5 mile, 1500ft climb. When we got to the top, we found ourselves in Tahoe National Forrest, surrounded by towering pines and that sweet mountain smell of pine cones, a little bit of dry dirt and a hint of brush. We all soaked up the scenery while we guzzled down water and after a quick rest, we set out again.





The tall pines cast equally tall shadows across the road and under their protection, we were able to cruise up and down the rolling roads through the forest. Around 2 in the afternoon, we made it to a scenic overlook that gave us a panoramic view of the snow capped Sierras and the valleys below so we stopped there for lunch and as the temperatures peaked, we each claimed a picnic bench in the shade and lay down for an afternoon kip. The afternoon shuteye was much needed but short lived for me as my bench was close to the parking area and the stream of vistors soon brought me back to the present. I struck up a conversation with a man and his wife on their way back home after a 10 day birdwatching tour and as the couple began to leave, the husband offered up two ice cold Negra Modelos that he insisted we take. Not wanting to offend, I accepted the beverages and took them back to the guys. We sat and enjoyed the beers as we stared out over the Sierras and enjoyed the moment.





Lunch, nap and beer finished, we continued our ride up and with the sun inching slowly towards the tops of the surrounding mountains, we reached the Cisco Grove Campground (after 4,500 feet of vertical climb for the day) where we were graciously given a camping spot and quickly settled in next to a quiet mountain stream and hit the sack.

6.23.11 - Cisco Grove Campground to Truckee - 25 miles
We woke up to the cool, fresh mountain air and the warm glow of the rising sun over the eastern moutain tops. Our day would be short today but short does not always equal easy. We still had to climb close to 2000ft to the top of Donner Pass and as we had already climbed to well over a mile high, our legs were beat and in the thinning air of the mountains our muscles would be desparate for every ounce of oxygen we could suck in. We achingly saddled up and silently begged our legs to start moving and stop hurting. They agreed to work, but steadfastly refused to stop aching. So we rode on. As we rode up the moutain roads, we followed the course of the snow-fed Yuba River, engorged and cascading down its course and as we looked around, we could see the last gasp of winter clinging on on some of the slopes and shaded areas.


Whether it was the distraction of the scenery or our growing fortitude, we soon ascended to the peak of Donner Pass where we could look down over the lower Donner Lake, sparkling blue, and in the distance, sitting at the foot of snowcapped peaks, the town of Truckee.











While we were stopped at the top of the pass, admiring the view and gathering photographic evidence of our accomplishments, we began talking to some women who had just biked the same route we had, up from Cisco Grove to the top of the pass (albeit in a much, much quicker time). They were surprised and interested to hear about our journey and as we described our current physical state, one of the women, Gale, mentioned that she owned a massage studio in Truckee, aptly named Truckee Massage, and one of the other women, Teresa offered to donate a leg massage to each of us. Needless to say, we were overcome by this offer and I dare say that I saw tears of joy welling up in James' eyes. We exchanged contact details and after a brief conversation and a quick hike to get better pictures of the stunning view, we headed down the twisting road as it plummeted toward the lake.
At the bottom, we stopped at the edge of the dazzling lake and simply enjoyed the view, which was too good for words.



Once in Truckee, we hit up Burger Me at the recommendation of Gale and enjoyed a juicy, delicious, protein delivering bison burger. We were due to stay at the home of Jim and Dotti White so we biked down to their house and when we found no one home, we began to explore their property. Their home sat just off the road, surrounded by pines and through the back ran a picturesque mountain stream. You couldn't dream of a more idyllic mountain home if you tried.




Feeling dirty, grimy and hot, we wandered down to the stream to wash off and cool down. We dipped our feet in and had to catch our breath as the ice cold mountain runoff took our breath away. We sucked it up though and hopped it, feeling the crisp, cutting water instantly refresh us. We sat in there a bit longer in a natural ice bath which worked wonders on our tired, aching legs. Not long after, Jim and Dotti showed up and we went inside their lovely home and began introducing ourselves. Jim and Dotti are lovely people and Jim's great sense of humor helped lighten our mood.
Coincidently, my girlfriend Hillary's mom, Deb, was in town and we arranged to meet up for dinner. Jim gave us a lift back into town, thus giving our legs a much needed respite from the pedals, and we headed over to Truckee Massage where Saskia and Nicole worked wonders on our legs. Their hands expertly worked over aching muscles and we were temporarily taken away from the heat, dirt, grime and sore muscles of our journey and allowed to relax and just float away as they worked. We left the studio amazingly refreshed and loose and met up with Deb and her friend Debbie, and wandered through the main strip of Truckee. Truckee is a town steeped in history with the well known Donner party making an unscheduled stop there as the early pioneers headed west and it's later importance as a railway stop and the town strives to keep itself grounded in a young, vibrant, unique community. We managed to hit it at the right time as Truckee Thursday was in full swing. Truckee Thursday happens every thursday in the summer and is part farmers market, part block party. The street is packed with locals and visitors, enjoying the long summer days and perusing the jewelry, clothes and produce for sale.





We found a local mexican resturant and Deb treated us to great dinner. We chatted as we ate and once dinner was over, we headed back out to the street to see more of Truckee Thursday. After walking around for a bit longer, enjoying the nightlife and the company, Deb and Debbie gave us a lift back to the White's house. We stayed up talking with Jim and Dotti as long as we could but the beds they offered us beckoned and we couldn't resist the pull of a soft bed and long nights sleep.






6.24.11 - Today we rest, resupply, and prepare for the long trek across Rt 50 in Nevada. As we leave our first state behind tomorrow morning, California's parting shot will be the beautiful north shore of Lake Tahoe...

Monday, June 20, 2011

An Afternoon Napa


6.19.11 - San Fran to Napa - 74miles - First official day of riding.
We left San Francisco with full stomachs after Annie served up a wicked breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns and headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. We wound our way through the bike lanes along the bay and dipped our tires in the water near the base of the Bridge to make the Coast to Coast trip official and we continued off into the notorious bay fog which completely enshrouded the bridge. We caught the occasional glimpses of the top as we dodged tourists and every once in a while the fog would break and we would look out on the clear blue sky and and pristine looking bay of both San Fran and Sausalito(on the north side of the bay). After the bridge, we continued north through the hills and towns and ogled the beautiful landscapes and houses. We were also greeted by our first big (well, at the time we thought so) climb of the trip and we crept up the long windy hills and raced down the backside. While we rolled through the countryside on our way to Petaluma, we caught a whiff of California's most recent, and rapidly growing, pharmaceutical product. The aroma of the medicinal herb was particularly strong near a "spiritual center" near the intersection of Sir Francis Drake and Nacosio Valley Roads.

As the sun climbed high into the sky, nature seemed to hit the pause button on the sun's progression and we labored under the direct sun for hours, spinning up the long hills of Northern California. Combining the endless hours we spent in the Health Center studying for exams with the progression of spring storms the Northeast has seen lately, and the number of continuous hours of sun we've seen lately was dwarfed by our first morning of biking alone. We felt as parched and scorched as the cacti lining the roads.
The other thing we noted as we coasted downhill into Petaluma was how the concept of giving back played out on our trip. Each of us wanted to do this ride so that we could, in some small way, give back a little of our fortune to a worthwhile cause. That sense of giving continued today as we climbed and climbed and gained at times a thousand or so feet of elevation, we gave it all right back as we crossed the Petaluma city limits. We started out at sea level and by the time we stopped for lunch in downtown Petaluma, we had only kept 17 of those feet we climbed. As we approach the Sierras and Rockies, we hope to be a bit more selfish with the altitude we gain.

We made an extended stop to eat lunch, rehydrate and refill our water which also enabled us to sit out some of the hottest parts of the day. From Petaluma to Napa (our goal for the day) was only about 20 miles and thankfully much less hilly so we rolled through the wine country in the late afternoon, and admired the acres of perfectly lined grapevines, longing to sit in the shade of the trees with a bottle of wine. Once we got to downtown Napa, we found a local brew pub, Downtown Joe's Brewery and Restaurant, and were graciously offered a free dinner. We sat by the river and ate outside soaking up the evening atmosphere. As we were leaaving the restaurant, a lovely couple, Steve and Karen Sager, stopped us and asked us about Lea's Foundation and our ride. We stopped to talk with them and when they heard that we were planning on camping at the local fairground, they kindly offered up their guesthouse for us to stay in. Fittingly, the neighborhood road to their house was near vertical (seriously, the road looked ready to peel back off the earth) and their house was at the top of the hill. We dragged ourselves to the top and found ourselves looking out over Napa Valley with the last red embers of the sunset hanging over the hills. Everything we went through was suddenly worth it.
We unpacked our gear, showered, got a few things together for the morning and hit the sack as quickly as possible. And by sack, I mean king sized bed. And by we, I mean all three of us squeezed into the phenomenally comfortable bed.


Day 2 - Napa to Davis - 50 miles
With temperatures expected to reach the mid 90s, we wanted to ride as much as we could before the heat moved in so we got an early start to the day and we were geared up and ready to go by 6am. We met Steve outside, who himself was off for his morning ride (he could kick our asses up his neighborhood road despite being in his 70s) and chatted to him before we all headed off. We have been struck by how friendly and accommodating people have been even in just our first day of riding. Maybe it's the year-round nice weather that puts people in a good mood. Either way, Steve and Karen were incredibly kind and friendly and we were grateful for their kindness.
We carefully, carefully, made our way back down the hill (80+ lbs of weight on your bike will cause you to doubt even the sturdiest of brakes) and headed northeast to Davis. We knew today would be tough because of two very big climbs. Right off the bat we were faced with a 1000+ ft climb over about 2.5 miles and although we were totally gased at the top, we continued down the other side and our effort was repayed with an exciting, thrilling downhill course that wound its way along the hillsides. We were leaning into the turns and felt like proper cycists as we followed the spaghetti-like road.


We continued through the valleys and up the second major climb of the day and at the top of that climb, we met a very nice couple of riders, Chuck and Tor (short for Victoria), who were keen to hear about our ride and as they were from Davis (out on a nice morning ride), they wanted to know how we were planning on getting there. They offered to meet us 30 min down the road in a town called Winters (it was, in fact, the opposite) in a local coffee shop and give us advice on the best route into Davis to take. We took off downhill and were lucky to find that from that point out, it was either downhill or flat and we cruised into the town, taking shelter from the heat in Steady Eddy's coffee shop. We sat and ate with Chuck and Tor and I learned that Tor was from the same county in England as I am. Small world. We couldn't stay long though as we had plans to stay at the home of Dr. Wilkes, a UCONN SOM alum who kindly opens his home to the riders each year, and we needed to get a move on. While Tor had to head back to Davis, Chuck offered to guide us along the back roads to Davis. Chuck took us through the areas of the country where we would be sheltered from the particularly strong winds of the day and his navigational skills were matched equally well with his knowledge of area. He filled us in on local flora, what farm products were grown where and a little bit of history mixed in. Before we knew it, we were cruising through Davis and arrived just before 1pm at the Wilkes' home, sweaty, exhausted and ready for some rest. We were a bit early so we enjoyed a cool breeze as we sat under a tree in the front yard until Maggie Wilkes arrived and let us crash in the house. We spent the afternoon eating (such good food) swimming, and lounging, trying to soak up all the hospitality Maggie showered us with since we probably won't be seeing much for a while to come.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Arrival

After three flights, 11 hours of travel and one celebrity sighting (Sinbad), we arrived safely in San Francisco and hopped in an appropriately environmentally friendly cab and headed to Citizen Chain Cyclery where we had previously shipped our bikes and gear. We gave the cabbie the address but, the kind soul he is, understood how desperate we were to stretch our legs after our long journey and kindly dropped us a mile and a half south of the bike shop, allowing us to walk up one of the tallest of San Fran's iconic hills carrying 20 lbs of gear each. Beautiful day though.
The guys at Citizen Chain were fantastically helpful and we packed all our gear as quickly as we could so we could get on the road. As we packed, we chatted to the employees and lots of people stopped by to see what we were up to. Not surprisingly, most were stunned when we responded to their inquiries regarding our destination with "Connecticut". After departing the bike shop with the well wishes of all, we headed out to meet Annie Batista, friend of Greg's. We dropped our gear off at her apt and hit the streets near the bay to grab some dinner. A couple of glasses of wine, some great burgers, and lots of conversation later, we returned to annie's apt where she showered us with hospitality and we set about organizing our bags of gear.
Overall, a great start to the day with some incredible people helping us out. The weather greeted us kindly and we are pumped to head out over the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow and begin our return journey.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Our Route

This is where we should be going....feel free to send money, packages, gifts, food, etc ahead of us.

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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Good evening Guilford

Sat May 21st, KC's Pub in Guilford was kind enough to host a fundraiser for us. Jay Carney, one of the owners and running friend of Tom's, was instrumental in organizing the event. They donated a portion of the nights profit to Lea's Foundation and the night went really well. We had a lot of people show up and the atmosphere inside the pub was perfect for socializing and catching up with friends. The food was fantastic and it was great to see so many people show up and support our cause.