St. Judes and a Mississippi Strawberry

After picking Kelly up from the Rowletts along with a car full of "goody bags" for the kids, the Rally Team reconvened at breakfast at the Sillses ...

(us with Tyler Sells before his mom took him to school)

We got lost on the way to the hospital due to confusing instructions and a confused navigator (Austin), but we still got to the hospital on time to conduct our first event for some of the patients at St. Jude's. A few kids showed up and we met with them and their families, sang songs (kind of), wore whale hats ...

... and handed out goody bags. It was an amazing experience for us, after months of planning and fundraising, getting to finally interact with the people whom we are ultimately intending to help with this whole concept.

We were given a special tour of St. Jude's Children's Hospital, joined by Kelly's parents who drove all the way from Minnesota, and were amazed at the whole operation. We learned a great deal about the history of the hospital and how they do the amazing things that they do for their patients and their families each day.

We made it back to the Sills' home, packed up the car (with a lot of help), and at 2:15pm central time, we began our bike trip: Austin, Kelly and Paul on bikes, and the Hibbard parents in support cars. 66 miles later, after a minor accident and a few strategic stops on the way ....

(our first state line, Austin is checking to make sure it is the right one)

We arrived at the outskirts of Corinth, Mississippi a little after 8:00pm. We carted in the rest of the way, checked in to our hotel and went out for a post-ride meal.

I'm tired, my legs are sore, and my knee kind of hurts, but I'm more ready than I've ever been in my life to go to Florence, Alabama.

~ Paul

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Today I fell off my bike...

(a not so sweet stawberry)

However, on the sunny-side, I did not break any bones or endure any serious injuries! Additionally, now I have the battle wounds worthy of a "serious rider." After a short car trip, while the boys continued biking, I hopped back on the bike and completed the ride into Corinth. The best part (probably the only good part) of my injuries was the complementary, sympathy dessert from our waitress at dinner! All in all it was wonderful day, with an amazing visit with the children at St. Jude's.

~ Kelly

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We secured our first "on the road" donation today at a Mapco. The guy was sitting in his truck while fueling up, and he asked us how far we were riding. We told him about the ride, and he told us we were crazy. But then he pulled out five dollars and thanked us.

.. and then my rear derailer cable busted at 63 miles. This is currently preventing me from changing gears. ... we'll troubleshoot with our tools in the morning before we head towards Alabama.

~ Austin