Bowling Alone No More: Bowling Green, OH [July 5 – 6]

With nearly 22 hours of driving between New York and Minneapolis, the stallions would have to allocate two days of solid driving before reaching the only previously set destination on the trip- Minneapolis, MN. At the halfway point, they would take rest and refuge with their friend Tom, a student at John Carroll University in Cleveland who was spending the summer with his family in Bowling Green, OH.

On the journey to BG, Raging Blueberry hit a milestone of 150,000 miles, of which approximately 2950 had been gained thus far on the Campaign. As is to be expected when only driving one interstate the entire way, nothing else exciting happened.

That is, until they reached the country home of the Weinandy’s. The green and white masterpiece clearly came into focus on its beautiful plot of land as they approached tired and weary. Tom, a master tour guide, showed them the many unique features of the house which had been designed by Tom’s dad, Jim. These standouts included a fish tank in the bathroom wall, 50’s diner-style seats in the kitchen, and actual chairs from a movie theater in the bunk room, where the journeymen slept.

Tom, master tour guide

The fish tank

With all the family coming and going from this place, the Weinandy’s home could better be described as short-term stay country bed and breakfast. Not only did six children live there, but the 4^th of July weekend brought out much of the family, so that little nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles were constantly passing through. On the night the stallions resided there, it was estimated that about 12 others also spent the night.

And then there was the food. When Julie, Tom’s mom, heard that these boys were known for their appetite and had gone more than five hours without eating, she and Jim quickly put together an impressive medley of foods that delighted on both appearance and taste. Freshness was the theme of the night, with a cherry-raspberry pie with ingredients picked earlier that day, a cherry jam with fresh cherries, and homemade ice cream also churned just a few hours ago. Yeah buddy!

As the boys departed the next morning, they wished to stay for more of the great tasting foods and warm hospitality that was such a pleasant surprise on their otherwise monotonous journey home.

Thanks Tom!

Nonetheless, the driving time did allow for the stallions to reflect back on their experience over the past eight days and how it had changed them and all they had come in contact with. Surely, the kindness, hospitality, and complete trust of complete strangers had reaffirmed their faith in the goodness of humanity and the character of people who make up this country. Moreover, they learned that everybody they met had a wonderful and worthwhile story to tell, even if it wasn’t always sitting at the surface.

More than the sites they saw, they will remember this trip by the wonderfully diverse and intriguing set of individuals they met and their equally dynamic communities. Yet no matter how differing these people and their communities, the stallions proved that all were connected by a long chain that linked each destination to the previous, weaving everybody they met together through the common thread of community. In a surprising coincidence, they learned that two of their hosts- Pete of Crossville, TN and Melanie of New York- both grew up in Harrisonburg, VA (which was another stop on the Campaign), and even though they didn’t know each other, it’s likely they once crossed paths in a town of 25,000. It was a reminder to these journeymen that no matter how far apart we may seem from our neighbors, we all share something good deep down inside of us.

Every day was a new challenge for the stallions as well as for those lucky enough to cross paths with them. They were forced to approach people they normally would have no reason to talk to, they had to request things from strangers they sometimes wouldn’t even ask their closest friends, and they found themselves in so many awkward situations that they no longer seemed awkward.

Additionally, the community builders hope that they challenged the status-quo of negative perceptions and first impressions that exist in society; for the design of their trip not only challenges them, but all those who choose to help them out. These unsuspecting individuals, whether receiving a random phone call from their friend/family or being approached by four orange-shirted strangers in public, must make a quick decision based on little more than initial perceptions. Even though a large number choose not to take the perceived risk, the stallions were continuously surprised by the high percentage of those who did take the chance. They pondered, what exactly was it inside these people, and themselves, that created an initial level of trust that takes others a lifetime to build? Could it be that ‘good’ inside of both parties is instantaneously recognized by the other?

Just as the community builders learned from every interaction on this trip, they hope that all those they came in contact with experienced some kind of personal benefit as well, whether it was life-changing or simply an opportunity to divert from the daily routine of life.

So after 3675 miles, 9 days, 16 states, new friends, some yummy brownies, plenty of Febreeze, corny jokes, and countless memories, what would the community builders take away from their unforgettable journey? They believe it is this: when the dawn of a new day comes without knowing where one is going to be later that afternoon, the focus of a trip turns to something greater- enjoying each moment as it comes about without looking ahead to the future. The community builders hope to take a piece of this lesson back to their lives; while they may not know what the future holds one month or one year in advance, they can only hope to live each moment to the fullest as they have done on the Campaign For Community 2008.

Thanks for believing and reading,

Brian, Drew, Eric, and Joe

Mel & Romi’s Manhattan Lock-Out: New York, NY [July 4 – 5]

The rainy ride through five states flew by as they made impressive time in Raging Blueberry. There was no time for adjustment to New York traffic as their path of entry took them directly through Times Square on their way to meet Melanie near her Manhattan abode.

After finding some amazing free parking per the suggestion of Melanie, the stallions took some down time to smoke their Dutch Masters cigars in the original Dutch settlement of North America.

Next, they had the pleasure of meeting Melanie and her friend from down the hall named Romi. Both were recent graduates of Manhattan’s own Fashion Institute and definitely put our heroes to shame in that department. Then again, matching orange t-shirts with masking tape on the back don’t really make a fashion statement anywhere in the world.

Now, both were beginning to make a name for themselves in New York’s fashion industry, and had the luxury of working and living in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood just blocks from the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. Admittedly, the routine of work, home, and going out can even become slightly monotonous in Manhattan, which is why these ladies were anticipating a night on the town with these out-of-towners.

While the New York Subway was more-or-less dreaded by their hosts, the journeymen were giddy with excitement for the opportunity to travel by a means other than automobile. They also unknowingly broke some rules by leaning on things they shouldn’t have leaned on.

Look closely at the sign on the door...

Their first hangout place for the evening was on Manhattan’s south side at the South Street Seaport, where the wind blew vigorously, ships loomed in the pier, trash from the fireworks-viewing crowd scattered the ground, and the skyline of Brooklyn could be seen just across the water gap.

After checking out a couple other hot spots including The Village, it was back to the ladies’ apartment for what should have been a relaxing end to the evening. However, when Romi accidently locked herself out of her apartment at 3:45 in the morning when the crew was preparing for a precious few hours of sleep- leaving one campaign member’s treasured fanny-pack inside- things took a turn for the interesting.

While there is thankfully no photographic proof, they tirelessly attempted to pick the lock open using a credit card or through whatever other means they could dream up. After 15 minutes of valiant efforts they surrendered, comforted by the fact that the lock was indeed not pickable by plastic. They would have to wait until Melanie and Romi could call upon their landlord to open the door for a small fee. It was another reminder that everything in New York came with a cost (except for that overnight parking in the B&H Photo lot!).

The morning came all too early for this crew, but with good news as the apartment’s doorman was able to quickly pick the lock with his credit card for no charge. Quite comforting, indeed. It was difficult to say goodbye to Melanie and Romi and the city, but not before an authentic New York dining experience at the Skyline, where the Belgium waffles with ice cream were to die for.

The stallions arrived at a consensus that Melanie and Romi were two of the coolest and most trusting people they had met, spending an entire evening with these strangers, welcoming them into their $2500/month apartment, creating their most memorable 4^th of July of their young lives, and providing the capstone on the road trip of a lifetime!

Thanks Romi & Melanie!

The apartment

View of Empire State Building from from entrance

Oh, the craziness of driving in NYC

After calling a different state home for the past 8 days, only 22 hours of interstate stood between these stallions and their permanent home of Minneapolis. Knowing these journeymen, they could easily turn this seemingly uneventful journey into some kind of adventure. Stay tuned!

Dunked Right Out Of Town: Harrisonburg, VA [July 3 – 4]

The drive to Elkton was another long one for these stallions to make in their Raging Blueberry. They were now becoming very conscious of ways they could improve on gas mileage, and one apparent method was to lighten their load. Therefore, they were forced to stuff down the rest of the brownies still lingering from their cake walk victory in Coloma. Post-analysis is showing a drastic 10% improvement in mpg.

Back to the pertinent matters at hand, our heroes had another challenge ahead of them for the evening. Shortly after departing Clinton, SC, they learned that their contacts in Elkton- Pastor John and wife Carole, were not going to be around for the evening. Making matters even more difficult was the fact their ETA was around 11pm. The stallions would need to pull out a little magic to build some community this evening.

Without having to worry about the excess of brownies, they were able to think much clearer about their option. Fortunately, one member of the campaign had spent his past summer in Richmond, VA, about 2.5 hours drive from Elkton. There was also one of his co-workers named Blaine who had attended school at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, only 15 miles west of Elkton. Even more fortunate was that Blaine and a few of his college friends were headed out to Harrisonburg this evening for some 4^th of July festivities! Therefore, they would have plenty of community to build that evening and could still attempt a meeting with Pastor John and his family the next day to keep the community chain alive.

Harrisonburg, a town with a permanent population of 25,000, doubles its inhabitants during college season. It thrives off the activity of its four colleges and universities, JMU and Easter Mennonite University being the main ones. Needless to say, on a quaint evening in early July on a holiday weekend it was seemingly deserted. This was just fine with these boys, though, since they were with a dynamic and welcoming group of people that included Blaine, Gabe, Lauren, Gordon, Jason, Graham, Leslie, Allison, and Bradford. A big shout out to Blaine and the group for being so accommodating with the late notice!

After a night in Allison’s waterless house which she was no longer living in, the stallions got a late start on the day with an early lunch at Jess’ Quick Lunch near downtown. Earlier that morning, they had made the connection with John’s daughter Sharina via phone, and learned they were welcome to stop by the house any time that afternoon to talk. The chain would stay connected after all!

The home of the Centers’ was historic in and of itself, being located just two blocks down the street from Confederate General Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters, and a small white building in their backyard was actually General Jackson’s carriage house.

While rain began to persist outside, the conversation with the family began to warm up inside. The stallions were not only joined by John, Carole, and Sharina, but their other son Robert and the little-man Caleb whom the family was babysitting. Besides running his church called Destiny Christian Center in Harrisonburg, John worked part-time in a hospital. Sharina had just finished her first year at Emmanuel College near Athens, GA while studying Pastoral Ministries, and Robert was home-schooled who proclaimed, to the disapproval of his mother, that he was going to take his own Campaign For Community after getting his license.

The conversation that afternoon traveled many different directions, much like the Campaign itself. They heard John talk about his adventures, struggles, and successes with leading a church. After his previous church was robbed of its real estate by a group of attorneys playing loosely within the law, he was faced by the challenge of building a church entirely from scratch. During this process, he received some unlikely support from an unlikely character named Phillip. Phillip was in his late teens and so shy that John sometimes thought he had a metal disability. He was always unresponsive to John’s questions and didn’t contribute in conversation to the church community. So one day, when a computer problem presented itself John was both surprised and skeptical when Phillip offered his help. Within 15 minutes, he had solved the problem to the amazement of John. The next day, Phillip offered a revolutionary idea- to take John’s church online through pod-casting- and he would set it all up himself. Again, John was skeptical and defiant, but Phillip went through with the idea anyway, promoting the idea himself. Today, the service of Destiny Christian Center reaches 1 million people every week through pod-cast, all due to the vision of one shy, seemingly incapable young man. The community builders would like to highlight this story as a testament to the capabilities of our youth.

Another fascinating aspect of the family was the story of Carole’s brother and his wife, who had dedicated their life to an organization called Wycliffe, which attempts to create a written language for some of the most isolated and unstudied societies in the world. Her brother was in Cameroon and would be there with his wife for the rest of his life, only taking a short hiatus to the United States every four years or so. The process starts when the two Wycliffe representative approach the society without any type of introduction into the community. Their goal is to become integrated into the community while learning the language from scratch. Once the speaking of the language is mastered, they must find a way to create an alphabet and eventually teach that written language to the people. By no means is this a quick project- it is estimated to take over 150 years, or three pairs dedicating their entire professional careers to that community.

So what appeared to be a connection that wouldn’t even happen with this family turned into a highlight not only of this city, but of the entire trip for these community builders. The stallions thank John & Carole for opening their home for conversation and getting at the true meaning of this trip- quality conversation and collecting stories of everyday individuals they otherwise never would have met.

Little-man Caleb

Despite this successful visit, the family still couldn’t find a contact to send the boys onto, so they made one last attempt to build community and find a connection to a new state in Harrisonburg’s town center, where 4^th of July festivities were now underway. Their first and only stop was a dunk tank raising money for a vacation Bible school. Campaign member Pederson needed an extra ball to execute the dunk.

Before

After

More importantly, dunk tank operators Brandon and Laura were friendly and listened to the predicament that the stallions found themselves in. Having only known these journeymen for a few minutes, he made a call to his friend Debra who had a daughter Melanie in Manhattan, New York City. After talking for a few minutes with Debra, she felt comfortable enough to call her daughter, who then contacted the community builders.

They were on their way to NYC, fittingly one of the former capitals of our country. There was no way they could have envisioned this scenario unfolding a few hours ago, much less a few days ago when they sat in a diner in a town of 600 people in rural South Carolina. But adventure is what they lived for, and what they were sure to get in NYC on the 4^th of July.

By Way of the Cross: Laurens County, SC [July 2 – 3]

Note: Two consecutive posts have been made. Please see below for previous update!

With a late start from Crossville and a long drive ahead of them, the options for arriving in a small town with nothing open and while it was dark were looking pretty limited. As would later be described to them, the town of Cross Hill was basically a crossing of streets on top of a hill. This became apparent as they took trusty ‘ole Raging Blueberry for a late-night stroll down Main Street, encountering a handful of abandoned buildings, a Post Office, and diner, and, of course, plenty of churches.

As is often the case in a foreign place during the night, the community builders were unsure of how to approach the evening before them. Their contact Benny would not be available until lunch the next day. The campgrounds in the area were either closed or difficult to find. The clerks of two gas stations were extremely unknowledgeable, and just as the stallions were running out of options in these uncharted waters, an unlikely hero emerged from outside the gas station. Rick was definitely a bit rough around the edges, but claimed to know a lot about the area. He spoke of a Subway four miles down the road with ‘women hanging around in bikinis,’ along with a campsite in the same area. While the boys took Rick’s words with a large grain of salt- maybe even a cube of it- they were desperate for leads at this point, so they went out seeking this mysterious tropical oasis of a Subway.

Lo and behold, a Subway there was, and while there were no scantily-clad ladies, there was a campsite nearby and a bonus find of a local food joint called Sundae’s By The Lake. To the delight of these wearily travelers, it was still open at 9:30pm and there were even people hanging out front! Maybe there was still hope to salvage an evening of building community!

At Sundae’s, they were warmly greeted by restaurant owners Beverly & Donny, their friends Todd & Melissa, and employee who went by the name of Rabbit. After a brief synopsis of what had brought these four journeymen to Laurens County, South Carolina, it was time to grab some grub. Shortly thereafter, Todd & Melissa left for the evening, but that would not be the last the community builders would see of this hospitable couple.

The plush leather couches and a Val Kilmer movie on the big-screen TV provided some perspective for how far these four Minnesota boys. Six days ago when they ventured out, there was no way they could have imagined the scene now taking place in northwestern South Carolina, as they conversed with Rabbit about his interesting past and zoned out over this movie about lions attacking a village in African Sahara. These stallions could not have asked for anything more on this evening, for these unique experiences were exactly what they lived for in their journeys.

Beverly and Donny had a heart for taking people in when they needed it. Rabbit, it turns out, had just gotten out of jail and the couple was giving him some work to help him get back on his feet. Business in these parts was a bit hard to come by; this was by far the poorest county the Campaign For Community has visited thus far. Even with a pristine location on Lake Greenwood, the stallions got the sense that making a living out here as a small business owner was no walk in the park. So when Bev & Donny said they had a room available to rent out for the night, it seemed like the logical place to call home for the night.

The next morning brought more destination frustration. It originally looked like the boys would be heading by way of Savannah, GA, to a friend of Todd’s. Then it looked like North Carolina would be the direction, but Donny’s friend wasn’t reachable. Bev had friends in Fort Walton Beach, FL, but that was more than 8 hours away. In this small town, the networks of residents rarely reached out of state, as was also encountered in Crossville. These unsuccessful efforts, however, were nothing against the character and kindness of this loving pair.

The next order of business, though, was continuing to build the chain of community that they had started to build in Coloma, WI. In every destination they had reached so far, they had not only met the person to whom they’d been sent, but they had found someone within that community to send them to a contact in a new state. Lunch at the Depot Diner in Cross Hill with Benny and his companion Mr. Tom continued this impressive streak.

The dynamic duo was a favorite memory of the stallions on a trip where they had already gathered the stories o many memorable characters. Benny was in a way a personal assistant to Mr. Tom, taking him to the doctor appointments and as he jokingly put it, speaking on behalf of him when necessary. Benny & Tom’s relationship was something formed on a mutual understanding of one another- two men who had been living in the same community for a combined 100 years and who thrived off the music at the Kentucky Bluegrass Festival. Tom once told the doctor he had no choice but to skip his chemo-therapy, for it was the week of the festival.

Mr. Tom was somewhat of a local legend, which tends to happen when you’ve been roaming the Earth for over 80 years. He was easily recognizable in his signature overalls and John Deere classic mesh hat. The ladies at the Depot Diner knew him well, especially for the fact he would always eat a good banana pudding if you put it before him. He didn’t mind telling you what was on his mind regardless if it had to do with the current topic of conversation or not.

Continuing the madness at the Depot was a visit from Felicia of the local newspaper, the Greenwood Index Journal. Like some of these community builders, Felicia was a recent graduate and had moved to the area just over two months ago. The stallions thank her for taking time to highlight their story, and, as she put it, focus on some of the positive news stories out there. Check the press section for a link to the article!

At this point in the early afternoon, things were beginning to look a little bleak for finding a contact to be sent to. But as seems to be a reoccurring theme on this trip, somebody always comes through. This time, it was Todd & Melissa, their old friends from the night before. The made a stop at their house in the neighboring community of Clinton, SC where they met daughters Sarah and Jessica. Todd was a pastor in the community and had a good friend from his pastoring days in Indiana that was now living in Elkton, VA, a good 6.5 hour hike from where they were. Still, at this point there were seemingly no other options, so off to visit Jeff, Carole, and family it was.

The only certainty at this point is that more adventures are sure to come!

Cross Your Sweet Teas and Clot While Saving Lives: Crossville, TN [July 1 – 2]

There are certain things that come with being in the southeastern United States. The southern drawl, sweet tea, country-cookin’ soul food, and Baptist or Presbyterian churches on nearly every city corner. T It’s no surprise, then, that in a town with ‘cross’ in the name these Midwestern folk would find all these foreign elements.

The drive down to Crossville was their most scenic one yet, putting them through the entire state of Kentucky including a stop in Louisville to visit the Colonel.

The stallions also galloped through Horse Cave, KY, a town quite fond in their hearts for the fact it has more single people than single horses and is home to the first-ever naturally air-conditioned indoor tennis courts.

After entering Tennessee, which was state #6 on their journey, they finally arrived at their ‘destination’ for the evening- a modest home in the countryside just outside of Crossville.

Waiting for them were Pete & Seth, two graduate students at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville studying savannah restoration. These two outdoorsmen were fittingly met by our heroes while filleting their day’s catch of bass to fry up for the evening’s meal. When they stepped out of the car, the humid air hung as thick as their hosts’ accents. There was a certain feel to this state that was distinct from their Midwestern surroundings in Indianapolis. While only traveling 300 miles, they had connected two places with completely different histories, communities with ultimately differing values and cultures. Now, it was up to these community builders to pinpoint exactly what those differences were.

Their temporary home was refreshingly modest and to-the-point. It had all the essentials: a roof, floor, bathroom, kitchen, and a few chairs. There was no unnecessary clutter or decorations, nothing to distract from the spirit of conversation and fellowship among strangers. It was ironic that the boys found themselves in this house immediately after leaving the company of Warren, who so prominently expressed his burden with having too many ‘things’ around his house.

Seth cooks up the fish

The next morning brought fresh light to their surroundings, which was mostly farmland and cattle-grazing country. It was a great rural life for Pete & Seth, who found themselves moving between three different observation sites within a couple-hundred mile radius. These guys were the perfect campaign hosts, and although they did admit to thinking the boys were either hardcore hippies or part of a church group when they saw the matching orange t-shirts, they quickly moved on to shooting the breeze on sports, travels, and the outdoors.

The morning in Crossville was full of opportunities to explore the community and meet people, which is just what these journeymen needed as they entered yet another day with no destination to be sent to. The day started out at Grandma’s Diner, where the food was cheap, real cheap. This was where they said farewell to Pete & Seth, two gentlemen who knew the meaning of southern hospitality.

At the Chamber of Commerce, the stallions found Jeanny, Melody, and Gail proud to proclaim Crossville as the ‘Golf Capitol of Tennessee,’ but with no destination to send them too later that afternoon.

Next, following the suggestion of Pete, they continued their stroll down Main Street to the American Red Cross for their Blood Drive. They learned that giving blood can save up to two lives, so overcoming the fear of needles was a necessary step. Even though one campaign member experienced a needle clot while attempting the feat for the first time, the community builders gave enough blood to save four lives. However, it wasn’t enough to inspire a destination from one of their nurses, Jennifer, April, or Donna.

No, that's not a smile... it's a wince of pain

April

They moved onto the paper where Katie and Mary attempted their contacts in Georgia, but no luck. They moved on to the corner hot dog stand but Mary and Linda had no ideas for them. Times were becoming a bit uneasy now, but the stallions still had faith that somebody would come through for them at their lunch destination, Family Ties.

And that’s just what happened. When the staff heard about the task at hand, they came together like a family to find somebody to send them to. Through an improbable connection, a friend of the restaurant manager named “T” had a friend in town named Bobbi who had a brother Benny in Cross Hill, SC, about 320 miles away. Also at the restaurant were Randy & Cliff from Quincy, IL, a pair of stand-up guys who run a world-class gymnastics camp called Flip Fest.

Bobbi & T

Cliff & Randy

So off to South Carolina it would be, but the journeymen had a long drive ahead of them. There was no telling what the evening would have in store for them in a town of less than 600.

Unicycling On Toilet Paper: Indianapolis, IN [June 30 – July 1]

Note: Two posts have been made consecutively. Please see below for previous update first.

It was about as far away from Christmas time as the calendar could be, but the jolly spirit of the Holidays quickly entered the hearts of the community builders as they entered the home of Warren, a Santa-like character himself minus the belly, of course. But instead of loving gifts and material things, Warren had a passion for cycling… and maybe food. Santa and Warren had more in common than appearance, though. Much like good ‘ole Saint Nick, Warren seemed to be age defying; to him age was more of an attitude than a number.

For Warren & Sandy, cycling had moved from a hobby to an obsession. But that was a good thing, as Warren so eloquently put it, so that he could maintain his addition to the cellophane food group and Edy’s Slow-Churned Ice Cream. The obsession proved not only useful in eating habits, but in decoration of the house, as was shown by countless cycling photos, the unicycle riding the roll of toilet paper, and the banana guard to keep your banana from smashing while you ride.

Warren & his banana holder

Renee and Scott were geo-cachers who stopped in during dinner.

And as we got to know Warren over a meal, the man kept unveiling more surprises to us. Not only was he a certified clown as proven by his diploma, but he had carried the Olympic Torch for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games on the coldest day of winter, above all. What an honor!

Warren also understood the campaigners’ mission of community, and he pulled out all his contacts to try to find them a destination for the next day. But by design, things are never easy on the Campaign For Community; for someone to actually know a good friend or relative in another state and for them also being willing to host four strangers on less than 24 hours notice is no easy request. Things didn’t prove to be easy for Warren either, as his two strongest contacts were not loving the idea as much as him. The stallions would have to dedicate the next morning to meeting more locals and finding a destination through one of them.

Warren & Sandy in their backyard

A night in downtown Indy

Luckily, these boys welcomed the opportunity to build more community. They started with the Eagle Creek Coffee Shop in nearby Zionsville as recommended by Warren. In a very upscale downtown area, most folks seemed content minding their own business, but a small introduction to Ken & Steve from one of the employees proved to be the lead they needed.

These two genuinely-hearted gentlemen were very knowledgeable about the Zionsville community. Our community experts were enlightened that Zionsville was a typical bedroom community, lacking industry as most residents drove to Indianapolis for work. It was also expanding so rapidly that it had run out of space to grow. But the greatest moment of Enlightenment came from Ken just as the boys were about to leave the coffee shop for city hall or resort to other desperate measures. He called his friend George from church, a man in his mid-twenties who started a nonprofit called Building Tomorrow while a student at William & Mary. George had some time to see the community builders.

Ken

With George’s office in Indianapolis, these guys packed in the car as fast as they could, consolidated their box of brownies to save on space, and sped off towards downtown. After a bit of faulty navigation, they showed up to the renovated school that now served as office space, as their orange t-shirts drew some off-color comments from the secretary.

Luckily for these stallions, George had faced a few challenges in his young life. Serving as an intern for the UN in Rome, he had visited Uganda for a couple weeks and noticed the issues facing the education system in and around Kampala. And then he decided to do something about it. As a senior, George raised over $40,000 for his idea to build a school in Uganda when his goal was only $10,000. Now, his organization had built over 4 in just under as many years.

So when four strangers showed up in his office needing a destination to be sent to, he embraced the challenge. Scrolling through his list of contacts with a grin on his face, he found the perfect candidate for them- Peter of Crossville, TN. When George called up his former college roommate, he was having a ‘pretty boring morning.’ Well, that was about to change, as George convinced Pete to host these four wanderers thanks to some smooth words on the phone.

To top it all off, George made a great recommendation to a lunch spot called The Aristocrat Restaurant & Pub, which was their last stop before leaving Indianapolis. The pork tenderloin sandwiches looked and tasted amazing, and quality service from Johnny topped it all off, along with meeting their table neighbors Marta, Mary Ellen, and Saralyn.

So as these stallions continue to roll on down south, fortune appears to be with them, but they know there will be road blocks ahead, for this Campaign For Community is much like balancing a unicycle on a roll of toilet paper- no one ever said it should be easy.