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.