I just want everyone to know that E’leese is doing the work. She gets up everyday and knows she has a job to do. When we get to meet everyone out there it is so big words cannot say how important you are to us. You hold up a flag. You hug E’leese and cry. You rush out of the field to touch her and tell us of your grandson is in Iraq. There are many tears every day but the tears bring us together in the compassion we feel for our military. We need you every day. E’leese has been blessed with a group of men and women that go by the united name of Posse. They will be riding with her much of the way from now on through out Minnesota. They are the people who keep it fun at a fair or at a parade and find you when you are lost. When that mother holds her now found child, it is the posse that rides until they are found. Kelly Lake- wife, mother, role model and the Sheriff of Carlton County really got the posse started for us. Posse member Dr. Kydee Sheetz when she was not sewing a finger back on called posse member Fran Kueker who has selflessly called the posse over the state of Minnesota to ride with onegirloneride E’leese. Sheriff Departments, Local Police, and Troopers everywhere, thank you for your kindness and for keeping us safe. Minnesota remember just because the posse is riding with E’leese you are still very important to this ride. We need you! Where are you?
Please everyone understand that in many small towns not everyone has the internet. A Library may close at 2pm on Monday for example. We get up (often sleeping in the truck and the dressing room of the horse trailer), take a bath in the sink of the local gas station, eat what we can, and ride/drive for the 10 miles or more she does in the day, and talk with everyone we can. We have been taken in by total strangers (who become dear friends that we hate to leave) to sleep in their guest room, sleeping quarters of their horse trailer, or their 5th wheel. This is not a fancy ride. We are dirty and tired at the end of our day. So please understand when we are not current on the blog and must catch up. Also we are just getting into the rhythm of how long our day is and how long it takes to get everything done in our day.
We will be arriving in Cass Lake on the Mi-gi-zi Trail on July 4that noon across from the State Welcoming Center. Then Saturday after the honor of the blessing of E’leese, Chip, and Lucky we will be with the people of Cass Lake and the Ojibwe Tribe. Thank you for all the kindness you show us. We will be at the Parade in Bemidji on Sunday July 6th. Day 31, Monday 7/7 , we will be heading toward the Walker area and towns between. The Heartland Trail is a beautiful bike trail. So anyone with a bike should be there. Brainerd is coming up so meet us there!
I wish I could express the feeling that is surrounding this ride. Everyone we have come in contact with has been so very kind and supportive. But it is more that that the spirt of love and compassion for our military is overwhelming. Please those people who have taken the time to comment us or e-mail we read everything but cannot answer every e-mail. But remember this is a non political ride of support. If you mention a political choice or opinion other than supporting the military we must delete you. E’leese is only 12 and politics play no role in this. I know you understand.
Thank you for your love and support to us on the road and your donations. There are people who will never donate time or money to a cause yet find the time to try and destroy anyone else making an effort to do something good. I feel sorry for those people. Our books will be open to the public and we will always be accountable to those who have donated. There to date have been 2 debits to the account when we opened it at Wells Fargo. One was for checks (we chose the least expensive) and the second was to purchase the stamp to deposit checks. Wells Fargo has told us that as soon as our balance is large enough they will reimburse the charge for those two items (also when our non profit status goes through). All our information is available to the public on the Secretary of State web sight.
