Thanks to Sherry Lundry and TARC Inc the team woke up in the downtown Topeka Ramada. They also hosted us for breakfast this morning before we started our 70 mile ride for the day. The team is now familiar with the hot humid Kansas temperature. Our ride was filled with some rolling hills and a few big climbs at the end before arriving in Olathe Kansas.
A quick lunch at a local park upon arrival, then it was time to get staged up for a grand arrival. A police escort directed the team to the Olathe Community Center. We arrived to a fire truck and a crowd excited to see us make it into town.
Mark Gash and the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board of Olathe conducted the welcome ceremony for this year’s Journey of Hope Trans-america Route team including a proclamation from Mayor Michael Copeland.
We learned the word olathe is native american for “Beautiful” and we learned just how hospitable the people of Olathe are.
The day was filled with one treat after another. After the welcome ceremony, we arrived at our lodging at the Kansas school for the Deaf. There we found people offering us haircuts and a sports massages therapist.
Dinner at Texas Roadhouse was followed by a visit to Mark Cameron’s home. Mark is a member of the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board of Olathe. He shared his story and explained how he modified his home to live a more independent life in a wheelchair.
Author: Scott Finney, Cyclist (Alpha Iota Chapter, Auburn University)