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The Journey of Hope again visited Lake Havasu City on June 24th and 25th
of 2007. They added an extra day to their visit with us and the London
Bridge Yacht Club was there to help enhance their stay.
The pictures below show a few scenes from their visit to our city.
The following is a transcript of their Daily Log
describing their visit to Lake Havasu City:
Welcome to Heaven
Date: 6/24/07
Day #: 19
City, State: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Author: Jake DiGregorio
School: George Washington University
I should have known that this wasn’t the average arrival by the Fire Department
ride along. Members of the Lake Havasu City Fire Department were so
excited about the Journey of Hope returning to their town that they wanted to
participate in part of the actual ride. Our cyclists stopped at a Wendy’s on the
outskirts of town to meet up with the fire fighters, who traveled a total of 15
miles with the team. The team then arrived at the local Home Depot, where eager
well-wishers greeted the thirsty cyclists with ice-cold drinks. The four part
arrival then proceeded to the Aquatic/ Community Center, where the
cyclists were able to change for a big reception by the London Bridge Yacht
Club at the London Bridge Resort. In a welcoming ceremony far more
regal than those to which we are accustomed, the people of Lake Havasu City
greeted us with open arms, as their excitement for our presence could be felt
everywhere. We received gift bags with some of the essentials for our trip,
complete with JOH South Team Cyclist trading cards with our own individual stats
listed.
At that moment, I realized just how much what we are doing mattered to these
people. In caring so much about our mission, they cared so much about me. By the
time we left the reception, these “strangers” had given us quite a bit to get
ourselves back on our feet, and the Fire Department gave us a fantastic donation
as well in the form of K-Mart gift cards.
We were greeted with copious amounts of food all throughout the day, and were
even taken on a long, leisurely boat tour of the lake courtesy of the London
Bridge Yacht Club and their lovely house boat. Relaxation was just what the
cyclists needed after a long, hot day of peddling.
The day kept getting better when dinner rolled around. Although food for the
cyclists was in no short supply in town, a feast was prepared complete with
carving station in honor of the team. Dinner was combined with a friendship
visit, where we got to eat and mingle with members of the community, many of
whom are people with disabilities. We were more than eager to share our
less-than-operating singing talents during the karaoke portion of the evening,
sharing the spotlight with several members of the community with disabilities.
After the concert was over, free time began.
Many of us went to the movies. Others enjoyed the night-life of the very
beautiful and happening Lake Havasu. In retrospect, it’s amazing that we fit it
all into one day. Cycling 75 miles, two stage ups, two arrivals, a ride-along,
lunch, a full reception, lake tour, dinner party, friendship visit, Kids of the
Block show, karaoke, and a relaxing night off. Given all of this, Lake Havasu
almost immediately became the consensus for one of the best stops thus far.
When we arrived back at lodging, there was a new duffle-bag waiting for me with
things that they knew I would need, such as a towel, sleeping bag, and
toiletries. However, when I reached in and found a Boston Red Sox hat
(apparently they found out that I was a huge fan), I nearly cried. These people
cared so much about me and what I was doing on the team that not only did they
go above and beyond to help me out in my time of need, but they actually went
through the trouble of finding me a hat from my favorite team in Lake Havasu
City, Arizona. After it being severely shaken less than 24 hours prior, my faith
in humanity was completely restored. I can never thank the people of Lake Havasu
enough, but I hope they realize that what they did for me, I will never forget,
and I truly believe that they saved my experience on the Journey of Hope 2007.
You can read more
of the Journey of Hope daily logs and follow the progress of their trip on the
Push America website, www.pushamerica.org.
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