Where Volunteering Takes You.....

Well, it's taken me a week to find time to give the 'after report' on my daughter and I volunteering at the 2010 Face of America Bike Ride, sorry 'bout that!



a link to our pics from the ride is HERE



and Angel friend/bike rider Greta's blog round-up of the ride is HERE



My daughter and I had the Most amazing time volunteering through Soldiers Angels at this event again (and check out Angelic Faces of America on the Soldiers Angels website :)



Because volunteering at this event has become a 'mother-daughter' tradition for my daughter,April, and I for the past 4 years, and because with my daughter heading off to college next year, this might have been the last year we have gone to volunteer together? (she may have scheduling conflicts next year, with college and exams)....I gave a lot of thought this year to how far volunteering has taken us.



From that first time we went to volunteer in 2007 for just a few hours on the first day of the bike ride, to making it an all day volunteer effort in 2008 , and then my daughter volunteering the first day by herself last year and then both of us for the first time also volunteering on the 2nd day of the ride last year?



We have been privileged to meet so many wonderful people each year, both volunteers and riders......and have looked forward each year to seeing the same volunteers we only see once a year, sharing laughter and work with them, and cheering on the amazing and wonderful folks who ride in the bike ride.



I had no idea in 2007 when I first answered the call in an 'Angel' email for volunteers, what a big part of our lives this would become each year, and what a wealth of shared memories my daughter and I would carry away from this volunteering opportunity. That, I think, is the wonderful effect of volunteering.......you have no idea when you start out, where the journey will take you, or what a profound and lasting effect it can have on your life :) and I'm so grateful to Soldiers Angels and World T.E.A.M. Sports, for giving us the opportunity this past four years, to together be a part of something so worthwhile to volunteer for, and to have this shared memory in our lives.

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some of the memories I'll carry away from last weekend?



the sunrise over the Capitol building at the beginning of the ride, and standing with the other volunteers holding up the banners as the riders started out.....



as always, seeing the awesome banners that folks send in from all over the country for those of us on the 'Banner Team' to hang up to encourage and cheer on the riders.....



the great firefighters at so many of the rest stops, who were always so welcoming:)



pitching in at the second rest stop to help the 'food volunteers' get everything ready for the riders, and them discovering they had no knives to cut up the oranges! and the very nice lady at the little country store up the road who told us 'you can borrow this knife' because they didn't have any plastic knives on sale there......and watching my daughter become 'orange slicing queen',lol :)



the fabulous Boy Scout volunteers at the Sportsplex who did such a wonderful job! (only why did Three of them come by to tell me 'the food is ready inside'?? did I look That hungry,lol? or was it just I looked 'plump'???:)




having the chance this year at dinner the first night to hang out with 'Angels' and getting to speak further with some of the Riders.

the as always fantastic cookout at the end of the Ride at Seamus' place :)
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that's my round-up of how our weekend of volunteering went last weekend!!

End of 2010 FOA bike ride part 1.MOV

first part of the video of the riders coming in at the end of the 2010 Face of America bike ride

End of 2010 FOA Bike ride part 2.MOV

second part of the video from volunteering with Soldiers Angels this past weekend at the 2010 Face of America bike ride.

Volunteering this Weekend at the F.O.A. bike ride

After work Friday, my daughter and I will be heading out to spend the weekend volunteering through Soldiers Angels to help out at the

2010 World T.E.A.M. Sports Face of America Bike Ride


This will be our 4th year attending this event as volunteers, and I really don't have the words to describe what an amazing and inspiring event this is.

Our involvement has increased over the years, precisely because this is such a wonderful event to be a part of, we first drove north in 2007 to spend just a few hours volunteering on a Saturday. In 2008 , we were able to spend the entire day volunteering on the Saturday. In 2009 , we were out early Saturday to help at the beginning, and then my daughter spent the rest of her Saturday helping along the way while I attended 2009's Milblog conference.....on Sunday last year for the first time, we were able to continue along volunteering on the 2nd leg of the bike ride, which ends in Gettysburg,PA.

This year, we head out to devote our weekend to cheering along riders, hanging banners that folks have sent from all over the country to encourage and cheer on the riders......and I'm sure, despite the fact that the weather is calling for some possible showers, that it will be another inspiring and amazing weekend to volunteer!!

2010 Face of America Bike Ride, April 23-25

something I Can go to, after all.......Yay!!!:)

The 2010 Face of America Bike Ride

(no, not going as a rider, but as a volunteer, through Soldiers Angels , for the Fourth year in a row.......can't wait!!)

Face of America Bike Ride 2010-Banners Needed and Friends Riding:)

Once again, World T.E.A.M. Sports is holding the Face of America Bike Ride April 24th & 25th, this year beginning at the nation's capitol and riding to Gettysburg,PA.



Although it looks like I sadly won't be able to volunteer this year through Soldier's Angels to help out at the bike ride(due to work conflicts), what I Can do is at least pass the word along about needed items for the ride.



Banners Needed



From this page on Soldiers Angels website

Homemade Banners for Wounded Heroes comes the info about whom to contact to send along your banners.



Having been on the 'Banner Hanging Team" the past several years when I've volunteered? I've got several slide shows featuring or showing the banners, if you need ideas:) we've seen some great banners over the years, please consider sending some in this year!



Here's the links to slideshows 2009 Banners FOA and

Day One~2008 FOA Bike Ride and 2007 Face of America Bike Ride



Friends Riding



Got two friends riding this year on Chuck's Team Soldiers Angels (and Chuck would be Major Ziegunfuss of From My Position...On the Way! )



Greta, Angel Friend Extraordinaire:) and milblogger, has a donation page Here

(she rode with me in the car last year when I volunteered, and I'm not sure....did riding with me cause her to feel like riding in the bike ride would be Safer?LOL:)



and Blake , of Laughing Wolf and Cooking with the Wounded fame, has a donation page Here

Please help them out if you can, and please help spread the word about the Bike Ride!

Lastly, my daughter took a video last year at the end of the FOA 2009 Bike Ride, just wanted to share it again....this bike ride is an amazing event to be a part of!




(and if the embed doesn't work, the link to the video is Here )