ON JANUARY 23RD… we left a message for Tammy and Brenda at the Country Way health food store in Sault Ste. Marie. In response, we got an email:
Sorry I missed your phone call today, my partner Tammy and I are very excited about participating…. I look forward to discussing this further with you tomorrow. I will give you a call tomorrow morning.
Thank You, Brenda
The next day it was pouring January rains back home in Vancouver, and the phone rang at about 8:00am. It was Tammy, and she was excited like Matt gets excited! That’s two very excited people speaking about an event for a tour which wouldn’t make it to the Sault for another 6 months. The seed was sown for a great event…
FAST FORWARD THROUGH THE NEXT 5 ¾ MONTHS… complete with 80 hour training and planning weeks for Steph and Matt, and not much contact with the Country Way other than this initial call. The tour was just 10 days away from the Sault, and our amazing Events Director, Michelin brought it up that the tour had a stop in Sault Ste Marie but no event! And so, in the middle of nowhere Ontario, with intermittent cell service, we made the call in earnest to see about an event with the awesome folks at the Country Way in The Sault!
Both Tammy and Brenda were on it now and their combined excitement to put it together in less than 10 days (more like 7), gave us the extra energy to run our butts off to make it there for the 16th of July! Little did we know, this was the start of a five-start community event…. HERE’S HOW IT WENT…
HOTEL: Wee were treated like celebrities with a 2 night stay at the Water Tower Algoma Hotel
RUN: Event day started with a 5km run with the local running group, the Sault Stryders, led by world champion tri-athlete, Sherri Smith, along with police escort by bike – everyone wearing R41P shirts and hats!
MEDIA: Ran around the Sault, straight to the Country Way where we were met by two local papers – the SooToday.com and the Sault Star. Radio personality, “Junior” and his colleague “Rocky”, from YES-FM were also on location all day
GITS: Showered with gifts from the many vendors on-site – so much so, we’ll have some of it for the whole journey back to Vancouver!
GOV’T: Met by two city counselors, Jamie Caicco and Steve Butland, both very engaged with environmental stewardship in the Sault
FOOD: Vegetarian BBQ with all proceeds going to R41P
FUNDRAISING: Day wrapped up with a huge lotto-sized cheque presented by Tammy and Brenda!
We were made to feel like old friends in a city we knew for just 48 hours. It is truly this Canadian spirit which moves us forward everyday on our journey around the continent. Steph, Vanessa and I want to say a heartfelt “thank you” Tammy and Brenda at the Country Way, for believing and sharing in our dream.
THANK YOU for throwing such an amazing sidewalk BBQ to allow us to get to know you both, your wonderful staff and experience a bit of the magic of a place called: The Soo!
Have YOU taken the Action Challenge? http://www.runforoneplanet.org/environmentalaction.aspx