News - 2008 NJ Walkabout - Gatherer Institute

July 24, 2007 - WALKABOUT THANK YOU's

I want to take this moment to thank the following people and organizations for helping us make the Walkabout a great success!

Grandfather Little Hawk and Grandmother Beverly.

John Pritchard and the Pritchard School of Digital Arts - John was our "man behind the curtain"... thanks for the awesome web coverage, and your tireless efforts over the last year to make sure this plan succeeded.

South Toms River Municipal Alliance

Toms River Rotary Club

BIG THANKS TO OUR PRIMARY SPONSORS

The Optimist Club of Howell
The Shore Optimist Club
Kamy Dental Services
NJ Youth Services Commission
Manhattan Bagel of Lacey
Wal-Mart of Toms River
Lowe's of Toms River

HUGE THANKS GOES TO OUR STAFF

Thanks to Brother Bob Saunders for teaching us how to make this possible, and showing us that we could do it.

Thanks to Anthony Mercandante for shepherding the peeps.

Thanks to Lynn Reckeweg for her medical expertise.

Thanks to Cheryl Koerner for keeping our bellies full and our bodies hydrated, and all those many weeks of meetings.

And thanks to Nancy Mercandante for walking every blessed mile, providing balance, common sense, encouragement and keeping track of things. Thanks also for all the Public Relations work, and the gentle persuasion that gained us friends and supporters along the route.

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VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Barbara Englehardt- As always, with us.

On Point Tactical School

Delanco Camp- Thanks for one of the most fun days of our trip!! God bless you all.

Bob and Marianne at WOBM AM

Wells Chapel AME Church- Thanks for all the time, effort and prayers of those who helped us, the wonderful welcome home, the barbecue, the sendoff party, the choir, our starting point and finishing point, and the venue for all those meetings.

Ma'ria and Dominique (AKA "Fran of the Future") Cipriani. You provided sanity and competence when there was wont of both.
Linda Reitz- Thanks for all the snacks, the hard work, the support. It took hundreds of cheesecakes to make sure this project got off the ground.

Oscar Cradle- Thanks for all that driving, all the support and the Sunday service.

Betsy aka. "Irvin's mom" Singh- You're a one-woman tailgate party. Thanks for showing up all over the state with goodies, sweets, and all that water support.

Mr. Vincent Alexander- Thanks for those days on the road, the meetings, and your weather reports.

Pam Kelly- Thanks for all those satchels.

Sister Elva Hall- Thanks for all your positive energy, even at the most ungodly hours of the morning. Thanks for all that driving, the water support, and for coming with us. When we had no one else to turn to, you saved the walkabout.

Jean Cipriani- Thanks for all those breakfasts, all that laundry.

John Reckeweg- Thanks for vehicular support, Lots and lots and lots of laundry, boiling the clothes to kill ticks, bagels and donuts, and lending us your family.

Joe Kienzlen- Thanks for all the photographs, the positive input, and for being there with us every step of the way. For making optimists of us all.

Joanne Schuh- Thanks for all the hookups!

Dunkin' Donuts on County Line Road in Lakewood/Jackson- Thanks for breakfast. We can't believe how kind you guys were.

Marc Cardonell- Thanks for the tent support and the camping and safety tips.

Jamie Henninger- Thanks to our guardian angel, waking up sooo early on day one, getting us snacks and pins, and for secretly checking in on us from time to time.

King Kevin- Thanks for preying on the unobservant. Long live the Mome Wraiths!

McDonald's Trenton- Thanks for the drinks!

7-11 Main Street, South Toms River- Thanks for all those Slushies.

Bill Gleason- THanks for helping us communicate.

The Ballard Family- Thanks for the awesome support, snacks, and prayers.

David Bertagnoli and Ft. Dix- Thank you for your warm reception and hospitality

Thanks to the Mayor, Police, Firefighters, and the enthusiastic people of Springfield, NJ.

Thanks to Bridget, her dad and all the wonderful staff at the Animal Kingdom.

Aprils Farm market- Thanks for all the corn and watermelons.

Thanks to the The Quakers in Crosswicks- who live the true meaning of the phrase "Friends Meeting"... words cannot describe how moved we were by your hospitality. Thank you for all the preliminary work, and for the tour, Mr. Wright, and thanks for all the great cooking!

The Monastery of St. Claire, Sacred Heart Convent- Thanks for showing us the unexpected beauty of New Jersey, and for the lemonade and cookies, and for your prayers.

Thanks to the Trenton Police who made us feel like VIP's., for standing watch over us, and for seeing us safely out of Trenton.

The people of Trenton- Thanks for their encouragement and support as we walked.

Trenton Friends Meeting- Thank you Mr. Fred Millner and the whole Meeting, for your wonderful hospitality.

NJ Division of Health and Human Services, and the Municipal Alliances of NJ- Thanks for lining the streets and greeting us. That was one of the highlights of the trip. Thank you for that, and for lunch.

The Trenton Thunder- Thanks for making our night at the ballpark so special.

The Hopewell Police- Thanks for the escort, and the route reccomendations.

The Pennington Police- Thank you for the protection.

Nassau Presbyterian Church- Thanks for holding a special service for us when we missed church.

Neuberts- Thanks for fixing our support vehicle. You saved us. It was amazing what you did.

The Kepharts- Thanks for buying the whole group Ice Cream, and for the great pictures.

The People of Kingston- Thank you for welcoming us so well.

Chief Luck- Thanks for greeting us in that hot, colonial costume - what you don't know is that after that, the kids who had them, made their broad-rimmed hats into three-corner hats.

Thanks to the Kingston Fire Dept. for their hospitality, for hosing us down, and for all the great flashlights, and much-needed batteries, plus the cards, books, water, and everything else.

Thank you to the good people at the Kingston Locktender house for the talk and for a great and much-needed snack.

Thank you to the people at Rockingham for the tour- we got a real sense of George Washington's life from visiting his home.

Thanks to St. David's church in Cranbury for the above-and-beyond hospitality, and for all the members who assisted us, drove with us, and helped us when tragedy struck.

Thanks to Barack Obama for his words of encouragement.

Thanks to the mayor of Jamesburg, Anthony LaMantia for his untiring support, his sprinklers, and for all the crew in Jamesburg that kept the lights on and the bathrooms open for us.

Thanks to the Monroe Fire Dept. for giving us refuge from the storm, a place to rest, something to drink, and a chance to look at the radar. Thanks also for the safety vests and the alternate route.

Quail Hill Boy Scout Camp- Thanks to Ms. Joyce for setting everything up and making it easy on us, and to Mr. Spud for the snacks, the shelter from the rain, the showers, the pool, and for typing our daily report.

Monmouth Battlefield- Thank you to Mr. Garry for the awesome demonstration, the cannon crew, and a chance to understand the Battle of Monmouth, and the passport stickers. It was glorious.

Turkey Swamp- Thanks for the snacks to the Howell Optimists, thanks for the Monmouth County Park system for allowing their summer camp to engage in that intense soccer game.

The Road to Lakewood- Thanks to the Lakewood Poice Department, to Capt. Frank Shinn of the Civil Air Patrol for his suggestions on where to stay (Quail Hill), and to the Lakewood Blue Claws, especially Steve Farago for making our stay so special.

The Road home- Thanks to Toms River Police Dept, the Baptist Church on Old Freehold Rd.

Thanks to the South Toms River council for the snacks, and all those people at Wells Chapel AME who made our picnic possible.

Thanks to John DeZanka, a Renaissance man, who came out to support us.

Thanks to Ms. Helen Fort for the shakes and Papa John's Pizza.

Thank you to Lois Vuocolo for coming along, providing support and a positive attitude no matter what happened. We want to thank Lexie, Josh and Thomas for carrying our signs, training with us and forming the "mini-peep" team... and Anthony, thanks for letting us borrow Lois for all those days.

A great big thanks to Aunt Maria and Nikki for their constant support and for walking with us, for helping us finding volunteers and sources of funding, for filming, and for being there whenever we needed help.

Thanks also to Mr. Mercandante for all he had to do to ensure that we could rely on Ms. Nancy and the kids. We appreciate all the sacrifices those who held down the fort had to make to let the rest of us walk.

On that note, we want to thank Mr. John and Cheyanne for allowing Ms. Cheryl to be with us, and thanks to Mike Koerner, for all the support he's given us all these years.

Of course, thanking all the kids who put their hearts and souls into the Walkabout goes without saying. You guys made it happen!!!

I also want to thank my dad and mom, Dr. Francesco A. Cipriani, and Judit Maria Cipriani for their moral and financial support, and my brother Michael for reading the radar for us. I want to thank my family and the families of the whole staff, for the countless hours of our time they had to sacrifice to make this projet a reality.

On a personal note, I want to thank God, The Oneness, for putting all these wonderful people in my life, for laying out obstacles and challenges for us, and for giving us this wonderful state in this wonderful nation- and allowing us to be born in a time where we can all make a real difference.

6ez so0 xe-k3', walk with God.

Here's to making next year's Walkabout even better!

Yours Truly, Frank Cipriani

JULY 21, 2007 - Day 15 - WALKABOUT IS A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

We're HOME!!
Stay tuned to this website as the details and photos filter back!!!

(Written by Chelsea Carballo) Today we woke up at 5:00 AM and quickly ate and packed up (every mile before dawn is a free mile) and we were off. After crossing the busier streets, we took frequent breaks and stayed hydrated. That same feeling from yesterday is still here, but only worse. It's like leaving a bleeding cut unbandaged. That's how most of use are feeling. It's heart-breaking to think that my new family is going to be broken apart, but we all have the satisfaction in knowing that we still will have meetings and special events at which we can converse with eachother.

We covered the last ten miles from the Blue Claws Stadium to Wells Chapel AME. The mini-peeps were with us. Our mile total was 194. When we came to see Route 37, the police stopped all traffic flow so that we could cross. It was pretty darn cool. We walked down Main Street, singing loud and proud, and took a break at 711 where Grandmother Beverly and Ms. Jean kindly treated us to Slurpees (thank you to all the people there).

Grandfather Little Hawk walked the last few miles with us and we marched into South Toms River cheering and singing past the tiny saplings we had planted. When we finally reached the chapel, Emma lead a group and ran to it. The rest of us just took our time (our feet were killing us). The good people at Wells Chapel had a welcome back barbecue waiting for us. Eventually, after eating a bunch, we had to say goodbye: some of us cried, some uf us hugged eachother, and some were nonchalant. I'm going to miss these guys.

At the end, Mr. Frank passed the Guidon to Robert Mercandante, who he nominated as the lead Poison Ivy.

How many miles was the total Walkabout? 194!!!

Congratulations to all who participated in the 1st Annual New Jersey Walkabout and a special thanks to our sponsors, friends, parents, and all who helped along the way.

JULY 20, 2007 - Day 14

(Written by Chelsea Carballo) Today started out a bit later (our late is 5:30 AM) and departed from the closest entrance of Turkey Swamp and made our way onto the road. Everyone's spirits were high except for the lingering fact that our close-knit family was about to be torn apart. Robert, John, Shane, Irvin, and Anthony played the "car-calling" game in which they screamed "I call ______(name of car)" and they didn't stop until the end of the day (oh yes, it did get agitating). Also on the way, Shawny and Gabriel were singing music numbers such as "Respect" and some 'Cheetah Girls' song that I have no idea what the title is.

We went to Monmouth Battlefield where Mr. Garry gave us a tour, taught us about Molly Pitcher and taught us how to crew a cannon.

After winding through a variety of contorting paths, we finally came out of the park to be greeted by the sun. The path that seemed like forever was only one mile: it was horrible. Continuing on, we put on our hats and crossed through Lakewood, but nobody really said much. After we erupted out of Lakewood, we walked to the Blue Claws stadium. The amount of energy that I saw out of my mixed family when we reached the sign was astounding. Kenny was dancing (flashback to the Trenton Thunder game), Emma was skipping, Domenico was rolling down hills, and of course Robert was leading our chant. Upon arrival to the support vehicles in the parking lot, we needed to get organized. We had a wake to go to. We had an hour or so to get ready before we need to leave anyway, so many of us took a siesta.

When we were finally ready to leave, most of us packed into the car, while others stayed behind so they could provide us room so that we were able to go. Some of us dozed off in the car, but Shawny and Chelsea were too busy laughing at the songs on the radio. When we got to the funeral home for the wake, Ms. Cheryl seemed so happy to see us. After staying for a while and praying for Mr. Mike, we had to leave. We, then again, packed up into the cars and went back.
When we came back to the Blue Claws stadium, Grace opened the trunk when Chelsea wasn't looking and she fell right out of the trunk. After eating Jacob's father's chili everyone was ready for the game. We marched around the field while chanting, and then Brandt threw the first pitch of the game. We stayed up pretty late, and watched the beautiful array of fireworks and then finally went to sleep.

JULY 19, 2007 - Day 13

We left Quail Hill early in the morning, filled with breakfast sandwiches. Despite the blistering heat, the kids were in good spirits. We stopped for several hours at the Battle of Monmouth Historic Site, where a wonderful historian not only told us about the battle, but had the kids re-enact the battle. Francesca played the part of Molly Pitcher with her usual energy and style.

Gabby's parents Reverend and Mrs. Ballard, supported us all day with water breaks and a delicious lunch--Many thanks!

We then walked to the beautiful Turkey Swamp Park. Despite the heat and the long walk, the kids (and Coach Frank) entered into a fierce soccer game with another camp --The Walkabout 2007 Soccer Team dominated with its mad skills!

Irvin's mother fed a delicious home cooked meal, and after much trial and error, Lois and Aaron rejoined us.

Tomorrow, onto the Blue Claws --we can almost smell the hot dogs already (and even a little whiff of home).

JULY 18, 2007 - Day 12

The Trail to Quail Hill: Last night, with the departure of Ms. Lynn and Ms. Cheryl, the fate of the Walkabout was in doubt. We couldn't walk with out water and emergency transportation support. We called out friend Ms. Elva Hall, who braved the highways, awoke at 3 AM and drove to Jamesburg. She saved the Walkabout!

The trek to mile 158 of our journey was difficult. We had thunderstorms and intense humidity. The good people at the Monroe Fire Department took care of us during the storm. We want to thank the Captain, Mr. Fraler and all the firefighters. When we arrived at Quail Hill, the Kepharts were there with a copy of the Princeton Packet. Our picture was on the front page! Mr. Spud Truitt, Ranger, Quail Hill Scout Reservation made us feel at home in Quail Hill. He brought us snacks and helped us stay dry so we could enjoy the meal Ms. Jean Brought and we got to use the pool. Quail Hill was great, thanks to Mr. Spud.

Tomorrow under rainy skies it's on to Turkey Swamp.

JULY 17, 2007 - Day 11

(Reported at 4:26pm) The people at St. David's Episcopal Church were amazing. Not only did they let us stay inside last night, but Mr. Russ took us to find the best route to Jamesburg. After a wonderful supper, we read the letter from Barack Obama congratulating us. We went to bed and Ms. Cheryl prepared our breakfasts and lunches. As we headed out of town this morning, we passed wonderful historical buildings, all marked with the dates they were built.

But, tragically, Ms. Cheryl got a phone call informing her that her father, Mike Koerner at age 50, passed away. Mr. Mike was a friend of the Gatherer Institute and had been active with the Boy Scouts, as well as being a single father of five children, four daughters and a son. He always had a quick and funny comment and was always willing to help us out whenever he could. Those of us who were his friend will miss him. The kids want Ms. Cheryl to know that they send her their love, and Shelly - an original Kamy Dental Peep. Our hearts are with you, and Mr. Mike will walk with us as we finish the Walkabout.

The kids pushed on, getting water support from a local bank. Every kid who started the walk that morning made it as a unit without a problem into Jamesburg, with Ms. Cheryl much on our minds.

After a stop at a local bakery and ice cream parlor, we headed to the Little League field, where we will camp overnight. The field also has a skateboard park and a track. Some of the kids ran laps while a handful of the Peeps used the skateboard ramps as slides. Irvin's Mom will cook for us, and we're all looking forward to that. Tomorrow, it's on to Quail Hill.

JULY 16, 2007 - Day 10

(Reported at 3:38pm) Today, we walked to Cranbury. This is a historical town where George Washington prepared for the Battle of Monmouth. We are following Washington's Road to Victory until Turkey Swamp. The people of St. David's Episcopal Church in Cranbury showed us so much hospitality, and we thank them for sheltering us from the rain. Also, Brandt's mother Michelle is going to stop by with Brownies this evening. Mmmmm, brownies. Chelsea Carballo was interviewed on WOBM this morning, and the baby giraffe is still not born.

While walking today, we met a group from a Delaware Cycling club heading to Toms River. In that group was a teacher who is an instructor in a Chinese Forestry School. She told us that she will use our stories from the road to instruct her class. The supplementary materials we're creating here on our website will help them to learn about our country. We want to thank the Chinese people for inventing such a useful hat that we have all been wearing for the Walkabout. So far, we have used it as a cereal bowl, a tea filter, a shield, a washbasin, an umbrella, and of course, a hat. Because Poison ivy grows on overhead poles, the hat has actually prevented us from getting poison ivy, while shielding our head from ticks.

Things are going wonderfully well, and it was nice to have a short ten-mile walk today with a nice breeze and overcast skies.

We also received a letter of encouragement from Barack Obama.
(click letter to enlarge)

JULY 15, 2007 - Day 9

Baby Giraffe update from Day 5: Bridget’s Animal Kingdom Zoo reports that the birth of the baby giraffe is imminent. It may even happen tonight!

Thanks to Mary Julia Kephart for the following photos.

Today we reached the 130 mile mark of the Walkabout! We walked from Washington Crossing to Kingston.

The day started at 4 AM, we got ready and were out by five, with bagels in our belly. Ms. Nikki, Mr. John and Aunt Maria were there to help us along. Ms. Jean Cipriani, a native of the area, also walked with us. It was a rough day. Very humid, plus we were all hurting from the soccer game. We walked on to Princeton, and the Hopewell and Lawrenceville Poice helped escort us. We reached Princeton, feeling very sleepy and still having three and a half miles to go. We took a break in Princeton, were interviewed and photographed by the press. We were late for church services, although Chelsea managed to go fast enough to make it in time for mass.

When the people at Nassau Presbyterian in Princeton found out what we were doing, Reverend

Nancy offered to have a special service for us in the sanctuary. She showed us around, while some of us attended, while others slept in the air-conditioned. We also stopped at Thomas' ice cream shop, where Mr. Stanley Kephart treated us all to ice creams. It was awesome. Then, on to Kingston, where we were met by a gentleman dressed in Revolutionary clothing. He showed us that we were straddling three counties on the bridge where we met him.

Kingston is a very friendly, super-historic town. Washington used Rockingham to write the farewell address to his troops. We visited. We even got to visit the Canal Keeper's house, where they opened the floodgates for us and we were told the history of the canal. At Rockingham, we were treated to a tour of the house that was George Washington's home for the six months he was in New Jersey. We found out that George Washington hated wigs and never wore them, was very tall and strong in the thighs, and that he loved to dance. When we got to the firehouse, the fire company had provided us each with flashlights, trading cards of the firetrucks, and a drinking cup with the firehouse logo. Then we got hosed down with water from one of the trucks! It was great! We were almost semi-clean.

Today we said goodbye to the long days of walking. The rest of the way, we will never again do a fifteen-miler. Tomorrow, it's on to Cranbury!

JULY 14, 2007 - Day 8

Trenton to Washington crossing - up to mile 114.5

We slept late after the Thunder game, and woke to get on the road at about 6:00 AM, which was a real treat considering the other times we had to wake up. With our stomachs full of breakfast sandwiches, we headed out of Trenton with a Police escort, which was good because our first two signs were stolen before the walk. Let's be optimistic and say that somewhere in Trenton we're getting free advertising. We were escorted by the hard-working, kind-hearted, benevolent Trenton Police, who are such wonderful people.

We walked ten miles down the route of George Washington's invasion of Trenton, and in our fantasy we were strolling with the soldiers from the American Revolution. Then we took a relaxing break next to the Delaware River. After our rest we walked across the Delaware River into New Jersey. On our way, the bridge was windy and Jonathan's hat blew off and landed in the river. The currents carried it away. We asked some kind boaters to get it but they couldn't find it. We walked 2 miles back to the site where camp was, and we found it set with sandwiches and all the tents already pitched for us. Then we played a wild game of soccer, but some of us got injured. We all ate cake, and no one wanted to go to bed, even though the next day was a 4 AM wake-up. Finally, we got to sleep. Ms. Lois, who had been with us from the beginning of the Walkabout, had to leave. We'll really miss her and the little Kamy Dental Peeps.

JULY 13, 2007 - Day 7

Friday the 13th of July, was a day that started out with a fit of bad luck. Instead of leaving at 4:30 from the 237 year old Crosswicks Meeting House we took around 237 years to get started because we left at 6:00 instead of 4:30. We trudged to Trenton, straining with the burden of being late and tired. But soon some of us were inspired by the sun's improvement and the tomato plants wavy dance. The rest of us who were dragging our feet on the road had positive reinforcements when we stopped at McDonalds half way along our trip.

We enjoyed drinks breakfast burritos and play equipment. We thanked McDonalds in Trenton for the drinks. Earlier in the day, for our first breakfast, we took Lucky Charms (dry of course) and put them in our hats and used the hats as cereal bowls. Some of us did this again as we left McDonalds. We marched on to the Skelton Library in Trenton. There the police, led by Officer Scarapelli, gave us an escort. We waived to passersby and spoke to random people on the street and chanted (a lot like Hari Krishnas).

Along the route we were greeted by a sheriff, the head of the Municipal Alliances of New Jersey, and the Head of the Division of Human Services, and many other people from the Human Services office building. They all signed our shirts, congratulated us, and then Mr. Fred Miller led us to his Friends Meeting House in Trenton, walking with us (and helping us chant). The Municipal Alliance gave us free pens to help us to remember our day in Trenton. We went to the Quaker Meeting and slept a siesta. When we woke up, the Division of Human Services provided us with a huge and wonderful lunch.

After lunch, each Poison Ivy met with Mr. Frank and counted the point totals. The Apple Cookies won the competition and selected Kenny to throw out the first ball, which turned out to be an excellent choice, as you'll soon read.

Then we walked to Waterfront Stadium, an additional two miles, chanting and singing and talking to the people all the way. We had two duties to perform at the Trenton Thunder game: we were to parade around the field and throw out the first ball. Irvin's mom came along with a Duncan Donuts tailgate party as we waited for the game to begin. A few of us played in a blowup obstacle course.

We walked the field chanting while the announcer spoke about the Walkabout and our sponsors' names were put up on the DiamondVision screen. One of the players on the opposing team asked Joshua Cuocola for his hat, which Joshua refused.

Kenny Mercandante, the Crow on the South Toms River Apple Cookies, threw out the opening ball, a perfect strike. We took our seats. Joshua Cuocola was asked to go out onto the field and got a free hat. With two outs in the ninth, it was 4-0 Trenton and would have been the perfect ending to a perfect day, but the Trenton Thunder blew their lead. With 2 outs and nobody on, the opposing team rallied to tie the score, and the game went into extra innings which wasn't so good for us because we had to get up the next morning at 5. The Trenton Thunder were defeated by a score of 5-4.

Reverend Oscar Cradle drove us back to the Trenton Friends Meeting and many of us got our first long car ride in over a week. This 2-mile ride was the only planned car ride on the whole walkabout and we thanked Rev.Oscar for coming all the way to Trenton for us. We slept that night where Hessians had been operated on and where the Continental Congress met. And the ghosts of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and 100 German soldiers creaked the floorboards while we slept.

JULY 12, 2007 - Day 6

(Reported at 10:23pm) Today's journey was an intriguing one from the moment of awakening to the loquacious lemurs and docile, yet feisty monkeys. Luckily though we were, provided with the "privilege,"of waking up late (our late wake up call is actually 6:00 am).

After cleaning and packing and straightening up, we began our, "short," walk (13 miles). We stopped occasionally to cornstarch our feet, rest, and check for hydration. We ran into a couple of unexpected surprises --receiving a tremendous amount of hospitality from St. Claire's Monastary (lemonade, cookies, air conditioning and a visit to their beautiful chapel). One of the Sisters joined the Walkabout and led us through a beautiful farmland. We walkers had a little more pep in our step afterwards.

After saying our goodbyes, we got a little bit sidetracked (basically we went the wrong way). Luckily, we didn't go too far. After turning around, we saw workers cutting down trees. Disgusting.

Finally we arrived at about 3:00. Crosswicks Friends is a historic building that was part of a battle in the American Revolution--we could still see a cannonball lodged just below the second story windows in the brickwork. Friends Congregation was so welcoming; so warm. They cooked us a delicious meal and even gave us a digital camera and a photo album to record our journey. This was wonderful because all our camera screens got damaged in packing, and now we have to guess what we shoot. This one is staying in its box whenever it is not being used.

We had ice cold showers and went to bed early, because tomorrow we leave for Trenton at 4:30 in the morning.

JULY 11, 2007 - Day 5

(Reported at 10:35pm) We marched through the front gates of Fort Dix, marching and chanting. We were cheered at the gates by people who were in the cars lined up to get into the base. We were crossed over by an MP.

We headed into Springfield. In Springfield we were escorted by the Chief of Police will flashing lights and all. We received a hearty welcome at the Town Hall. We were invited to play on the township's soccer field and playground and give a supply of water.

We continued on to Bridget’s Animal Kingdom Zoo, where we were treated with a cook-out and a tour of the zoo. Most of the kids felt like they had never seen a zoo like this before. It was absolutely fantastic and everyone should visit this zoo. We set up a human exhibit at the zoo, and we were the humans.

At the time of this writing one of the giraffes is having contractions and we are hoping to witness the birth of a baby giraffe sometime tonight.

Special thanks go out to our hosts, Bridget the zoo owner and her father Bill, who repaired our tents.

JULY 10, 2007 - Day 4

(Reported at 7:49pm) What a day!!! We marched to Ft. Dix, and were treated so well on the base. The kids got to see the museum, we prepared frantically for a thunderstorm, while the support vehicle had trouble finding the keys. The heat index was really high, but we walked early in the morning and were well-hydrated, thanks to Ms. Singh! Shane was on WOBM AM, interviewed by the Bob and Marianne in the Morning show. To be continued....

JULY 9, 2007 - Day 3

(Reported at 11:35pm) We arrived at Delanco Camp! We finally met the King of the Mome Wraiths. The King and the Mome Wraiths have been following us these past days. The King was camouflaged by the side of the road, and jumped out to surprise us. Many thanks to our friends at the Point Tactical School for all their help.

Ms Cheryl started us out by preparing an amzaing breakfast over the campfire griddle --potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausages, pancakes. Incredible!

Delanco Camp --Swimming holes, indoor meals and soon to bed in a lodge with air conditioning! The treated us very, very well here. After a long post-walk siesta, the kids played night games.

A nice ten-mile hike --made possible by the usual, awesome, come-to-the-rescue support of Ms. Lynne and the heroic walking ability of Ms. Nancy, were highlights of a wonderful day.

Thanks to Mrs. Beverly Fort of Allentown, NJ for the milkshakes!

JULY 8, 2007 - Day 2

(Reported at 10:04pm) Today was an early day. Temperatures soared in the 90’s. We were beset with mishaps: Two (2) teams started walking the wrong way, consequently the Peeps and Apple Cookies walked an extra mile. We still made excellent time and arrived at Chatsworth. Here we met Mrs. Nancy from EMS and interviewed her.

The Mome Wraiths switched the mile marker signs and dogged our every step. The last miles were hard and some didn’t quite make the journey. But in the spirit of Emilio Carranza, the aviator at whose memorial we are spending the night, they were in the game all the way and tomorrow we’re ready to face whatever the road has in store.

We were treated to the softest bagels in the world today. Also, the last difficult miles we did not know how afar we had to go. After a grinding eternity, the kids had to ask ”How much longer?” But we knew there was a reason we were on this road. And just as we talked about purpose we saw a car pulling up. We flagged it down to ask how many miles we were from the memorial. The passenger in the car turned out to be reporter from USA Today and she interviewed the kids who were still on the road.

JULY 7, 2007 - Day 1 - WALKABOUT BEGINS!!!

(Reported at 4:39pm) We got off to a late start, and we had to get to Lacey by nine. The kids stepped up. Kamy Dental Peeps started first, and ended up first at the checkpoint.

The Apple Cookies were the next to leave, and they also walked the eight miles to the Lacey checkpoint in the allotted time.

Then the Optimists took off, and though trailing the pack, and stopping to admire things along the way- none of the kids had to be taken off the road (the others lost one each, but these later resumed the walk after resting in a car.

One big mishap- the night before the walk, the Optimists lost their leader temporarily. He spent the day previous to the walk in the ER (sliced by glass through the hand) but hopes to join the team later in the walk, and walk the distance with a splinted hand.

The rest made the 17 mile walk in 6.5 hours, set up camp, did tick checks, and then engaged in a lively game of football, after a big pizza and watermelon lunch. Bedtime will be early, because tomorrow we hit the road at 5, and head deep into Mome Wraith country.

Apropos- we spotted some Mome Wraiths hiding in the forest, but no New Jersey Devil spottings yet. Maybe tonight.

I want everyone to know how proud I feel about their kids. I walked with the Optimists, and they helped each other through the drudgery and wonder of the miles. We saw a timber rattler, and hope that our video of that comes out!

JULY 1, 2007
photo by J. Kienzlen

Grandfather Little Hawk inspiring all the kids for the Walkabout.

photo by J. Kienzlen

Kids having fun making music with Grandfather Little Hawk.

photo by J. Kienzlen

Final meeting a week before the Walkabout.

NEW! TREE PLANTING VIDEO (3:52 min.)
Produced by the kids doing the Walkabout

WALKABOUT VIDEO
featuring Bob Saunders (6 min.)
Produced by the kids doing the Walkabout

Below is our Training Schedule and Important Meetings for the Walkabout.

Links to all the required Handouts & Paperwork are in the left column.

Training Schedule

May 2007

		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31	1	2

TRAINING FOR THE WALKABOUT

Training should not take more than an hour each day,
except for 4th week. Walk six days, rest for one day.

1st week.. .1.5 miles per day.
2nd week... Walk 2 miles per day.
3rd week. .. Walk 2.5 miles per day.
4th week.... Walk 3.5 miles per day.
Try and walk in groups. It's more beneficial.

June 2007

3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30

5th week... Walk 4.5 miles
SCHOOL ENDS 6/10
6th week... walk 6.5 miles.
You can break it into two sessions.
7th week... walk 9 miles.

Monday, June 25:

Long day rehersal.
We'll a 15 mile walk (7.5 up the road, 7.5 back)
Walk 6 days a week- one day off for recovery.
Daily walk can be split up.
1/2 distance in AM, 1/2 distance in PM

You're aiming to build endurance.

July 7, 2007 - WALKABOUT BEGINS!

IMPORTANT MEETINGS

For anyone who has been to a Walkabout meeting, you know we make these promises:

1. The meetings will be energetic and fun.
2. The meetings will follow an agenda.
3. We'll feed you.
4. We'll end on time.

Dec. 19, 2006: Getting to Know us

JANUARY

January 9, 2007: Getting more people
January 23, 2007: Still Recruiting...

FEBRUARY

February 6, 2007: Working as a team...
February 23, 2007: Brother Bob

MARCH

March 14, 2007: Bat team competition
March 28, 2007: Grandfather Littlehawk & the Art of Storytelling

APRIL

April 2, 2007: Becoming an Optimist Club
April 16, 2007: Making South Toms River Beautiful.
April 23, 2007: Planting Day (9AM) All 1000+ trees in the ground by this date. All paperwork MUST be in before training.

MAY

May 6, 2007: Training begins for the Walkabout. We're seven weeks from the event.

May 9, 2007: Play for strength- Physical training begins. Manhunt game in the 88 Acres.

JUNE

June 25, 2007: Long day rehersal- We'll test our longest day (in miles)

NOTE: All meetings are at the Wells Chapel AME Church unless otherwise indicated.