Upper Sandusky, Bucyrus and Marion

After breakfast at the hotel in Tiffin, our riders congregated for equipment checks and last minute instructions.  We were thankful for the arrangements by the Tiffin Rotary, which placed us in a hotel very near the route.  We rode out under hazy skies and temperatures in the upper 60's--ideal riding weather.

Our next stop was an 11:00 lunch with the Upper Sandusky club, which had rescheduled its regular Monday meeting to coincide with our tour.  The 23-mile route took us through some of Ohio's most bucolic countryside.  Long steady climbs were rewarded by fast downhills, topping over 30 mph in places.

In Upper Sandusky we were greeted by club president Jenny Romich, MESA coordinator Jessica Moon, and other club members at a local park, where this 35-member club had helped build a pavilion and also an amphitheater.  After a lunch courtesy of Special Occasions Catering, we participated in the club's weekly meeting by sharing the fun and purpose of the Tour for MESA.

From Upper Sandusky we rode on to Bucyrus.  By now the skies had cleared, and both the temperature and winds were rising.  We were glad for the break provided by the Bucyrus Club at the Rotary "Field of Dreams", a complex of 3 baseball fields and a pavilion...an amazing contribution by a 50-member club.  President Christina Fox and immediate past president Phil Harris, along with other club members, provided fruit, snacks, drinks...and running updates on the US v. France Women's World Cup semi-final soccer match.

We headed to Marion impressed by the tremendous local and international effect of the two clubs in Upper Sandusky and Bucyrus.  It was a reminder that with dedication and effort, every Rotary club can have a profound influence, regardless of its size.  We certainly appreciated their contribution to our journey and to the mission of MESA.

                     
      Bikers celebrate arrival in Marion with iced tea libations



Next stop, Marion...and a much-anticipated dinner at one of the Tour's favorite stops.  As if sensing our anticipation, the winds provided a tailwind and we cruised into Marion averaging 20 mph or more.  We rendevouzed with MESA coordinator Scott Shawver, who directed us to our lodgings.  After showers we met at The Warehouse, an Italian restaurant owned by Marion Rotarian Tim Kildow and located in the delightfully restored Inter Urban Railway Freight Station.  We were hosted by club president and Marion City School District superintendent, Dr. James Barney, club board member and Marion County Family Court judge, Hon. Deborah Alspach, and Scott Shawver.  The meal was predictably delightful--including three different pasta dishes--and we enjoyed Shawver's description of the Marion club's significant recent contributions to MESA including dental chairs, examination table, x-ray equipment, and financial contributions of more than $1,100.00.

All in all, an awesome day.  Great riding, great Rotary fellowship, and continued awareness of and contributions to the mission of Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad.

Tomorrow...our final day.  Not quite the fabled Pyrenees in the Tour de France, but the hills of Mansfield are no piece of cake.


Kurt Anderson