Hopkins 4K for Cancer

June 28, 2002

Day 27 (39 miles) Fairbury, NE to Brunin
After a pleasant night sleeping under the stars, everyone was psyched for today’s ride. It was a short day, only 39 miles, so we decided to have a little fun. A combination scavenger hunt and race was planned. The leaders split the group into five teams of four. Each team came up with a unique name and characteristic. Some used body paint to show their pride, some wore matching yellow jerseys, and one group wore the young men’s undershirt often seen on the TV show “Cops.” Adam took the team photos and everyone was ready to go.

The list of items each team was required to get for the scavenger hunt may seem a bit strange, but it was intended to encourage us to interact with the local people. It included the usual things such as an ear of corn, a bumper sticker, and a penny flattened by a train. We also needed to get a signature from a town official, the “call name” and real name of a truck driver, a cowbell, and a horseshoe. The race began with a little bit of foul play by “Team Yellow” as Brent let the air out of Leah’s tire, costing team “One Armed Bandits” precious minutes in the early stages. The favor was soon returned when the Fairbury police asked team “One Armed Bandits” why 22 multi-colored, spandex clad bicyclists were running around the railroad tracks with handfuls of pennies. They explained the situation and then told the cops what Brent had done to Leah’s tire. The two officers decided to have a chat with our friends from “Team Yellow,” threatening them with fake charges of “felonious destruction of property.” It was hilarious to see “Yellow’s” reaction at lunch when told the other bikers set the cops on them.

But the controversy over which team won began when “Team Yellow” tried to use plastic horseshoes and cowbells purchased at the local Phillips 66 gas station instead of the real ones everyone else tried to find. Every other group stopped to talk with farmers to find their horseshoes and cowbells. A winner was never declared due to the fact that everyone fell asleep for a midday siesta. We spent the night at a Lutheran Church, and three very nice women made us a delicious lasagna dinner. Today was a good day; we all met some interesting people and had some fun doing it. Hopefully we can have another scavenger hunt.

-Dan O’Reilley