R4OPL at ConnJam this coming weekend

This weekend I start a full court press to find people and Scout units to help me on my Ultra Challenge. This weekend about 2,200 Scouts from around CT will be coming to Orange for our regional jamboree and I'll be running a booth there to educate people about Habitat for Humanity, the ScoutsCAN program and my Ultra Challenge. My hope is that I will sign up 6 units to bring my nighttime supplies to me each evening and bring my spent supplies back home for replenishing for the next day. I see every day how much logistics I must work through to make this successful and it is truly daunting!

Last year I just had to get myself to each of the races I ran but this year I must get supplies delivered to me each evening for 6 consecutive days in remote locations of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

I really need to get people to start committing to helping on specific days so its not a last minute effort. I have faith in my fellow Scouts. I'll be manning the Habitat booth from 9 to noon on Saturday if you are going to be there... the general public can come as well, it's not just for Scouts.

I just realized I never published this post and it was sitting out there pending... sorry.

ConnJam was fun and I had a lot of Scout units which showed interest supporting me on my Ultra. We'll see if any of them actually come through for me.

While at ConnJam I ran a "Timber Signing" to show Scout units other ways they could raise money for ScoutsCAN. A timber signing is an event where you lay out new 2x4 studs and people donate money to be able to sign the 2x4s or write a message of encouragement to Habitat homeowners. Those 2x4s are then built into an actual Habitat home. I had a voluntary donation jar because the objective was not to raise money but instead to demonstrate a concept. What I was truly amazed at was the fact that the youngest Scouts who came to sign their names were the ones who most willingly reached into their pockets and donated a dollar or two. Many adults and older Scouts signed the 2x4s without donating, which isn't bad because again I wasn't trying to raise money, its more the amazement of how willing young Scouts are to give of what little they have. That's a very impressive statement for our youth!