3 weeks out did I bite off too much?

Three weeks.

21 days.

504 hours.

30,240 minutes.

1, 814, 400 seconds.

That’s how long before I get on a raft in St. Paul, Minnesota and am set adrift to float down the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

I embark on this trip with the hope that I can raise enough money to keep Spare Key open and continuing to support our www.helpmebounce.org mission to help families facing a medical crisis.

The odds against us are huge.

We estimate we are poised to have a net revenue loss of over $500,000 due to COVID-19’s impact on the economy which has forced us to cancel or postpone events, see a 90% drop in individual donations and a near halt to foundation and corporate grants.

But I have hope.

And, it is on the Mississippi that I hope to find Hope on the River.

10 states. 1,700 miles. 2 months. 1 raft.

It all seems so daunting.

Yet, I remain dauntless in my belief that Spare Key is worth saving.

As I type this on my balcony with my 4th cup of coffee this morning, I am mindful of the task ahead of me.

I am also mindful of the bounty of kindness and generosity and hard work from everyone who has stepped up to support this effort.

From the Spare Key Team, Board of Directors to friends and family and strangers from all corners of the country – there is hope.

A 14-year old, a 19-year old, a bunch of 50 and 60 and near 70-year old’s coming together to build a raft – there is hope.

Companies donating equipment, supplies and offering a bed, a hot shower, and a meal – there is hope.

Volunteers creating databases and delivering supplies and interns fueling our social media – there is hope.

Each day that passes creates a combination of excitement and anxiety in me. 

The excitement of the journey ahead of me.

The anxiety that I am running out of daylight to secure sponsors – make sure the raft is seaworthy – and make sure that the family and home I leave behind has all that they need while I am on a raft in a river.

As I marked my 57th birthday on June 16th I found myself believing that I could easily build a raft and leisurely float down the Mississippi River to raise money for Spare Key.

Today, a mere 51 days later I am convinced that I may have bitten off a lot to chew.

Too much?

Never.

Still, I’m not altogether sure how this is all going to turn out.

I hope you will follow my journey at www.hopeontheriver.com

I hope you will consider texting RIVER to 52000 and make a quick $5.00 donation.

I hope you will consider asking your company to sponsor this trip at https://sparekey.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Hope-On-The-River-Sponsorship-Levels-8.3.pdf

I hope you will join us at the Pre-Launch Party on August 26th by registering at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/hopeontheriverprelaunch

My heart overflows with gratitude with three weeks to go from my journey into the unknown.

It also skips a beat or two as I think about sleeping on a raft at night on the banks of the Mississippi River – or getting through a lock and dam – and figuring out how to tie up to a dock anywhere along my way.

I take all the associated dangers and risks seriously. I am no longer of an age where I feel myself invincible.

I intend to make it through to the end of this trip in one piece and hopefully with the success of raising the money and awareness we need to keep Spare Key afloat.

But I hope to do more than that.

I hope to inspire you and others with the beauty and magnificence of this remarkable country and this powerful river I will travel upon.

I hope to share with you the goodness and kindness of strangers who want to help other strangers and in doing so become fellow Americans.

I hope to never forget that my reason for doing this trip is so that families facing a medical crisis always know that Spare Key is there to help them “Bounce and not Break.”

So, it’s back to the task at-hand to prepare for this journey. And, making sure that I am as sure about what I can be sure about as possible.

There is Hope on the River.

And, soon, it will travel down the Mississippi River with the S.S. Hail Mary to share that hope with families throughout America.