The Prouty finale, wrapping up six months of fundraising and other activities, took place today! Because the festivities didn't start until 1000, I went to Mass (0800) and then came back to pick Mollie up because she wanted to volunteer the event. We stopped to get her friend (Patrick) from his hotel and then drove to Dewey Lot on the Dartmouth campus. I signed in for the Walk and then helped Mollie and Patrick get assignments as volunteers (everyone got T-Shirts!). Along with several hundred other participants and supporters (including cancer survivors), I then walked along a 5K-long route through Hanover and the Dartmouth campus. The weather was great for an event like this and everyone was decked out in their Prouty gear. Once again, I was thinking of my mom, who passed away from Hodgkins almost 35 years ago. I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to be part of The Prouty- with help from many of my friends, family and company, I've raised over $6000 in the last two years (and was in the @Virtual Prouty” Top 10 in raising funds this year). These generous donations have gone to support the important work of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Someday, I hope we can all someday celebrate the discovery of a cure for Cancer! While I was walking the course (1000 to 1100), Mollie and Patrick cheered on the people who were completing the walking course. It was great to have another family member be part of today’s celebration of the fundraiser. After I was finished, we ate lunch, provided to participants and volunteers, and then left Hanover (1130). Mollie told me that she wanted to pick blueberries and we found a place (Bascom Road Blueberry Farm) near Newport. I used I-89, NH-10 and NH-103 (and some back roads) to reach the Farm so that she and Patrick could fill up a bucket of huge, juicy berries (I helped). We left the Farm at around 1300 and drove to Claremont, where we did some light sightseeing. The kids were still looking for something interesting so I took them across the Connecticut River (into Vermont) to Mount Ascutney State Park (we arrived at 1345). Because the road was actually open this time, I was able to take them most of the way up the mountain on blacktop. After listening to a Ranger talk on the geology of the mountain (conducted in the parking lot), we climbed 3/4 of a mile (via the Slab Trail) to the observation tower. What a view! In addition to peaks across the Granite State, we could the tops of mountains in Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine. Weather was really nice and we relaxed on some rocks before we headed back down (via the Slot Trail). We then (1530) made our way (carefully, because of the steep grade) down the mountain road in my car (I was nervous about heating up the brakes). We'd previously agreed that I could take Mollie to a pre-Birthday dinner in the evening so I drove them back to Hanover (via I-91, I-89 and NH-120). Patrick told me he needed to pick up a hat he had lost at the Nugget theater the day before so I took him there (and he found the hat). I then dropped him off (after we stopped to put the blueberries in my condo) at his hotel and Mollie and I continued on to West Lebanon so we could eat dinner at Lui Lui (Italian). We had to wait for a table for a little bit so we went exploring in the Powerhouse Mall until one was ready (1700). Once seated, we had a nice time eating, talking and watching people playing Bocci Ball. We finished eating (and our really busy day) at around 1800 (we were home less than 45 minutes later). Great day to cap off a weekend of beautiful weather and outdoor activities!
