Just Sayin'...

I am happy to share that as of October 7, I have biked 3,880 miles of the 4,000 mile goal set for the Open Hands Midway 'Miles for Meals' fundraiser. You may be surprised, or not, that my bike tires have somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 miles on them. Now that you know that little tidbit let me share that on Saturday, October 4 I got new tires! After all the miles I have biked my tires actually started coming apart. I am now the proud owner of a new set that my bike shop says will get me down the trail at least another 10,000 miles. So I will not be stopping until I reach the goal I mentioned above or the weather is too cold or it snows. If you are not aware, this year is more special as our Board of Directors approved a NEW fundraiser called 'Miles for Meals'. We set a goal to raise $3,600.00 and I committed to riding 3,000 miles! With the generous support of many, we surpassed that goal and set a new one of $6,100.00 AND an anonymous donor offered to match $500.00 per month IF we can raise $500.00 on our own. As of Friday, October 3, we have reached our goal BUT once again we are not stopping because we have not reached $500.00 for October and we would love to be awarded the matching $500.00. We hope you will help us by making a donation at https://www.givemn.org/donate/Open-Hands-Midway OR you can make a check payable to Open Hands Midway, indicate 'Miles for Meals' in the memo line and mail to: Open Hands Midway, 436 Roy St. N., St. Paul, MN 55104. Thank you for your support, just sayin'...

You might be wondering where I have been riding to get miles for the fundraiser. One thing is that I recently took a week of vacation and rode several really awesome bike trails in Western and Southwestern Wisconsin. I rode the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail that goes from Dresser to Amery Wisconsin. The trail is crushed limestone and the round trip was 28 miles. (If you want a good laugh, ask me about the Cattail State Trail which I did a part of after I got to Amery, enough said here). Then it was on to the Elroy-Sparta State Trail from Sparta to Elroy Wisconsin. The trail is crushed limestone and the round trip was 66 miles. The picture above shows one of the three tunnels you pass through along the trail. This trail is considered the first rail-to-trail in the United States. There are 3 tunnels you pass through and they say to bring a flash light because they are dark and long. Tunnel 1 is 1,694 feet, tunnel 2 is 1,694 feet and tunnel 3 is 3,810 feet long. It took 3 years to build them in the 1870's. The big doors you see on the tunnel were used because water seeps through the limestone walls and ceilings making them more prone to seasonal freezing and thawing. To prevent rocks from collapsing around the tunnel entrances, double doors were built at each end of the three tunnels to seal in warmer temperatures during the cold months. When the trains operated, the railroad hired watchmen to open and close the doors up to 50 times a day! I recommend this ride and I recommend a flash light. The day I rode it was 86 degrees outside so the tunnel was a welcome reprieve from the heat. My next trip took me on the 400 State Trail which is named after the Mighty 400 Locomotive which is said to have traveled 400 miles in 400 minutes between Chicago and St. Paul! The round trip from Elroy to Reedsburg Wisconsin was 44 miles. Then it was on to the Old Abe State Trail, an asphalt trail taking me from Chippewa Falls to Cornell Wisconsin, a 40 mile round trip. I ended my week on the Red Cedar State Trail out of Menomonie Wisconsin, another crushed limestone trail and a round trip of 29 miles. With other short rides thrown in, I biked 320 miles that week. It was an amazing week, amazing weather and amazing trails. I highly recommend these trails. I took a lot of really great pictures and have many great stories to share. Feel free to ask me more if you are interested, I love sharing about my rides, just sayin'...

Next month, on Thursday, November 20, 2025 to be exact, Open Hands Midway will once again take part in Give to the Max day. This day is all about supporting your favorite charity with a financial contribution to help them do what they do. Please mark your calendar for November 20 and watch our website, and Facebook page for more information. A special match is being offered by the Paul & Sheila Steiner Charitable Lead Trust. As you plan for this day of giving, know that what you give will be matched from November 13 through November 20. If that does not inspire you to give I do not know what would, just sayin'...

Open Hands Midway is excited to be hosting our 3rd Annual Community Night of Light - Feeding Our Neighbors in Need' event. This event has been such a success and those who attended have said they thought it is very enjoyable and meaningful. We hope many people will come and enjoy hot cocoa, cookies and the sight of the lights on the trees. Mark your calendar, dress for the weather and join us at 6:00 pm on Friday, December 5, just sayin'...

As I finish this blog post I want to offer a HUGE thank you to our host site, Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Since the inception of Open Hands Midway, and before, they have been a wonderful partner who not only allows us space to host our meal and food shelf programs but supports us in a myriad of ways. Some of those ways are: Members who volunteer, Pastor Kirsten and two other members serving on our Board of Directors, holding food drives at Christmas, and many more. We could not do what we do without their support and kindness all these years. So to Pastor Kirsten and EVERYONE from Bethlehem Lutheran please accept our thanks,

just sayin'...