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Day 23

This morning I decided to sit in a different table for breakfast. Suddenly I felt two tiny taps on my left shoulder. Turned and saw a little girl standing there with a smile on her face. Lily was her name.
I wasn't feeling that well during the day so I had to skip lunch and stay in to rest. I felt so bad because I promised that I'll be there for lunch but I couldn't.
With her eyebrows frowned, Lily opened up our dinner conversation by saying, "I missed you for lunch, I was sad." My heart suddenly melt, I looked at her in the eyes and truthfully said, "I'm here now for dinner, and I'll be there with you for the dance party as well!"
It's crazy how one sentence can make a huge impact to people. She instantly had a big smile on her face, and that's when I know I truly made the connection with her. It was priceless, and I'd give anything just to keep that smile on her face.
There's so much more I would like to share, but one of the most impactful moments was when she asked to climb onto my back during the dance party. Knowing that she felt safe and happy was the best thing in the world. I wish you all the best Lily, may we meet again!

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Day 24

July 26, 2017

Wake up came bright and early again this morning as day three started at Down Home Ranch. We enjoyed breakfast in the lodge, then continued with the barn renovation. Our progress over these three days has been amazing, and it just goes to show that we are working like a well oiled machine.

At lunch, I got to eat with one of the ranchers and we had a great conversation about pretty much anything you can think of. What stood out the most though, is that we both share a love of superheroes and video games. Needless to say we talked for a good while, and it was hard to leave to get back in the work site.

Jake Foster
AA800

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Day 22

Today was our third day on site at the Rocky Mountain Village camp. We have been working on an accessible decking project that climbs up the side of the mountain the camp is located out.

Before work today I arranged for the team to climb Mt. Evans for a morning sunrise hike. I go to school here in Colorado and have done the 14er in the past. Remembering how awe struck I was at the top made me excited to share and relive that experience with fellow brothers on this trip.

After the hike we returned to continue working on the boardwalk project. We had several teams working through the woods along the trails on foundation, framing, joists, and decking. I'm happy with the result of todays work and can't wait to complete it tomorrow.

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Day 21

Today we woke up at 7:30 to get ready for the day. At 8:30 we all left to get breakfast with the campers and today I decided to sit down at a table with a few campers who I got to know pretty well. We went back and fourth talking about cars and video games. A little boy named Logan and I got to talking about superheroes and that conversation just started my day off great. Myself and a couple other people did an errand run for everyone since we did not need a lot of guys on the work site to begin with. We bonded in the car over different types of music and looking at the wonderful views of Colorado. Once we got back it had been thundering and lightening, and found out it started to hail. Once we got back everyone was inside drying off, and myself and Quinn went back to the worksite to get a start on what we were not able to help with. Within 2 hours we finished cementing the blocks and helping deck when everyone came back up after the required 30 minutes. In the evening after we packed up we joined the campers again for dinner, I sat with my table again and joined in with the group songs that go along with the meal and announcements. The programming that night was a movie, but we did our mid-team evaluation on how everything was going. As far as we are, we all have grown this bond between one another that I hope will continue throughout the next 3 weeks. Our curfew was 9:30 because our brother Austin is planning on taking us on a hike to Mt. Evans to see the sun rise.

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Day 20

There is truly nothing like waking up to the breathtaking sights that Rocky Mountain Village has to offer. We had a brief walk around the camp and inspected the worksite and planned out how to approach our project for the week. For the past eight years, several Build America teams have had the opportunity to drive into Denver and build a wheelchair accessible nature walk through the mountains. With teams set and ready to work, we cranked out an effective work day that ended early due to thunder storms, and enjoyed a filling taco dinner. I met one of the campers, Gage, who was elated to tell me about his zip lining experience, and was super interested in what me and the rest of the team were building on site.

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Riding for hope

For Marquette High School Alumnus Ambrose Haas, participating in the 40th annual Journey of Hope bike ride is about more than spending time with his fellow Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members.

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Cross-country biker has come full cycle

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Competition on wheels helps offers perspective on overcoming disabilities

More than 200 people attended the second annual "Wheels vs. Wheels" evening event at the North Suburban YMCA (NSYMCA) in Northbrook last week.