Chicago...My Kind of Town
Wow. What a weekend. For those of you who don't know, I went to Chi-town this weekend for the benefit "Hustle up the Hancock." By the way, even though the race is over, you may still donate to the cause. Get in contact with me if you choose to.
We arrived in Chicago late Thursday and a friend of our hosts, the Ferkaus, had left us her apartment while she stayed with another friend in the building. So we had an apartment to ourselves and way too much food provided by everyone involved in hosting us. Friday, my friend Jenn Amendt, rang the opening bell at the Chicago Stock Exchange while the rest of us stood up at the top with her. Pretty cool. After that we went to the Shedd Aquarium. Then went to ChinaTown to eat that night.
Saturday was spent on Michigan Ave. shopping and seeing some sights. A big dinner at an Italian restaurant culminated the day.
Sunday morning came the walk/run up the 94 floors of the Hancock building. What can I say about that...lol...floors 1-10 went quick...floors 10-oh say 60, I was hurting and thinking to myself, "what am I doing here." Floors 61-80 were alright, good thing for water breaks. Floors 80-94 were actually simple cause the end was near. What an experience though.
So my weekend in Chicago was excellent and I have Steve Ferkau and his wife Laura, his sisters Karen and Nancy ( I hope I got their names right), his mother (whom we now call Grandma) , Ruth and Sharon (it was Sharon's place we stayed in and Ruth who took Sharon in), and the countless other people that we met to THANK! They took such wonderful care of us and made it a great trip. Steve, you are truly an inspirational person.
By the way...I made it up in a time of 20 minutes and 15 seconds!!!
We arrived in Chicago late Thursday and a friend of our hosts, the Ferkaus, had left us her apartment while she stayed with another friend in the building. So we had an apartment to ourselves and way too much food provided by everyone involved in hosting us. Friday, my friend Jenn Amendt, rang the opening bell at the Chicago Stock Exchange while the rest of us stood up at the top with her. Pretty cool. After that we went to the Shedd Aquarium. Then went to ChinaTown to eat that night.
Saturday was spent on Michigan Ave. shopping and seeing some sights. A big dinner at an Italian restaurant culminated the day.
Sunday morning came the walk/run up the 94 floors of the Hancock building. What can I say about that...lol...floors 1-10 went quick...floors 10-oh say 60, I was hurting and thinking to myself, "what am I doing here." Floors 61-80 were alright, good thing for water breaks. Floors 80-94 were actually simple cause the end was near. What an experience though.
So my weekend in Chicago was excellent and I have Steve Ferkau and his wife Laura, his sisters Karen and Nancy ( I hope I got their names right), his mother (whom we now call Grandma) , Ruth and Sharon (it was Sharon's place we stayed in and Ruth who took Sharon in), and the countless other people that we met to THANK! They took such wonderful care of us and made it a great trip. Steve, you are truly an inspirational person.
By the way...I made it up in a time of 20 minutes and 15 seconds!!!
posted by CKG at
10:27 PM
2 Comments:
Sounds like a solid weekend, CKG. Keep up the good work.
See you in less than 2 weeks!
-MMT
By
Matt Townsley, At
2:48 PM
Hey Christian!
Glad you had a great weekend! Yup -- You got all the names right...
I can't even come close to telling you how special the weekend was for me... On April 8th I will have had my beautiful new lungs for five years. I learned of Kari a little less than two years after my transplant through a letter from her family with pictures -- Her Mom said it best when she said that Kari brought her big smile into my life... The pictures she sent me are on a table where I do my spirometries every morning -- But I don't need her pictures to see her smile.
Beyond falling in love with Laura -- Meeting the Westbergs was the most special time in my life... Spending time with you and Jenn would have to be the second most special time... I really didn't know what to expect -- But everything felt incredibly warm the second you guys unfolded yourselves out of the little car after a six-hour drive... It meant the whole world to me that you would come all the way out here to spend some time, and climb with me...
I loved hearing your story about Abby challenging you on volleyball strategy -- And Kari helping you on the sly... You and Jenn and Abby and Ryan and her family have helped give me a little more insite into her personality -- I know a little... Never enough to fully appreciate seventeen years of life... But what little I do know, I truly love...
Any gift like I've been given is truly precious -- and the givers and their families are heroes... To understand a little about the person who saved my life is something so many recipients never know -- To me, it makes the gift even more precious. I don't think anyone could not comprehend that Kari and her family are heroes to me and Sandy and those who benefited from Kari's wishes... Kari was raised and influenced by her friends as well as her family -- People like you and Jenn had influence on the type of person she was -- and she on you... Driving out to Iowa and meeting Abby & Ryan & Alex & Nick -- And now meeting you and Jenn and Kathryn, I can see the kind of people that surrounded Kari. All of you are my heroes too...
That you would pack up and drive out to spend time with me is something I will never, ever forget... It's one more little thing that shows me what Kari meant to her friends...
You take care! You ROCKED the Hancock!!! Thanks for making sure Jenn and I had time to bond...
Love,
Steve
breathinsteven@gmail.com
By
Anonymous, At
7:57 AM
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