The Reason We Build Ballparks
We started this morning at the Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence where we had a chance to meet with sixty 4th graders. I wanted to hear their opinion of how a new ballpark that Build Our Ballpark had built next to their school had affected their community. The kids were great. They were talkative and spoke their opinion. They really enjoyed talking about the ballpark since it has impacted their lives greatly. A lot of them also love to bike so they really liked hearing about our trip across Iowa to raise money, as well as all of the equipment we wear for long rides. They wanted to...
Read MoreLuxury in Waterloo
Yesterday we rode 82 miles from Charles City to Waterloo – the longest ride of the entire trip. It was chilly when we hit the road at 6:00 a.m. but starting that early paid off – it was less crowded so we made good time. It was HOT when we finally got to Waterloo – 6 hours later because we stopped in every town. The ride overall was not too bad except for one 20 mile stretch which took 2 hours in the heat. We passed through Parkersburg, Iowa – a town which had been hit by a bad flood and then a Force 5 tornado, which means the winds had hit over 200 miles an hour. Amazingly they had rebuilt...
Read MoreThree days, 198 Miles
Today we road 60 miles from Algona to Clear Lake, Iowa. While this was shorter than the 68 and 79 miles of the previous two days, we had a headwind coming right at us for about half of the ride, which was very difficult! We left at 6:00 a.m. and pulled into Clear Lake at around noon. I’m really glad we got here early as it is now about 100 degrees here in Clear Lake. Each day we’ve ridden hard, had some great food along the route, and gotten into the overnight town hot and tired. But the towns have all been very, very friendly and opened high school showers or public pools for the riders to...
Read MoreTeam B.O.B. Departs!
(L to R): Robert Hellman, III, Bob Hellman, Jr., Michael Mahon & Mike Mahon. (Not Pictured: Richard Wojan) Team B.O.B. departed from Sioux City yesterday. Check back in for more Team B.O.B. RAGBRAI...
Read MoreHeading to the RAGBRAI Expo
We flew into Sioux City last night and grabbed a pizza at the local pizza shop which was, fantastic! Great thin crust with all the toppings. Uncle Mike and Cousin Michael pulled the 30’ RV in at about 2:00 a.m., so the team is coming together! We spent the morning getting equipment for the RV (including those all-important water nerf guns). We are excited for the bike ride to begin. It is amazing how many donations and pledges have come in so far and we really thank all of our donors for helping both support Build Our Ballpark and put their faith in our efforts. Ironically there is a youth...
Read MoreThree Generations with a Passion for Baseball
Bob Hellman Jr., Robert Hellman III, and Bob Hellman Sr. (L to R) at a 2004 World Series game between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Baseball has always been a part of my life – for as long as I can remember. It was the first sport I ever had a chance to play. It is also a sport I’ve enjoyed both playing and watching with my entire family, including my grandfather, after whom I am named. We have even had a chance to visit the Baseball Hall Of Fame together. My love of baseball really got going when my first baseball team (which my Dad coached) won a championship. However, as...
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