Howdy Fair Trade Friend!

Another busy summer is allowing me little time to write, but I wanted to make sure I shared some of the great experiences we had during Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) and the Georgia River Network’s annual river trip, Paddle Georgia.

Geoffrey discusses Mayor Jere
Wood’s support for fair trade.

Held June 2-9 in North Georgia, BRAG was a tough one this year for the under-trained rider. We heard many “that was a tough day” and “that last hill was killer” (Remember Dalton). I suppose that is why we made more iced mochas than ever before. Smoothies were also a big hit and a healthy way to end the ride. We couldn’t have done it without the help of Kristin who added the “Fair Trade Friend” to our week-long bracelet wearers and Samson, a professional musician who adds a classy touch to any coffeehouse.

Also thanks for John and Nicole’s help in Dalton getting us better organized for the rest of the ride and Stephan’s daily help with smoothies. Thanks to the BRAG crew for helping us with setup and logistics, and to all the riders who joined us each day for the coffee and the fun! Together we again raised funds to support the Dream Team ride, and what a great team they had this year!

Sebastion takes a batch of
smoothie samples to the
Paddle Georgia registration.

After BRAG, we had a layover in Athens, where we prepared for the Georgia River Network’s Paddle Georgia trip, and Kristin put up with sleeping in a truck so she could join me on the next leg of our adventure (thank you, Kristin!). This year’s Paddle Georgia was held June 16-22 on the Altamaha River from Reidsville to Darien, in Southeast Georgia- where the gators are. Though there were few spottings of gators, the stories from the river where rich and interesting. It was great seeing all of our regular friends and meeting some new fair trade friends this year.