I am looking forward to our 21st year together, and I am looking forward to another year when all our Rotary Clubs participate in this meaningful service project. In this 21st anniversary year and that children everywhere, including Peru, need us now more than ever. I continue to encourage your efforts and want to share more information in the planning of our Shoes Caravan. I am extremely excited to let you know that just as we did a year ago…….we do indeed plan to come to EVERY ROTARY COMMUNITY (not every club, per se, but every Rotary community) this year.
It is our way of saying “THANK YOU” not only for your collection efforts this year, but your tireless collection efforts over 21 years in partnership with all our clubs, and with Buckner International. It is the least the shoes caravan team can do.
So we want to see many Rotarians from your club at the caravan stop in your community. For many reasons, including that we plan to do a “roll call report” at each stop, and then put together all those reports together for our Shoes Roll Call of Clubs this year.
We will definitely come to each community, so bring your collected shoes then. If you have checks, you’ll make them payable to Shoes for Orphan Souls….but hold onto the checks and we will pick them up during the caravan stop. I want to personally greet you and thank you, and get your roll call report. And, as always, you can use the caravan stop as a public relations opportunity for your Rotary Club(s). I certainly hope you will do so.
While times could still be subject to change, for your planning purposes, I am pleased to share the current thinking for this year’s shoes caravan. Thank you to John Gill. It is time for you to let me know where we should meet you in your community – location and address, please. We would love to see as many Rotarians as possible at each caravan stop in your community. Representatives from Buckner International will be joining us for the caravan.
WEEKEND 1 - DAY 1 – Thursday, May 12 – 8 clubs – small trailer
Stop 1 – Cameron – 8:00am to 8:15am
Stop 2 – Gallatin – 8:55am to 9:10am
Stop 3 – Bethany – 9:50am to 10:05am
Stop 4 – Albany - 11:00am to 11:15am
Stop 5 – Maryville – 12:15pm to 1:00pm (includes a box lunch stop)
Stop 6 – Tarkio - 2:00pm to 2:15pm
Stop 7 - Rock Port - 2:30pm to 2:45pm
Stop 8 - Andrew County (Savannah) – 3:45pm to 4:00pm
Arrive at Chillicothe HUB at 5:30pm for unload and overnight
WEEKEND 1 - DAY 2 – Friday, May 13 – 11 clubs – small trailer
Stop 9 – Brookfield – 7:45am to 8:00am
Stop 10 – Marceline – 8:20am to 8:35am
Stop 11 – Huntsville – 9:15am to 9:30am
Stop 12 – Moberly – 9:45am to 10:00am
Stop 13 – Kirksville (3 clubs) – 11:00am to 12:00pm (includes box lunch stop)
Stop 14 - Knox County (Edina) – 12:45pm to 1:00pm
Stop 15 - Scotland County (Memphis) – 1:45pm to 2:00pm
Stop 16 - Schuyler County (Lancaster) – 2:45pm to 3:00pm
Stop 17 - Macon County (Macon) – 4:15pm to 5:00pm
Arrive at Chillicothe HUB at 6:15pm to unload and overnight
WEEKEND 1 - DAY 3 – Saturday, May 14 – 13 clubs – small trailer
Stop 18 – Milan – 7:15am to 7:30am
Stop 19 - Unionville – 8:15am to 8:45am
Stop 20 – Princeton – 9:30am to 9:45 am
Stop 21 – Trenton – 10:15am to 10:30am
Stop 22 – Lathrop – 11:45am to 12:30pm (includes a box lunch stop)
Stop 23 – Plattsburg – 12:50pm to 1:05pm
Stop 24 – Lawson – 1:30pm to 1:45pm
Stop 25 - Excelsior Springs – 2:30pm to 2:45pm
Stop 26 – Kearney – 3:05pm to 3:20pm
Stop 27 – Smithville – 4:00pm to 4:15pm
Stop 28 – Weston – 5:00pm to 5:15pm
Stop 29 - Platte City – 5:35pm to 5:55pm
Stop 30 – Gladstone – 6:45pm to 7:00pm
Arrive at Liberty HUB at 7:30pm to unload
WEEKEND 2 - DAY 4 – Thursday, May 19 – 9 clubs – small trailer
Stop 31 - Blue Springs – 9:00am to 9:30am
Stop 32 – Odessa – 9:45am to 10:15am
Stop 33 – Lexington – 10:45am to 11:15am
Stop 34 – Independence (2 clubs) – Noon to 1:00pm (includes box lunch stop)
Stop 35 – Raytown – 1:15pm to 1:45pm
Stop 36 - Kansas City South (including Waldo-Brookside club) – 2:00pm to 2:30pm
Stop 37 - Parkville – 3:00pm to 3:30pm
Arrive at Liberty HUB at 4:00pm to unload
WEEKEND 2 - DAY 5 – Friday, May 20 – 11 clubs – large 53’ trailer
Stop 38 – Higginsville – 8:30am to 9:00am
Stop 39 – Richmond – 9:30am to 10:00am
Stop 40 - Lee’s Summit (3 clubs) – 11:00am to 11:30am
Stop 41 – Liberty (2 clubs) – Noon to 1:00pm (includes lunch stop)
Stop 42 – Chillicothe – 2:30pm to 3:00pm
Stop 43 - St. Joseph (3 clubs) – 4:30pm to 5:30pm
WEEKEND 2 - DAY 6 – Saturday, May 21 – 4 clubs – large 53’ trailer
Stop 44 - North Kansas City - 9:00am to 10:30am including transfer to UPS trailer beginning at 10:00am (anticipating some Kansas City-based clubs will bring to North Kansas City as they have done in prior years, perhaps Kansas City Club 13, KCI Airport, KC Plaza, North Kansas City)
Exciting!!!!!!!!! 44 caravan stops, 56 Rotary Clubs!!
As always, I am here to answer any questions, and try to meet your needs.
Thank you for your unending support of this project, helping children you may never meet, just because. And thank you for being a Rotarian. I encourage your efforts, and I look forward to seeing you in mid-May.
Your proud shoes cheerleader,
Larry Lunsford