Peace potluck on September 6th!

[riderinthestorm]

DU meetup???

Last year I hosted a group called bike4peace as they bicycled their way from Washington State to Washington DC in a peaceful protest against the war and occupation in Iraq, and the US oil policies and how these policies are harming our earth. They gathered more than 200 bicyclists by the end of their journey and they were a major physical presence at the DC anti-war rally, making a real statement about alternative transportation, gas usage and oil dependence, as well as joining in that mass protest of US actions in Iraq.

My own small part in their journey began with a "peace potluck" at my place in Wheaton IL which turned into a major media event when Cindy Sheehan joined the party and a good time was had by all. A group from Spokes bike shop in Wheaton joined the bike4peace guys and other supporters in a warm send-off at the end of their 2 day stay, riding for part of the way towards LaPorte, Indiana - their next stop.

I don't expect Cindy this year but I will be hosting the bike4peace group again. I'd like to invite you to be a part of the action and join me in getting the bike4peace message out in the greater Dupage County area.

How can you help?
1. Come to our bike4peace welcome peace potluck! It is going to be on Wednesday September 6th beginning at 6 pm. I am holding it at our farm in Aurora called Baythorne Farm. Here are the mapquest directions:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=3S557+Norris+Rd.&city=Aurora&state=IL&zipcode=60506
Feel free to bring a friend, a dish to pass and a chair. Ron Toppi the founder of bike4peace will be speaking. My farm is less than an hour straight west of Chicago.

2. Host one or more of the riders for the 2 days they are staying in the area. Last year the guys went into Chicago on their day off so it was really easy for me. I provided breakfast and dinner, took them to the store for any supplies they needed, they did their own laundry and updated their emails. Mostly they slept! This is a wonderful group of interesting people grateful for a real bed (not their camping cots) with a real shower. Please pm me for any questions or to volunteer.

3. Ride with the bike4peace guys! They are departing on Friday, September 8th at 9 am from the Wheaton Spokes bike shop. Even if you can only spare time for a short ride or just a chance to wave them good-bye, it really thrills the group to get a big send-off! If you want to ride a longer distance or even ride the rest of the way to Washington DC with Ron and the rest of the group you may want to visit the bike4peace website at http://bike4peace.org.

Thanks ahead of time to everyone who has already helped in this endeavor. Hope to see you all!
Peace.

[mopinko]

1. well, i put this in my outlook

not sure if i will make it, because i never know from day to day what is going to explode in my life. but i sure would like to do it.
do you have any idea if there is a metra connection along their route, so that i could ride with them a while, and hop the train back?

[riderinthestorm]

2. Rauf from the Spokes shop is mapping the route from Wheaton to LaPorte

As soon as I get that I will let you know what it is.

The Spokes shop in Wheaton is getting a bit of anti-war venom from the local community (Dupage Co. republicans at their finest). If any locals see this post, please make a point to either call Spokes and voice some support or (better yet!) stop in and patronize the shop. Rauf is Italian and a pretty passionate supporter of anti-war efforts but it's always great to get positive feedback.

[riderinthestorm]

3. I still need a place for 2 riders to sleep

These are really progressive Dems making a real statement on alternative energy, transportation options and a peaceful protest against the Iraq War. Any Dupage Co. or Kane Co. people with a sofa or bed to spare for 36 hours or so, so these folks can get a good night's rest?

Please PM me! And join me and other like-minded progressives for the peace potluck at my farm in Aurora. It's really easy to get to (just 2 miles from 1-88, and 1-47). I am less than 5 minutes from the La Fox Metra station and I would be happy to pick up anyone from Chicago who wanted to take the train out to join us.

Thanks!