Bee Behind Bars

Making a difference… making the world a better place is what this blog is all about. Up until now, my trip has been so much fun that I started to feel selfish.  Service is supposed to be cumbersome, not invigorating… right?  The people of Shell, Wyoming and the riders of the WWR Conga proved me wrong in every way today.

Have you ever been to a charity event where the atmosphere is stuffy and boring? Where people seem to be there because they have to and not because they want to?  Throw all of those notions out the window. I have never seen so many people so fired up to raise awareness and money for research as the men and women of the Conga.

This is just a short list of what I witnessed and participated in today:

Over 20 bicyclists (men and women) wearing pink jerseys rode 100 miles in the 100 degree heat to take a stand against breast cancer.

Over 50 registered riders (men and women) decorated their bikes in the pinkest, feathery-est, flowery-ist, and blingy-est stuff they could find and rode across the country to take a stand against breast cancer.

The entire population of Shell, Wyoming (men and women) came to a fundraiser at the Antler Inn wearing bras over their shirts and on their heads, pink clothes, pink hair, and pink jewelry to take a stand against breast cancer.

There were people in the street stopping cars that were just passing through to ask for donations, regardless of how big or small, to take stand against breast cancer.

Several local Shellians, including two women, shaved their heads in a hair-raising (pun intended) auction to take a stand against breast cancer.

Saturday night was the final day of Conga festivities, and the party continued on into the wee hours of the morning.  When all was said and done, the Conga riders and people of Shell had raised $14,000 in just three days. Every dollar donated had been asked for in person by someone who was willing to put themselves out on a limb, put their pride aside, and do something for others.

These are all real people who chose to do something real… no talk, just action.  Who would have thought we could have had so much fun doing it?  This is real service, true humility, and righteous action at its very best.  Welcome to the dirty, gritty, cooky, loud, obnoxious, emotional, addictive, and rampant movement of the Conga.