May 30 2001 26 Wednesday

2001 Race - May 30, 2001, Wednesday, Day 26
The Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 2001
We are Going the Extra Mile..... The Extra 2,348 Miles to Find a Cure!

Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 AM

Team Name	Time Called	River Mile	Nearest City/State	Estimated Position
Alaska MSC	8:50 AM		Memphis, TN	3rd
Amazons	Withdraws 5/12/01		Stops near St. Cloud, MN	5th
Double Helix	5 AM	Mile 98	Audubon Park, LA (north of New Orleans)	2nd
Kruger		Mile 0		WON 1st place!
Rebels	Withdraws 5/13/01		Stops near Monticello, MN	4th

Updates/Comments 5-7 AM calls , from Elizabeth Tynan, Safety Officer:
Well, the first team to arrive at mile 0 finally made it!
Team Alaska:
Kerm called in at 8:50, late because they kept hoping the rain in Memphis would let up so he could give a report of "beautiful weather." They enjoyed a night out on the town last night on "Beatle Street," thoroughly enjoying themselves after having "won" the race by proxy on Mud Island's miniature replica of the Lower Mississippi.
Team Double Helix:
At 5:00, Andrew' said that Clark and Kurt had left from river mile 98, just downstream from the Audubon (sp?), LA, park, and hoped to arrive at Venice--10 miles north of river mile 0--later tonight. Everything had been calm through the night, and the weather there is hot and steamy for today's paddle.
Team Kruger:
The whole nine-member team was thrilled when Verlen and Bob arrived at river mile 0 at 11:51 last night, and all of them are looking forward to enjoying some relaxation together after they catch up on their sleep. True to his promise, our illustrious Official Timekeeper, Don Keller, was there with the big Parrish Boat to cheer them on to the finish line and share in their elation at having finished a truly remarkable race. Verlen, Bob, and Team Kruger, we congradulate you! Stan said he sprang for an expensive bottle ($4.59) of the most "exclusive" champagne, which they all sampled on the Parrish boat.

Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 PM

Team Name	Time Called	River Mile	Nearest City/State	Estimated Position
Alaska MSC	6:30 PM		Tennessee	3rd
Amazons	Withdraws 5/12/01		Stops near St. Cloud, MN	5th
Double Helix	5:30 PM	Mile 10	Venice, LA	2nd
Kruger	time called	river mile	neartown	position
Rebels	Withdraws 5/13/01		Stops near Monticello, MN	4th

Updates/Comments, 5 to 7 PM Calls from Elizabeth Tynan, safety officer:
The remaining two teams called in tonight, a little bittersweet for me, to think this is nearly over:
Team Alaska:
Eric called at 6:30, reporting that bad weather had hindered their paddling today, though all was well with them. We both regret the end of so much adventure, yet agreed that one's own bed and bathroom are certainly one of life's great joys.
Team Double Helix:
At 5:30, Andrew and the rest of the support team had already taken up their stations at the Lighthouse Motel in Venice, LA, river mile 10, where they expected to meet Clark and Kurt in a little while. Andrew estimated that they were still 10 miles upriver at that time. Rather than paddle in the darkness and strain for the finish tonight, they plan to sleep at Venice and meet mile zero in fine form in the light of day. Good plan!
END OF SAFETY REPORT MAY 30, 2001 WEDNESDAY
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Webmaster/Event Organizer's note, from Mary Potter: Andrew Gribble of Team Double Helix called me about 10:30 CST to say he saw the lights of the Double Helix a comin' and that he expected they would be on shore soon.