2005
Doris, Jessica, Jacqueline, Maggie and Amanda Raposo and Kathy Bruce
Boston was the first year a team came together under the title Walking for Udders. The Raposo clan included mother Doris, sisters Jessica, Jacqueline and Maggie, and cousin Amanda. We were joined by Doris’ friend Kathy Bruce and her husband Charlie, who was our official picture-taker and cheermaster.
We started walking in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Day One POURED!! We literally walked in torrents, chilled to the bone and not very pleased. By the time we made it the first 20 miles, our camp was closed due to everything being soggy, and we were all bussed to a gymnasium nearby to set up a makeshift sleeping area inside. It was a bit crowded, but dry!
Day Two started out being GORGEOUS! We walked into Massachusetts, through fields of cows and sheep and flowers and beautiful people who cheered us on. Later in the day, Doris, Jessica and I found ourselves in Concord, Mass, home to Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walden Pond, battlefields from the American Revolution… we were in HEAVEN as we zipped through these historic sites. Sadly, about 1/2 mile from camp the skies opened and down came the fury of the skies! Earlier in the day Amanda had suffered from a bit of hyponeutremia and had a fever, so she was unable to continue walking, and Maggie and Kathy couldn’t quite make it every mile (though they were walking MACHINES for the most part), so they were already at camp. They were wonderfully sweet in setting up our tents and getting our gear for us, but this meant everything got SOAKED when the rain came! Mom, Jess and I were just to the end of a gorgeous park when crew members started shuttling people into vans – the lightening was causing too much of a danger, and the route was closed!
Upon our soaked return to camp, we made a group decision: call for reinforcements. Luckily, Doris’ cousins Richard and Sheila lived miraculously close by, and they picked us up and offered us their beds, couches and showers for the evening! (Check out Sheila with our Walking For Udders tail in the pics below!). Warm food, dry beds and a delicious breakfast fueled us for day three. Family is awesome.
Day three was BREATHTAKING! Finally the team got the 3-Day I had promised them. Feet were sore but spirits were high, and we trekked into Boston and right to the Bay. We were singing, cheering, flirting with the cute crew members – we had a grand old time. Friends were waiting for us at the finish line, both old and new.
The Raposo clan then said a loving “see-you-soon” to Kathy and Chuck, and headed to Newport, Rhode Island, where Doris treated us all to pedicures and lots of food!
Amanda, Doris, Jacqueline, Maggie, Jessica, Kathy
