[Marlin Democrat] -- Pedaling for dollars

Pedaling for dollars
by Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer

The Marlin Democrat
March 16, 2005

Buck Rogers completed his mission on Monday, Mar. 14, of riding 500 miles over Spring Break to help raise funds for Marlin youth.

"This has been a great experience," Rogers said.

The Marlin ISD elementary school counselor and volunteer chaplain/motivational speaker for the Marlin Bulldogs football team, began and ended his long distance trek with great fanfare.

On Saturday, Mar. 5, Rogers and approximately 75 adults and children hit the streets of Marlin from Wal-Mart in a bicycle parade ending up at the Falls County Courthouse. Once there, Mayor Norman Erskine opened the festivities with a short speech before all of those present enjoyed food and games.

Wal-Mart donated a bike to be given away, and HEB gave a gift certificate that was used for school things for the children present. Marcus Rodrigues provided music. The dunk booth, run by Marlin Animal Control and the Police Department Auxiliary, was the biggest draw.

Special guests of the day were eight Baylor football players, including Ryan Jefferies and Paul Moesley, both of which spoke to the crowd. They played played catch with the kids, and put together small games in the courthouse lawn.

Rogers began his 500-mile journey that day by riding 50 miles in the afternoon. Rain on Sunday kept him down to 30 miles, but he made it up later so that by Thursday afternoon he checked in to the fire house having completed 300 miles.

Rogers averaged 60 miles per hour and rode approximately three hours, 15 minutes per ride. He went an average of 51 miles per day.

Rogers didn't travel alone all those miles. He had company from firefighter Roland Russell, and police officer Jeremy Moehnke.

The Marlin Police Department and Fire Department handled traffic control and safety for the project. MFD validated his daily ride results.

Rogers raised over $1000 in donations from 15 business and 10 individuals over the course of the week, and he thanks his sponsors -- Citizens State Bank, Williams Feed Store, Evans tire Service, The Chicken Place, State Farm Insurance (Jimi Lynn), Majestic Flowers and Gifts, Sonic, Cactus Mexican Restaurant, Lupita's Mexican Restaurant, Garland's Burger Place, Wal-Mart, HEB and T-shirt Design -- for their support. He is still hoping for donations from the church community, as well pledges from groups or individuals wanting to make donations at a later time.

Anyone wishing to make donations, can mail the pledge/donation card to First Baptist Church. If someone did not receive a pledge card, they should contact Chaplain Buck Rogers at 749-3600.

Rogers also thanks members of the Marlin Ministerial Fellowship, members of the Marlin Elementary School, the mayor, City Council members and Marlin Youth Mission for all their service in helping organize the parade and courthouse events.

Rogers ended his 500 mile journey with fan fare, as he was welcomed to Marlin Elementary School with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

"Hopefully, this will provide the momentum needed to help our youth," Rogers said

[Marlin Democrat] Column -- Turning on a dime

Turning on a dime

Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe

The Marlin Democrat
March 16, 2005

Life changes in the blink of an eye. One minute your going on this straight path with nothing in sight to throw you off that course. The next, an unexpected event comes out of nowhere and knocks you on the ground leaving you confused, lost and unsure what to do.

This type of thing happens to everyone, and it happens somewhere everyday.

I firmly believe two things:

One - I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Coincidences do not exist. Things have a reason for happening, even if we never see what that reason is. If we're lucky, at some point down the road we are able to look back on our life and see a clear path of events to lead us to where we are.

Detours are not detours. Tragedies makes us stronger. People come in and out of our lives. We go in and out of other's lives. And at the end of it all, we become the person we are meant to be.

Two - I believe we're never given more than we can handle.

At times it may seem as though we are handed far too much at one time, and at those times we have the option to sink or swim.

We have to have the bad times to truely appreciate the good, and we also have to have them to test and build our strength.

Just like someone with large muscles works every day with weights and resistence to get that muscle definition, those that are the truly strong in character are the ones that have worked against the resistence of others and even themself.

Getting through tough times takes work. It takes faith, it takes hope and it takes a willingness to accept the support of others. With all of these things, time and determination, life starts back up on its path.

Later, upon looking back on that path, the time may be hardly noticable. Things that seemed so huge and insurmountable at the time, are really just a small speed bump. Maybe the events affected someone else in a greater fashion than you. You may never know.

Then again, this hard time could very well be a key crook in the road that allowed even greater and more important things to happen. It's called life, and no one ever said it was easy.