Heading south from Vienna, West Virginia, through Parkersburg, we headed across the Ohio River towards Athens, I came across many people who read about One Million Acts Of Kindness in the Parkersburg News and Sentinal. It is great to have a newspaper in a town where we are visiting, write an article about my mission, it seems by the reaction of people I interact with, that the articles have a high readership rate. Two of the people who had read the article were Kathy from the Parkersburg Country Club and Tom Azinger, a WV State Delegate with strong family values. Both were so complimentary in their comments of my mission to raise awareness about Domestic Violence and Childhood Sexual abuse. It is important as I travel, to hear directly from “locals” about their perspective on these two issues.
With the lessening of grade changes, we made our way into Ohio toward three months of relative flatness.

I love West Virginia, but her mountains don’t like me. Knowing that this round of vertical climbs is preparation for bigger climbs in the Rockies, challenges me to be a bit more fit when that moment arrives. The nearly fifty miles I rode today was almost a pleasure, helped by the clouds and the temperature in the low 70s.
We arrived in Parkersburg to meet with Judi Ball, Executive Director of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence in Parkersburg. She pulled out all the stops for our visit to her hometown. She had her entire staff, the Chief of Police, a couple of detectives and the press waiting for The Kindness Bicycle Tour when it pulled into the downtown area of Parkersburg. It is a great feeling and honor than to arrive for a short speech and have a crowd politely waiting. Thank you to everyone who showed up for my visit and made me feel welcome in Parkersburg, including the special parking privileges provided by the Chief.
Yesterday, John Joe Madia gave me 2 plush bears for the first 2 children I found who could use them. It took less than a day to find those bears a home, as all of the shelter advocates at the WVCADV agreed that they knew many children who could provide love to the bears.
Alicia from Legal Aid stopped by to meet The Kindness Bicycle Tour. She helps victims during a very emotional and stressful time, find the attorney suited for their particular case.
While riding today, Deborah flagged us down and bravely told us of her years of abuse and how Domestic Violence has affected her family for generations. Deborah has hopefully broken the cycle in her family and her own life by being a victim’s advocate for several years. If true, her tragic story will have a bright ending.

**Thank you to Pamela Brust for her wonderful article she wrote about One Million Acts Of Kindness in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel today.  A special thanks to Police Chief Joseph Martin and his men for taking the time to meet with me and for the Parkersburg Police patch which is already displayed in The Kindness Bus

With a heart as big as a calzone, John Joe Madia is as Italian as they come. He is a proud man with a big passion for protecting kids and for helping those with a passion for helping kids. “Victim’s voices are silent no more,” is his motto and is what he wrote on The Kindness Bus. John Joe and I met this morning, in the Harrison County Courthouse, where he works, and after 5 minutes he was inviting me to lunch for some pepperoni rolls, it was as if I had known him a lifetime. I decided to pick John Joe up at the front door of the Courthouse with The Kindness Bus for lunch at D’Annunzio’s, a bread place you can smell a mile away. What a huge treat! Thank you John Joe for the interest, support and for the guided history tour of your life-long neighborhood.
Today we interviewed Stephanie Sumpter of Hope Inc. she works at the Harrison County Courthouse helping victims who come to the courthouse looking for help. Her presence is a huge comfort to those who think they have nowhere to turn until they walk through the door to her office. She has a huge passion for helping people through the arduous process of court ordered protection and the many options available through Hope Inc.
Last evening I was interviewed by Stacy Moniot a reporter from WBOY, a local TV station, it was amazing how many people told me they saw the broadcast. Today, Nicole Porter and Bryan Tolle, reporters for Fox 10 and 5 News interviewed me for their broadcast this evening. Thank you everyone, for helping to spread word of my mission to all of your viewers.
***I ate 6 pepperoni rolls…I’m good to go for at least a week.

Directed by Sue Julian of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence as to who I should visit in the Clarksburg area, I spoke with Tina Fowler today, Director of the Outreach Program of Hope Inc. Our meeting was about the good they are doing for the community and the help they are getting back from some sectors of the community, helping with office space, donations of toys and books and help from individuals.
We also talked about the effect that drugs are having on the community and how they are affecting families when used by one, and sometimes two parents. There is a manufactured drug that was legal to sell until two months ago. It was adding to the domestic violence and tearing families apart.
Today I opted for forty-five miles of muddy trails rather than ride on the narrow, hilly streets of Clarksburg. It was a fun choice.

Parents behaving badly, when they have children to raise, can never turn out well. It is ironic, that earlier this day, I visited The Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, a foster home for children who have nowhere else to go, except to be turned over to the state. Ironic because of what I and many others witnessed this evening.
While talking with a couple of police officers and others about The Kindness Bicycle Tour, a boy of about 8 years of age saw the sign on my bike which says, “Boys should never hit girls,” to which he replied, “I Like to Hit My Sister, I Love It.” The amazing part is that the parents enjoyed his remark and encouraged him, as he said it a 2nd time. The mother responded about the sister, “Well she beats on him too, so it’s all fair.”  So sad!
I am convinced that boys and girls who are taught not to hit each other during their childhood and adolescence, stand a much greater chance of not being one who would commit domestic violence.
The bicycle rides are getting much more challenging as The Kindness Bicycle Tour pedals well into West Virginia.

Funding cuts should never happen to a business, whose business it is to protect children who are abused. This unfortunately is the case for many Children’s Advocacy Centers, including the one I visited today; Child Safe. I had the opportunity to talk with Kelly Bober, Executive Director of Child Safe, in Winchester, Virginia today.
This center, where a child can feel comfortable and come to volunteer, without prompting, what has happened to them, is an essential piece in removing the perpetrator from the child’s life. Many details have to be integrated into a facility like this to make it child-friendly, but not too make-believe, as an attorney can use that as a defense in saying the entire story the child has told is make-believe. This entire facility is state-of-the-art, with remote cameras, one-way mirrored windows, interview room and a viewing room where a team of professionals can view the interview as the child volunteers, by speaking and sometimes showing, what has happened. It’s so good to know that people like Kelly and the rest of her dedicated, professional staff have such passion in protecting the lives of children.
Today we made our way into West Virginia, a little behind schedule, but caught up on the mile total.

We drove back to Washington DC early this morning for the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes benefit. This great benefit, organized by Becky Lee Woman’s Support Fund and the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence was one that I did not want to miss. I not only was invited to walk, I was invited to talk to the crowd. Fathers and mothers alike, came out to support this 1st annual event. With the way the event turned out you would have thought it was its 21st year in existence.
Karma Cottman, Executive Director of the DCCADV talked with me before the event, it is so comforting to see the passion she has for her job. Lynea Woody who is with the DCCADV as well, helped to get the word out to the community for this event.
I had the honor of meeting Becky Lee, Founder of www.beckysfund.org
What an amazing and very dedicated woman. I urge you to visit her website.
**I challenged Brian Namey of the NNEDV to participate in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event and to a race against me for the final 100 yards, unfortunately he had other obligations. Next year Brian!