Hoosier firefighter rides through county - A Story from The Carmi Times

Published: Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:27 PM CDT
www.carmitimes.com

An Indiana firefighter passed through White County
Wednesday on his way to Branson, Mo. There's nothing unusual about that--except that the
fireman is aboard a bicycle.Chuck Welch of Ellettsville, Ind. is a fireman at nearby
Bloomington, Ind., as well as a member of the Masonic
Lodge in Ellettsville. He's making the long ride from the
southern Indiana town to the tourism center in
southwestern Missouri in order to raise money for the
Shop with a Firefighter program in Bloomington and to
help pay off his lodge's mortgage.
The 58-year-old Navy veteran, who plans to retire in February, is hoping to arrive in Branson Sunday and will take part in a reunion of fellow Vietnam veterans there.He left home Tuesday morning and stayed overnight in Mt. Carmel. Welch hoped to be in Vienna Wednesday night; his route takes him through Anna and Jonesboro, across the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Mo., then west.His daughter, Kristina Sandrick, has been traveling with him (via SUV) for the first leg of the trip, acting as "pack horse," she laughed, providing food and drinks when they're needed (they planned to stop at DiMaggio's in Carmi for spaghetti later Wednesday). Welch's wife will take over for the rest of the trip.
Does he plan to ride back to Ellettsville? No.This isn't the first time Welch has cycled through this area. He recalled his visit through "Egypt" in July, when temperatures topped the 100-degree mark.One may learn more about Welch's fundraising efforts by visiting this website:
www.ridingwithchuck.blogspot.com--Barry Cleveland