The Words "Thank You" Just Don't Seem Enough...

Whenever you take on a large project, there are always people who step forward to help it succeed. I have found that to be true with each P.A.C.E. Trek I've done. This year was no exception. I want to share with you the names of businesses and individuals who not only helped me get to the starting line for P.A.C.E. Trek 2009, but were instrumental in making this year's project a success.

My family has supported each and every step that I've taken with P.A.C.E. since it began in 2005. Vicki and our four children (Jenna, Ashlin, Kyler and Brian) see me go off each year for a few weeks to try and make a positive difference in the lives of other children. P.A.C.E. is a commitment and I appreciate their continued support of me and the thousands of kids that virtually run and walk with me.

Mike and Jeanne Staso, my parents, gave one month of their lives (and financial support) to this year's P.A.C.E. Trek challenge. They transported me all over the state of Alaska so that I could log the 500 miles of the journey. They located places for us to stay each evening, handled all matters with the RV, and were a constant source of encouragement. Also, my mother took some wonderful pictures throughout the journey, which I've used in my music slideshows that so many people have enjoyed. My parents love and support of me, P.A.C.E., and the students' efforts was a daily blessing.

Rob Remler has been a dear friend of mine for 29 years. He is a 4th grade teacher in Portland, Oregon and has helped to get information onto each P.A.C.E. Trek web site since 2006. There are moments when I simply have no cellular or Internet service and during such times Rob places information onto the site. Also, he posts all of the daily audio files. Thanks Rob!

Axiom IT Solutions, Inc. of Missoula, Montana donated the programming and integration of a team leader login section of this web site so that teams could post their current mileage totals at any time during the trek. Axiom specializes in business technology solutions ─ helping local, national, and international companies achieve business success by tailoring state-of-the-art technology to their individual needs.

ABC Motorhome and Car Rentals of Anchorage, Alaska donated the use of a 24', Class C motorhome for the Alaska trek. The motorhome was where I slept each evening and when running through the remote landscape of Alaska it was so good to be able to end the day in a comfortable RV. ABC Motorhome and Car Rentals' donation to P.A.C.E. Trek was a vital contribution for this year's journey.

YouthRunner.com (Youth Runner Magazine) sponsored the P.A.C.E. Healthy School Award totaling $500.00. YouthRunner.com features an array of kids, youth and high school running events, results and profiles. It's an excellent resource for keeping up on the youth running scene. I appreciate editor Dan Kesterson's support of P.A.C.E. Trek.

OnTrack Designs donated the P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 web site development and hosting.

KTOO Radio of Juneau, Alaska conducted two interviews with me about this year's P.A.C.E. Trek (one before the journey and another on the first day). I thank Jeff Brown, Program Director, for his support and enthusiasm for this year's project.

St. Louise Parish School, located in Bellevue, Washington, donated $500.00 to P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 to help offset some costs. They participated as team "Chargers" and this was their second year of involvement.

Northside Elementary School, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, donated $165.00 from their student council to this year's P.A.C.E. endeavor. They participated as team "Polar Bears" and this was their second year of involvement.

Tunnelton-Denver Elementary, located in Tunnelton, West Virginia, did a "Pennies for Paul" project for many weeks and donated $110.00 to P.A.C.E. Trek to help offset some costs (that's 11,000 pennies!). They had two teams participate in the Alaska adventure. They also participated in the 2008 P.A.C.E. Trek across Montana.

Kate Templeman of Missoula, Montana supported P.A.C.E. with a financial donation because she believes it to be "absolutely wonderful and awe-inspiring".

Roy and Bev Buckmier are special friends from Bowman, North Dakota who have supported and encouraged me in all of my P.A.C.E. endeavors. They made a kind financial donation for this year's project.

Scott and Katharine Miller of Juneau, Alaska provided lodging in Juneau for several days at the beginning of P.A.C.E. Trek 2009. They also provided some wonderful meals!

Wendy and John Johnson of Tolsona, Alaska have supported P.A.C.E. since its inception and made a financial donation to this year's journey. Wendy is my sister and I appreciate her family's support.

MrGym.com was created by Doug Gates and helped to get word about P.A.C.E. out to teachers. His web site is full of great resources for elementary and secondary physical education teachers.

UltraLegends.com is a must-visit web site for anyone who appreciates or participates in ultra-endurance endeavors! Phil Essam, of Australia, compiles news reports, historical information and statistics from the ultra-running world through this extensive site. Phil has supported the P.A.C.E. endeavors since 2006 and has included P.A.C.E. updates at UltraLegends.com.

Active.com has shared information about P.A.C.E. and is the #1 active community on the Internet. Active.com offers an array of information about sports and fitness, including training advice and race reports.

RunMT.com keeps people up to date on the running and walking events happening in the state of Montana. You'll find a race calendar, a list of running clubs, and much more. They provided information about P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 so that more runners could learn about it.

Montana Office of Public Instruction is the main online source for teachers in the state of Montana. The Montana OPI web site features education news, forums, events, curriculum information, job openings, and much more. They included information about P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 in their monthly newsletter for educators.

HealthyFuturesAK.org (Healthy Futures) is a grassroots movement empowering Alaska's youth to lead more physically active lifestyles. This organization promotes the use of health/fitness activity logs in schools, organizes recreational events, and provides youth with access to positive role models in sports. They sent out information to Alaska educators about the P.A.C.E. Trek opportunity.

KidsTheseDays.org is an online resource for people who care about Alaska's kids. The web site is part of the "Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement" and features a podcast archive of a radio call-in show and a newspaper focusing on children, teens, parents, and families. They posted information about P.A.C.E. Trek at their web site to help get word out.

KidsRunning.com is a web site devoted to promoting the sport of running for kids so that they can enjoy the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle both at school and home. KidsRunning.com is a micro site of Runner's World magazine. News, youth running columns, event listings, curriculum ideas, and much more can be found at their site. They posted information about P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 in an effort to gain more team participants.

Many Alaska Schools provided me with an opportunity to do school assemblies during my trek through Alaska and I thank all of the teachers who organized those assemblies. It was a pleasure speaking to hundreds of school children during the journey and sharing details about P.A.C.E., goal setting, health/fitness, and more.

Schools around the world signed up over 22,515 students to participate in this year's trek and P.A.C.E. certainly would not have been a success without the teachers and students who were willing to participate and go the distance. Great job!

There were also many students, teachers, administrators, parents and people I met along the route that offered encouraging words or kind gestures. I thank each and every person who took a moment out of their day to lend or word or deed to help keep P.A.C.E. moving forward through Alaska. As I am each year, I am humbled by the genuine hearts of those that want to see both I and the participating kids succeed. With each step I, and they, took through Alaska we had the support of countless people from around the world. With a heart filled with appreciation - and on behalf of over 22,000 children who participated in this year's trek - I say THANK YOU. Step by step P.A.C.E. is making a positive imprint in this world, and I'm committed to seeing that continue.

That's all from this post-trek milepost. Run back here tomorrow for the final 2009 entry!