Illini 4000

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June 19

Today was an odd day to say the least. The times that groups arrived at the stayover were all very different. In a small town on the way to Jackson, one group stopped at a bike shop. They began talking to the owner, who was fixing up a bike at the time. After conversing with some riders for a bit, he explained that he had to go run an errand, and asked that the riders keep an eye on the shop for a bit. They happily accepted, and basically took over the shop from this guy they had just met. They continued working on his bike, talked with customers, and just relaxed for quite some time. They even collected donations from customers who were happy to support our cause, raising over $100 in a few hours. At the same time, in the same town, another group made up of Divya Nagpal, Maggie Marek and some others were asked to stand in the background for a T.V. shoot that was going on right in town. Happy to take a break from riding, they sat in a diner while the filming of an apparently successful show about corn took place. It's never a normal day in the Illini 4000.