Sept. 8,
2008: Kim called me from Marietta, Ohio.
She sent me postcards from the Point in Pittsburgh (8/31/08), Wheeling,
W.Va.(9/4/2008),
And Marietta, Oh (9/9/08).
Sept. 14, 08: Kim called me from Racine, Ohio m. 242.5. She made it through Hurricane "Ike".
Sept. 25, 2008: Kim called me from Ripley, Ohio, m 417.
Sept. 29, 2008: Kim called me from Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverton Marina. M 464.
Oct. 2, 2008: Kim is half way in her journey! She's at Aurora, Ind.
Oct. 9, 2008: Kim called from Madison, Ind. M 559.
Oct. 23, 2008: Kim called from Grandview, Ind. M 743. About 250 miles to go!
Nov. 6, 2008: Kim called from Sturgeon Island, Ill m. 871! You go girl!
Nov. 13, 2008: Got a post card from Kim from Ullin, Ill. M 902.5. She's ending her journey.
CONGRATULATIONS
KIM!!
You have done more than anyone else and have made your dream come true!
A NOTE FROM KIM.... (11/25/2008)
To my family and friends. The old, the new, and those I have yet to meet.
Well I did it. OK almost. I made it to mile 902.5 and got froze out. The last days and nights had been getting pretty cold but it was the last one that did me in. It was 30 degrees before you factor in the wind and it was hailing little chunks of ice. Angel was completely under a heavy blanket and was still shivering and I had 3 layers of sweats and 2 jackets and my vest and was still cold. When we got to the marina Angel put her nose to mine and EYEBALLED me like OK now! Were done!" I told her that was it and we would go home but she made sure with the longest eye to eye stare I have ever had. (Cats don't count.) I was still hoping the weather would get better in a day of two but I found out later it got down to 25 that night. It felt like it because the air in the tent was like breathing in little icicles. There was about an inch of ice on Angels water bowl that morning and I had to crack it with a rock.( Just how do those Eskimos survive? ) I will spare you all the gory details of me crying because I didn't finish and what a looser I felt. I hung out that day hoping in vain for any boat to come along to take me to the end just so I could finish. None did, and as I lay in my tent that night in the freezing rain I decided to plan my trip out for the spring. I'm going to finish and take a few friends along. Next day I called a new river friend, Steve, and he came and got me, and the day after that he ended up driving me all the way from Newburg IND. To Pittsburgh. Imagine that! I had not known how I was going to get home when I left and I ended up having several offers. One of which was from my Navy Angels Jim and Dean from New Martinsville. Steve is a little younger and the rain kept him from his tree business
anyway. We had a nice ride home and we stayed the night at Jims beautiful house. So now a week and half later I don't feel so bad. Especially since I was just at the doctors. The skin in my entire chin blistered and peeled off. I have 1st degree burns from frostbite. My cheeks are hanging on by a prayer I think. I froze my face. Its a good thing I didn't continue. My whole face might have slid off and fell into the Mississippi. Glad I had my nose covered a lot from it being cold or that would be the first to go. So defiantly going in the LATE spring. Now that makes a total of 28 blisters on my hands. Two on my ass, and one big huge one on my face. I told my dad I wasn't going out in public for 2 weeks. He said it wasn't so bad I was just vain. OK. Now I think not wanting to go out in public without makeup might be vain. Not wanting to go out without skin...Not so much. Well In spite of it all I wouldn't trade any of it and do it all again just to have met so many wonderful human beings. You only hear about the bad ones in life but I'm going to make sure I give credit to all the ones that make this the greatest country in the world. The one where a raggedy vagabond and her dog can crawl off the river and be welcomed and loved and fed and given a warm bed and handed cash for someone they never met. The One where one big man saves his lunch because he can't stand the thought of you might be hungry. The one where entire towns say their glad to meet you and thank you for coming to their party. The one where you talk to someone for 5 minutes and their your friend for life even though they live hundreds of miles away. The one where you are hold up in a public park pavilion and the police come by extra to check on you. The one where you are given gifts from a navy guy that saves you more than you know and one that feeds you way to much and becomes the voice from the past that helps you know the future. The one that allows people let you come into their most intimate lives knowing you really understand and care. It might take me a while to put it all down but till then I want each and every one of you to know that every thing from a smile to a warm bed it most appreciated by Angel and I. As I thank all of you for your part in this grand story of my life I'd like to thank Marvin for allowing me the privilege to be a part of his. I wish all that love I received could be bottled and he could take it for surely nothing bad could exist in the mist of all that. I thank you all for your donations for "Paddling for Marvin", whatever size, because it came from the heart. I was handed $600 in cash on my trip. If anyone made online donations or by mail could you please email me and let me know because the Brain People have so much red tape it will take forever to know. The Brain people need a cool mil over 5 years to TRY to figure it out. It would be nice to hand it to them at once and say get started but $600 is a start. I will be having a party after I finish finish in the early summer to thank people and raise some of that much needed dough. Jim Quinet from Quinet's Court said he'd cater it and let me tell you........That man and his family can cook!!! I am so so glad I don't live within 100 miles of that restaurant or I would be one fat happy camper. If you do live close or are driving through Go eat there! I have thanked God so many times for
his love and blessings and grace that he shows me through people like
all of you. At times in my life my pockets have been empty and the
world might have looked down on me for the things I don't have but I
know I am one of the most blessed people on earth. You just can't put a
price on the love and kindness I have been given throughout my live. I
pray you all should have such favor and be so blessed and know the love
of sweet Jesus.
Much Love, The river rats.
Kim and Angel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cornell and Vilsack in 2004 canoed
the Allegheny River from the Kinzua Dam to Pittsburgh.
In 2007, the pair canoed the entire Monongahela River.
Now...
Canoeist embarks on 982-mile mission for cancer research
By
Karen Zapf
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, September
1, 2008
Kim Cornell (left) of Shaler, her friend Pat
Vilsack of Mt. Lebanon and her dog,
Angel, prepare to leave the North Shore on Sunday on a canoe trip to
raise money for cancer research.
Vilsack will accompany her only for the first week of the journey.
Cornell intends to paddle the
length of the Ohio River to the mouth of the Mississippi River in
Missouri.
With the sun glistening on
the Ohio River, Kim Cornell, her dog and
a friend paddled off in a canoe from the Point on Sunday morning.
Unlike other boaters who
took to the river for Labor Day weekend fun,
Cornell, 48, is on a mission.
The Shaler woman plans to
paddle the Ohio River in its entirety: 982 miles from
Pittsburgh to the Mississippi River. Cornell expects the trip to take a
couple months.
She will have human company only for the first week.
Cornell is making the trip
to raise money for brain cancer research. Cornell found out in
June that her cousin, Marvin Shoop, 43, of Chesapeake Beach, Md., had
been diagnosed
with a brain tumor called Oligodendroglioma, which typically develops in
the cerebrum.
"Don't forget to call
tonight," Cornell's mother, Peggy Cornell, 70, of Shaler, told her
daughter
as she gave her a hug and watched her pack up the canoe with a tent,
clothing and sleeping bags.
"She's got more guts than
brains," Peggy Cornell said as she watched her daughter,
accompanied by a friend, Pat Vilsack, 66, of Mt. Lebanon, and Cornell's
dog, Angel, 8, a Brittany spaniel
and Labrador mix, set out in the 17-foot Grumman canoe that her family
has had for 30 years.
Kim Cornell said she has
enjoyed outdoor activities since she was a Campfire Girl.
Canoeing the three rivers has been a dream of hers for years.
She and Vilsack in 2004
canoed the Allegheny River from the Kinzua Dam to Pittsburgh.
In 2007, the pair canoed the entire Monongahela River. This past spring,
they canoed the
upper Allegheny River in Coudersport to the Kinzua Dam.
Cornell had planned to
canoe the Ohio River before learning of her cousin's illness.
A couple weeks ago as she stood in her kitchen, she said, she heard a
voice say, "Paddle for Marvin."
The idea to conduct the trip as a fundraiser was born.
"It was totally God's idea," she said.
Shoop described his cousin's canoe trip as "awesome."
"I am so proud of her," he said.
Kim
Cornell (left) of Shaler, her friend Pat Vilsack of Mt. Lebanon and her
dog,
Angel, canoe past the Point on their way down the Ohio River on Sunday,
Aug. 31, 2008.
Sidney L. Davis/Tribune-Review
Donations are tax deductable. Go to www.braintumor.org/home/ and then click on the "Donate Now" button.
Online: Press the "Click
here if you wish to make a donation in memory or in honor of someone."
When you do it will take you to a page. Fill out the information and, on
the next page, make the donation in honor of "Marvin Shoop EE."
By Phone: Call
800-770-8287 to make a credit card donation. There is a $25.00 minimum
for donations by phone.
When you donate, make the donation in honor of "Marvin Shoop EE."
By Mail: Click on the printable form button and, on the form, write "In honor of Marvin Shoop EE." Then mail your donation to:
National Brain Tumor
Society
East Coast Office
124 Watertown Street, Suite 3H
Watertown, Ma 02472
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can keep
track of Kim's progress down the Ohio River through the website and the
blog at
www.marvinshoop.com.
You can also read the story of their first trip on the Allegheny River
at
www.alleghenysojourn.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Photos coming soon.
Photos from the Ohio
River Trip:
Photos by: Dawn Danner
Photos
from Monongahela River Trip 8/28/07
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~