DAY ELEVEN - Finish Line in Grand Rapids, MI!

This is it—our final day of Fireball Run! I’m amazed by how fast the time flew.

We went straight to the Drag Strip at US 131 Motorsports Park. Susie and I had only a few posters left to pass out, but not much time, so we hired two school-age girls who were riding around to pass out what we had left. They were thrilled to have a little extra spending money and be involved in our mission, and did their job with enthusiasm.

I had never been to a Drag Strip in my life, so I had no idea what to expect. I asked a few questions to get the basics—I didn’t even know what things like a “tree” were. I thought we were going to have to remove everything from the car again, but the track had carved out an hour for the Fireball Run, so we all just got in line and waited for our turn. When it was my turn, I was a little slow on the start because I was surprised by how fast the yellow lights counted down for us to go. Once I got started, I just “hammered down” the straightaway. I had no idea how I had done, but later found out I came in 6th, my best ranking yet!

As we headed back for Grand Rapids, it was with mixed feelings, realizing this was our last day. We had several more missions before the days was over, the first of which was to buy some toys for the Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids and drive there to deliver them. We were then given a big batch of different Bonus Points to choose from. We only did a few, and decided to check in at the Finish Line as close to the final time as possible.

In typical form, we got lost right at the Finish Line. We had hooked up with another Corvette Z06 who suggested we follow them, and got stuck behind a light. They tried to wait for us, but by the time they turned we just didn’t see them and had to wander around to find our destination. Somehow it seemed to fit with the theme of the week—getting lost even when we had good people giving us very specific directions and leading the way! But we got to the Finish Line shortly after the allowable check-in time.

We had a few hours to rest before the Reception at the Van Andel Arena. It was great talking with everybody and exchanging contact information. Our good friends, Kevin & Michelle Boulton, won the overall Rally—they were the ones who gave me a personal invitation to the Fireball Run, so they will always be special to me. Congratulations to them, and to everyone else!

The best news of all was when Jeff, CEO and President of the Child Rescue Network, gave us the latest updates. It was official that one child had already been found while the Rally was being held! There were also a few tips received that would be investigated further. We all felt that if even one child was found, the Rally was a success, and so it was!

What an incredible adventure this has been. For several days we were running on 3 or 4 hours sleep, but I think the adrenaline just kept us going. Events like this always end with a mixture of sadness and joy, but the memories and relationships we forged will be for a lifetime. And we are all feeling humbled and awestruck by the lives we have and hope we will continue to change!

Thank you to everyone for your support, and we’ll keep you updated on other interesting news or events, especially the status of other Missing Children! Best wishes, God bless, and take care!

With Our Love,
Cassandra & Susie

BTW, I didn't officially settle on a name for the ‘vette, as I was hoping—we got totally focused on finding children and not getting lost ourselves in the process. But I’ve narrowed it down to several favorites with the great suggestions you all gave. The one I'm really leaning towards is ... Jasmine!