Teen on quest to help the hungry

KYLE LANG.psd

By KAREN PARKER | County Line Publisher

Readers often tell me this corner of the paper is the most read, so pardon me while I use it for my own devious ends.

In Ontario, we are in need of a few items for the educational exhibits at the Palen Park renovation. One is a pine cookie that is a slice of white pine, 2-4 inches thick off a stump or the butt end of a log. It would really be great if it had at least 100 rings.

Please don’t whack down a live tree, but if you know of a stump in someone’s backyard or of a recent logging operation that might have such a thing, that would be terrific.

The second item is one of those old-time outdoor water pumps we used before electricity. It does not have to be in working condition, but it should have the spout and handle and be in good enough shape to be repainted if necessary.

If you could help with either of these items or want more information, give me a call at 337-4232 or 337-4789 or drop me an email countyline@centurytel.net.

♦ ♦ ♦

If you think today’s teens are self-obsessed airheads who spend most of their waking hours wasting time on Facebook or other social media sites, then you ought to meet Kyle Lang.

And you can, on Tuesday, June 24, when he runs down the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail on a personal quest to help the hungry. Okay, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to meet him, but you can watch him whiz past.

A 17-year-old from West Salem, Lang will be a senior in high school this fall. He also is a devoted runner.

“I wanted the running to be something more than just for me,” he told the County Line on Monday.

That’s when he decided to partner with WAFER, a La Crosse-based food pantry, and the Hunger Task Force, which serves 61 meal sites and food pantries in La Crosse, Vernon, Trempealeau and Monroe counties.  In 2012, it distributed more than 863,000 pounds of food.

Lang’s idea of how to raise money for the organizations turned out to be no small task. On June 23, he will step off at Marshland in Buffalo County and run 47 miles on the Great River State Trail and the La Crosse State Trail to Sparta.

After resting for the night, he will run from Sparta to Reedsburg on the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and the “400” Trail. It will be an exhausting 101 miles in two days.

Lang’s hope is that he will be able to raise $100 for every mile of his run, resulting in a $10,000 donation to help fight local hunger.

If you would like to cheer this young man’s efforts, donation boxes are available at Lisa T’s in Norwalk, United Cooperative (Fastrip) in Wilton and Tunnel Trail Campground.

You can also donate through Paypal. The link can be found at our website (www.thecountyline.net) and our Facebook page.

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