Rico enjoyed his first big road trip in early November with MLI staff members, Tamara, Elise, and Anne. During his tour, Rico did six presentations/demonstrations in three different states for more than 1300 students ranging in age from elementary to college level.
At his first stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rico received a warm welcome from the students at The John Moffet School. The elementary students made colorful signs for Rico and presented MLI with a generous check from their fundraising efforts. Before leaving Philadelphia, Rico visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, The Betsy Ross House and a few other historical landmarks.
The second stop for Rico’s Road Trip was in Greenwich, Connecticut where he met students from Greenwich Country Day School, North Mianus School, Central Middle School, and the Brunswick School. This part of the trip was extra special, as Rico was sponsored by CHAMPS students at The Brunswick School in 2015. At North Mianus School, Rico was introduced to a special family who recently adopted a retired mine detection dog from Bosnia and Herzegovina. MDD Emily was also sponsored by students in Connecticut. Rico and the MLI staff were excited to meet with Cub Scout Troop Pack 35 while in Greenwich which was very fun. Our tourist stops in Greenwich included The Putnam Cottage, By the Way Bakery, Binney Park, and Coffee for Good.
The final stop on the tour for Rico’s Road Trip was in Waterbury-Stowe, Vermont. Rico spent two very busy days at Norwich University where he and the MLI staff were able to interact with cadets, attend a briefing with Olmsted Fellows, present information about MLI, conduct a mine detection demonstration, join the Veterans Day Ceremony, have a private tour of the Sullivan Museum, and celebrate at the 247th US Navy/Marine Corps Birthday Ball. A trip to Vermont cannot be done without a stop to the Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard and Ice Cream Shop.
The week was packed with events and activities, and after more than 1200 miles Rico was glad to be home to rest. Rico was amazing with the students and was treated like the hero he is. If your school or organization would like Rico to visit, please email Anne Wooleyhand at anne@marshall-legacy.org. To learn more about Rico’s adventures or to see pictures from Rico’s Road Trip, please visit his Instagram or Facebook page. @mddrico