...And he’s off! An Update on Tour de Fargo

Sons of Norway Headquarters Staff with Talleiv Vollen

It’s official! Tour de Fargo has officially started and Talleiv "Tolly" Vollen is on the first stage of his bicycle journey to Fargo and the Innovative Leadership Conference and 2012 Sons of Norway International Convention. A trip 250 miles in the making, Tolly is set to arrive on Monday, with stops in St. Cloud, Alexandria, Fergus Falls and finally Fargo. 

As of this morning, Tolly’s efforts have raised nearly $2,500 for the Sons of Norway Foundation’s Helping Hands to Members Fund, Oslo Summer School Scholarship (OISS) Fund and for Trollheim 1-511’s Scholarship Fund. In fact, a spur of the moment donation was made just minutes before Tolly set out by a woman who was not a Sons of Norway member. She just happened to have heard what Tolly was doing and was inspired to do what she could to help. How great is that? To learn more about the kinds of events made possible by these generous donations, check out Wednesday's blog post about Tour de Fargo.

Sons of Norway CEO Eivind Heiberg with Talleiv Vollen.

 Donating is easy. Pledges may be made by the mile or in set dollar amounts by emailing foundation@sofn.com. You can also donate online through the Sons of Norway website by clicking here. Mailed donations may also be sent to the Sons of Norway Foundation at 1455 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408. Please make checks payable to the Sons of Norway Foundation and include “Tour de Fargo” in the memo line.

 Be sure to check back to the blog as we update you on his progress and his official arrival in Fargo! While you're here, be sure to leave well wishes and notes of encouragement to Tolly in the comments section below.

UPDATE!
I just had the opportunity to talk with Talleiv and things are going well along his route. He's currently traveling north of the city on West River Road in Champlin. Unfortunately, Talleiv is running a bit behind his planned pace due to a flat tire, but it has since been repaired and he is back on the road and in good spirits!

Biking for a Cause: Tour de Fargo

One very ambitious member will be making a special bicycle trip on August 17-20. 69-year-old Talleiv “Tolly” Vollen, a charter member of Trollheim 1-511 in St. Cloud, will be biking 250 miles from Sons of Norway Headquarters in Minneapolis to Fargo, the site of the new Innovative Leadership Conference and 2012 Sons of Norway International Convention. Talk about some serious biking! After his trek, Tolly will qualify for both bronze and silver sykkelmerke Sports Medal Program medals!

An avid cyclist, Tolly was inspired to use his hobby for a charitable cause, raising funds for the Sons of Norway Foundation’s Helping Hands to Members Fund, Oslo International Summer School Scholarship (OISS) Fund and for Trollheim 1-511’s Scholarship Fund. What are some of the events made possible by the support from these great funds? Youth barneløpets, Project Framtid (Adopt-A-School) programming, eight week study abroad programs at OISS, camperships to Skogfjorden Norwegian Language Village and much more. If you’d like to learn more about the great causes that these types of funds support, be sure to check out the Sons of Norway Foundation’s annual reports by clicking here. 

Donating is easy. Pledges may be made by the mile or in set dollar amounts by emailing foundation@sofn.com or tkvollen65@charter.net. Mailed donations may also be sent to the Sons of Norway Foundation at 1455 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408. Please make checks payable to the Sons of Norway Foundation and include “Tour de Fargo” in the memo line. 

Tolly will be setting out on his journey on Friday at 9:00 a.m. from Sons of Norway Headquarters, so be sure to check back to the blog as we update you on his official send off and arrival in Fargo! You can also leave well wishes and notes of encouragement to Tolly in the comments section below.

Sons of Norway Foundation Lends a Hand to Minot Flood Relief

As everyone is probably aware, there is a Sons of Norway community in great need right now. Minot, ND has spent much of its summer, so far, dealing with a once-in-a-century flood of the Souris (Mouse) river and the monumental cleanup now that the waters have begun to recede. So far, we are aware of up to 75 Sons of Norway families who have been affected by this natural disaster.

The Sons of Norway Foundation is currently working to assist as many of these families as possible through its Humanitarian Fund, from which $1,000 Helping Hands to Members Grants can be awarded to aid members who are victims of natural disasters, like this one. The grants assist our members in their time of great need, helping them purchase items, like bottled water, groceries and other severely needed supplies to keep them going during the clean-up and re-build.

In true fraternal spirit, the Foundation is calling on all Sons of Norway  members and lodges who can help with this relief effort by making a tax deductible donation* to the Humanitarian Fund.  This will ensure that the Fund stands ready to help with current and future disasters. You may donate on-line or send your checks with "Minot" in the memo line (no cash please) to Sons of Norway Foundation, Att: Minot, 1455 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408.

Please accept our heartfelt thanks on behalf of the victims who will benefit from your generosity.