33/50: Kansas
After enjoying a few weeks of Fall in Iowa and Missouri, we could sense the weather starting to shift as we drove through the plains of Kansas to Wichita for our 33rd state project on the 50 States: Veterans + Artists United tour for [HAS HEART].
Unlike Dorthy, we were able to bring our home with us to the USI RV Park. I’ll admit, it’s not the nicest of campgrounds, but at least we lucked out on a nice camp spot under a large trio of trees. Best of all: no threats of tornadoes in the forecast.
We had a couple of days to catch up on some work, laundry, and Thanksgiving planning before we hosted the project days at The Labor Party co-working office in downtown Wichita one day and at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center. Why at the VA? Because our Veteran Rev. Dave Fulton volunteered to help guide and mentor any Veteran in need.
When we were searching for a Veteran participant in Wichita, our friends from the Kansas City project put us in touch with someone they knew. They recommended a chaplain Veteran who they described as a cross between Mister Rogers and Bill Nye the Science Guy. We also were in contact with the AIGA Wichita chapter, which recommended a chaplain Veteran who they described as a cross between Mister Rogers and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Apparently, Rev. Dave Fulton was a local legend, and we learned why: he has a big heart.
Without going too far into his story (we’ll save that for when the STATE 33: KS project launches on www.hasheart.us), “Pastor Dave” just happened to be retiring from being a full-time pastor, and it just happened to be Veterans Day weekend, which meant we were able to attend his second-to-last service and the one he was able to wear his dress blues while preaching.
On another day, our artist Kristyn Smith took us for a tour around Wichita. I wish I could say these geese joined us because we swore they were Amelia and Abigail from the Aristocats, but behind these beautiful geese was the Pedestrian Bridge that connects us to the Keeper of the Plains statue, a 44-foot, 5-ton weathered steel sculpture donated by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin.
After being in the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, etc.) and entering deeper into the Plains states, we were reminded how visually rich the Native American cultural language is. The symbolism behind the “Circle of Life” hoop is such a strong reminder of the beauty and sacredness of life that we often can take for granted in our everyday lives.
After an afternoon of taking in Wichita, what better way to end it than taking in rich hot chocolate and a dessert at the Wichita staple Milkfloat. Beyond the baked goods, they had a LEGO wall. Yes, a WALL of LEGO sheets with buckets full of plastic bricks waiting to connect up there. It was only fitting we “tagged” the [HAS HEART] logo to leave our mark, no matter how raw and sore it made our fingers — call us soft, but those LEGOs hurt after a while.
If you’ve been a fan of March Madness over the past decade, you’ve heard of Wichita State University. They’ve been some incredible runs in the ultimate tourney, even making it into the Final Four in 2013. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much happening on campus while we were there, but I did find some great vintage logos naturally worn away on an equally old grey van.
We did learn that Wichita is where the very first Pizza Hut opened. In 1958, brothers and Wichita University students Frank and Dan Carney started what they thought would be a small pizza joint in Wichita. Staffed by friends and family, they served the latest food trend in America: PIZZA. The sign only fit eight letters, so the best they could do was name it “Pizza Hut.”
Their second store (and first franchise restaurant) opened two hours down the road in Topeka two years later in 1960. Now, it is the largest pizza company in the world, with more than 11,000 restaurants in 90 countries.
A boy could dream.
