Hello from Philadelphia! The tour has picked up in pace, and our scheduled “events” have started. We have had a great week since last checking in. Our last week included stops in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and now the city of Brotherly Love! In Pittsburgh we had a chance to bring the Big Idaho Potato to the SuperValu Trade Show, this was a great chance to connect with the SuperValu team and attend this amazing event! The event featured keynote speaker Jeff Evans (@Jeff_B_Evans). Jeff is a mountaineer and author who guided the first blind man to the summit of Mt. Everest. We asked Jeff to take a picture with us on top of the potato and he lit up like a kid in a candy store! We can now say a man who has summited to the tallest mountain in the world as also summited the world’s largest potato! He brought a message to the crowd of following your calling, his calling is climbing the world’s tallest peaks, but what is ours?
This is a good question that we should all ask ourselves and seeing how the Big Idaho Potato tour just started, it is a perfect time for me to find mine. I wouldn’t have to wait long. On Saturday morning, as the team was preparing for a day of sightseeing we had a Philadelphia police officer come over and check out the potato. He said the his buddies had told him to get over to the hotel and check it out! John was born and raised in Philadelphia but has a special connection to Idaho, he is a HUGE Boise State Bronco fan! Myself, being a Boise State alumni and Bronco Athletic enthusiast, quickly bonded over our love for the blue turf of Boise State’s football team and even realized that we had attended the same game a couple years ago when Boise State played in Washington D.C.! Reflecting on this awesome moment and chance encounter, I realized I had made a friend because of a six ton potato! How awesome is that!? That answered the question asked by Jeff Evans just a few days earlier. I don’t know who I am going to meet at the events in the next seven months but what I do know is that every opportunity is a chance to connect with each person that comes to see the Big Idaho Potato. My calling is to take every event and make it a chance to portray my passion for Idaho Potatoes and Meals on Wheels and to connect with each and every person that is able to experience the joy that comes from the tater team and the Big Idaho Potato!
Looking forward to meeting you all!
Tyler
