Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

In the book Flat Stanley, a boy named Stanley gets crushed by a bulletin board, but heís not upset because being so thin allows him to travel inside an envelope all around the world. This book has been used by teachers to get students excited about geography, and Katie Edwards over at Wyoming Elementary is just one of them.

Edwards had her students read the book, then create their own Flat Stanleys to send out to friends and relatives across the world. Kyle Raarup thought heíd send his Stanley to his cousins living in China.

ìI sent Stanley to China and I thought that would be that,î Raarup said.

He was wrong. Stanley was only beginning a wild adventure.

From China his cousins sent Stanley on to other cousins in Silver Springs, MD. While visiting Raarupís cousins in Silver Springs, Stanley made a visit to the White House and National Monument.

Stanley then moved onto another cousin of Raarupís who lives in Ashville, NC. While in Ashville Stanley was handed off to Jeff Mosher, and this is where Stanleyís adventure really began.

ìJeff is a long time friend of my uncle so he brought him with him,î Raarup said.

Mosher, a former teacher who knew of the Flat Stanley project, is studying for his masters degree in sports administration and is spending time with the U.S. Olympic teams.

Prior to the start of the Torino games Mosher took Stanley to Colorado Springs, CO, where Stanley saw Apolo Ohno speed skate. From Colorado Springs Mosher took Stanley with him to Lake Placid, NY, while he worked with the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams.

The bobsled team of Todd Hays and Steve Mesler got interested in Stanley and decided heíd come with them to Torino.

KARE11 TV heard about Stanleyís adventure and paid Raarup a visit at Wyoming Elementary Feb. 7. KARE11 had a live satellite hookup with the U.S. bobsled team and Raarup was able to talk to the team as they had Stanley with them.

The bobsled team sent along some gifts for Raarup. The bobsledders sent a hat, T-shirt, stickers, boom sticks, pins and stickers of them with Stanley in Torino.

ìI thought it was way cool,î Raarup said. ìI thought he (Stanley) was just going to go to the Olympic training center. I didnít know heíd go to Torino.î

While talking to the bobsledders Raarup learned that a bobsled can hit speeds of 90 miles per hour and that the athletes do a lot of sprinting as they train. He also learned that in the four man bobsled, each person has a specialized task from steering to pushing off.

ìI knew what bobsledding was before all of this, but I didnít know anything about it,î Raarup said.

While Raarup is enjoying the stories he hears about Stanleyís adventures, his mom Barb loves the educational factor.

ìI think itís so great because the project itself makes the kids learn where things are in the world and expands their community,î she said.

ìHeís really into sports so it fits him perfectly that Stanley is at the Olympics.î

Raarup isnít sure where Stanley will end up next, but he knows where heíd like him to go.

ìIíd like him to end up with the U.S. hockey team, maybe even the Canadian team,î Raarup said.

Raarup plays hockey himself and will be watching Olympic hockey when the bobsledding isnít on. He even mentioned that if hockey doesnít work out for him, maybe heíd take up bobsledding.

ìI think thatís whatís interesting about bobsledding,î Raarupís mom said.

ìItís not like hockey or baseball where you have to start when youíre five years old. A lot of the guys come from other sports.î

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