Quad-Citians pitch in to complete school fundraiser cut short by wreck

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'The Will to Finish': Quad-Citians pitch in to complete school fundraiser cut short by wreck Quad-Cities Online

Davenport, MT — The Pink Panther is missing in Montana.

On Saturday morning, June 1, Will Wolf was pedaling his recumbent Tricycle through Montana, working his way through a cross-country trek to benefit the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities. When he was 20 miles west of the north-central Montana town of Havre, he was hit by a car traveling 70 mph. He and the Pink Panther stuffed animal he carried on the trike were flung into the air.

EMTs quickly arrived on the scene and rushed Wolf to Northern Montana Hospital in Havre. He then was airlifted to a trauma center in Great Falls, where he spent four days.

Wolf, 61, and his wife, Laura, own a home in Davenport, but they live primarily in Minneapolis. He had surgery to repair his neck and left arm June 10 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and and he returned there several times for treatment.

Nearly four months after the accident, his arm is still in a mini-cast, but he recently regained motor skills in his left hand. He visited the Creative Arts Academy at 306 W. River Drive for the first time last week.

“I happen to love the arts and education," said Wolf, who was between jobs this year. "My wife came up with the idea to do something for a great cause, and this was the greatest cause I could think of.”

Formerly chief financial officer for Rock Island-based Barjan LLC, Wolf had a goal of raising $100,000 for the CAA. He began the ride that was designed to draw attention to his fundraising campaign May 16 in Seattle. At the time he was hit, he had gone over 800 miles in just over two weeks, including high-altitude climbs through the Cascades and Rocky Mountain ranges. He mainly stayed at motels along the way.

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Wolf, who blogged about his journey online, had hoped to reach Davenport by June 22. His ultimate goal was Baltimore, Md., where his mom lives.

Wolf said a cross-country ride was always a dream ...

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