(The Other Team Garmin members bundle up before last year's ride)
Bike MS is upon The Other Team Garmin (TOTG) once again, and
I have but two goals: 1) Raise $300 in fundraising for the National MS Society,
and 2) Complete the full century ride, 100 miles.
The fundraising goal is a mandatory for everyone that wants
to participate in this excellent and entertaining two day, fully supported,
heavily volunteered ride from Olathe to Lawrence. $200 is the minimum for the
race, however the folks from TOTG have upped the ante an extra hundred. There
are 60+ members riding with TOTG and our team goal is $40,000.
We’ll be doing auctions throughout the next few weeks - I’ve
saved a few items to provide for bidding – in an attempt to reach our lofty goal.
It’s nice to be a part of something so substantial, and it makes it easier to
reach out to friends, family and strangers when everyone on the team is
encouraging us to find inventive and creative manners in which to raise funds.
More on that in a bit…
I fully expect to complete the century ride this time,
weather provided. For a recap on the harrowing journey that saw my 100 mile
hopes cut off at 78, check out my very first blog post:
Over the years, my friends and family have been fully
supportive of all of my endeavors, whether it’s been a trip to Ireland, a
longer stay in Nicaragua or some of the charities I’ve been involved with, such
as Kiva and Bike MS. To reward you for your loyalty and graciousness, and also to
firmly commit myself to the cause, I’ve added a new aspect to my donation request
this year.
There will be a raffle at the end of the fundraising period,
where you (the donor) have the chance to win one of two prizes. The more you
donate, the better chance you have of winning. These are gifts I could have
given to TOTG for the auction, however I view this as one way to thank you for
your continued support.
For every Jayhawk alumni or family of a Jayhawk student,
there’s a chance you’ll win a grab-bag of KU School of Business swag. This includes,
but is not limited to, a soft logo shirt, a sweet pen, a hard plastic cup with
straw, mouse pad and the white bag with two Jayhawk stickers that they came in.
Very official.
(Jayhawk bag of goodies)
The other prize is an autographed copy of Argyle Armada,
written by Mark Johnson. Even if you’re not into cycling, it’s an amazing
glimpse into the demands and rigor a pro team goes through as they travel the
world competing in international events. There’s a ton of wonderful photography,
athlete interviews, and first-hand accounts by everyone from the team chef to
seasoned veterans of the cycling circuit. And it’s autographed by, like, five
guys from the team. Not really sure who. But it’s probably the good ones.
(Learn about the Pro's)
Finally, if you don’t want to play the odds, for anyone who
donates $50 or greater to my team, I will send you a fancy TOTG mug or pint
glass free of charge. The design was done by my riding partner Tommy (from the
original Bike MS post), and every mug or glass purchased sends even more cash
to the National MS Society. It’s a small expense for me to incur to (attempt to)
properly thank you for supporting my interests, because I’m extremely fortunate
to count on my great family and friends year after year. And in the end, more
money goes to this wonderful cause.
You are free to send this link to your friends or anyone else
you feel might be interested in donating to the cause. Every donation helps our
team get closer to achieving our ultimate goal of $40,000. Something I’ll be
thinking about as I tick off the miles in the saddle, training for this century
ride, my first.
Thank you in advance!
To Donate: Access the link below, which takes you directly to my page. Select "Donate to Greg" and follow the prompts to fill in the amount. You can display the amount publicly, or if you prefer, choose not to do so. In that case, simply email the amount you donated and I'll get you in the raffle and send you a mug or glass if need be.
Donate Here: Greg's Bike MS Page
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