Bike MS: The Citrus Tour

Well, another year done and dusted. I had another great time this year riding in Bike MS event, riding our bikes from Bok Tower Gardens down near Lake Wales up to Orlando and then back again the next day. I will say this though: the Sunday leg back to the Gardens was the hardest of the 6 legs I’ve ridden in this event. We left a little later in the day to avoid conflict with an Iron Man event that was taking place in the same area so it was hotter than usual and there was a consistent strong headwind in our faces the entire way. Some people don’t mind wind, but being a larger than average rider I despise headwinds more than just about anything. By the time I made it to the finish and the finishing “Big Hill,” I was shot. (Editors note, I originally typo’d “shot” as another, similar word, just one letter off, that also works here.)  I finished, but just barely, and was thankful that segment was a single mile longer.

I was met at the finish line by Mrs. Lo and my favorite fellas, which is always a welcome site. I’m not one to take a lot of pictures on the way, but here’s a few, collaged into a single shot.

Some of the sights from the weekend.

The final tally raised this year was $2861! (Technically I can still collect donations until mid-June if you have a hankering to participate still by clicking here,) but I’m done harassing you for donations this year. I’m proud to have raised this amount and am grateful to all of you for your support and encouragement. Until next year!

Cheers.

 

 

 

Shopping and eating and drinking, oh my!

Did that title get your attention? I mean, who doesn’t like shopping and eating and drinking, amiright? And lists that end in “oh my!” for that matter.

Anyway, preparations for this year’s addition of Bike MS: The Citrus Tour are well under way, from both a riding and fundraising standpoint. The riding is pretty much up to just me, but the fundraising is where all of you wonderful and generous (and did I mention intelligent, handsome/attraction, and exceptionally virile?) people come in to play. To make things easy for you, I’ve got three different fundraising events planned in the coming weeks.

First up, tomorrow is the spring community yard sale here in Avalon Park, and once again we are donating the proceeds from our sale to the National MS Society. Need some boys clothes or toys, a gently used Keurig K Cup coffee maker, some DVDs or a Turner Field “First Pitch” print? Then we’ve got you covered. Lots of other families are participating, so check out avalonyardsale.com for details, and come get your bargain on.

Next up, Mrs. Lo is whipping up some exceptionally tasty St. Patrick’s-themed  baked goods for a sale next Thursday, March 13. We’ll have Bailey’s Irish Creme Brownies, as well as both Guinness and Irish whiskey-infused apple almond cupcakes available for a minimum donation of $3 a piece or 2 for $5. All of them are amazing, but the whiskey apple cupcakes are a personal favorite. If you are in the Orlando area, let me know and I’ll deliver to you for a reasonable donation to the cause 🙂

And last but certainly not least, the very good people at Mellow Mushroom Colonial Dr. will be donating 15% of your total bill from 5-9:00 PM on Wednesday, April 2. Simply show up, tell your server or bartender that you are there for the MS Fundraiser, enjoy some top-shelf food and drink, and relax knowing that a good cause is benefiting from your night out. How many times has eating pizza and drinking beer done so much (or any) good? It’s the very definition of win-win.

Hope to see some or all of you at one or more of these events. Of course if you can’t make it and want to donate, I’ll happily accept your donation through the regular means through my personal fundraising page. Thanks to your generosity I’m close to halfway to my fundraising goal for the year of $2500. Know that every dollar you contribute makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of those living with MS by funding research, services, and outreach programs.

Cheers.

Looking for a fresh start

As many of you know, I’m riding in the Bike MS: The Citrus Tour ride this April. This makes the third year that I’ve participated, and I’m sure at this point you’re tired of me begging you for donations. Quite frankly I’m tired of asking you, but it’s a great cause that I believe in so I’m going to keep bothering you. I am, however, trying to come up with different fundraising ideas to freshening things up a bit.

This year, in addition to a straight donation (which I will of course happily accept from you via this link), I’ll give you the opportunity to make a pledge based on the number of miles that I ride between the start of 2014 and the ride. You pledge an amount, say five or ten cents a mile (but if you are feeling more generous I won’t stop you from going higher) I’ll keep track and post my training miles each week, and you can make a donation based on that total. By doing this I’ll be able to raise money to help fight MS of course, but I’ll also have some additional motivation to get on the bike and ride, which will keep things from getting stale and keep me on track.

Full disclosure, I’ve ridden 31 miles already this year (and plan on another 10-15 today), and hope to log a minimum of 50 miles each week. Some weeks will definitely be higher, especially the closer it gets to April, but you can plan on a minimum of 50 per week for approximately 16 weeks, which, thanks to some fancy arithmetic (Ok fine, I used a calculator. I was told there would be no math.), I know is about 800 total miles. If you pledge and find that you have underestimated me, I’ll be happy to cap the number of miles you’re on the hook for at a nice round number that fits into you budget. I’m a reasonable guy, I’m willing to work with you. Just make a pledge! Also, please share this page or the donation link above with your friends, neighbors or followers, and you will have my thanks and some great karma to start the new year off right. Just hit me up in the comments, via e-mail or through Facebook/Twitter if you are interested.

As always, thanks to all of you for your support, donations and encouragement. Thanks to you I’ve been able to raise over $6000 the past two years to help find a cure for MS and that is all thanks to your generosity. I’m working on a couple of different fundraising events in the coming months as well, so those of you in the Central Florida keep your eyes peeled for those. You guys rock and I’m always blown away by your generosity, kindness and willingness to help.

Cheers.