Here's an old story but worth repeating: Back in July of 2010 and the first Going The Distance ride for the Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro was getting underway, there were but 8 riders who had worked tirelessly the previous few months canvasing donors. That first year we rode a double century, 200 miles over two days, traveling the length of Vermont from Canada to Brattleboro. Having been shuttled in the club van, we were arriving at the border to start our journey south the next morning. In the gloaming we were having difficulty locating the motel arranged for us. Suddenly noticing a state trooper parked by the side of the road we pulled over to ask directions. The officer's eyes widened when we mentioned the name of our elusive accommodation. She quickly exclaimed, “I wont go there and I carry a gun.”
Needless to say we did go there, either out of shear tiredness or a foolish belief of our invincibility in pursuit of a nobel cause. The rest is, as they say, history. In the end we raised over $23,000 for the Boys and Girls Club. Not bad for a small group of amateurs.
Not bad at all.
Now, fourteen years later, this one day 100 mile loop, with shorter options, enables us to invite more cyclists to hopefully raise $50,000 or more. The club certainly is not swimming in cash but these sums are no small potatoes and with local sponsors meeting our support costs every dollar we raise goes directly to the club.
My goal is to raise $1000 for the Boys & Girls Club. So I am asking you to please support my effort with a generous tax deductible donation of $25 or more. If you donate online, you can choose to cover the small processing fee charged by BikeReg, so that 100% of your gift goes directly to the Club. You can easily donate through this web page at BikeReg. It's simple, fast and totally secure.
OR
You can donate directly by check. Checks, made out to the Boys & Girls Club, with “The Ride” and my name in the memo line, should be mailed to: Boys & Girls Club, 17 Flat St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
As a resident of the greater Brattleboro community for over 50 years it’s obvious to me that the youth of our area greatly benefit from the programs and mentoring the Club provides. The BGCB has been serving local youth for over 30 years. Only the local school system serves more youth.
Many thanks for your support -- and please forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
P.S. I'm betting on myself and made the first donation. Come on board, it's going to be a GREAT ride.