In 2016, I turned a friendly bicycle race wager between co-workers into a fundraiser that raised $6,000 for Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids – and I'm at it again. Or maybe you could say this year I'm going big.
I'm turning in my 12” wheeled pink scooter that I previously raced on for a 48” boneshaker, for a more commonly known as a highwheeler, for this year’s Barry-Roubaix Gravel Race on April 21st in Hastings, Michigan. And if that isn’t enough, instead of competing in the 22 mile race, I've jumped up to the 36 mile race. All of this again for Gilda’s Club.
Gilda's Club is an organization that is deeply personal to me. My father recently died from cancer in 2017. Gilda's Club is an organization that provides 'free emotional healthcare to children, adults, families, and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving the death of someone in their life due to any cause.'
Inspired by the fact that this years racing steed is substantially larger than the previous, I'm set to ‘go big or go home’ with 3 ambitious goals for this year:
- 4x the shares on social media (2016 total: 611 shares, 2018 goal: 2,400 shares)
- 3x the donors (2016 total: 126 donors, 2018 goal: 300 donors)
- $10,000 in donations
Thank you for considering supporting my ambitious challenge by sharing or donating today and by cheering him on race day. Accomplishing even just one of these goals is a huge support for those on the cancer journey or grieving.