.... I'm wondering how universal it is.

A local charitable org talked to some of us bikers about doing a fundraising ride. We planned it... lots of us put in some serious time going out and mapping the route, making a web page wiht photos, cue sheets, "how to get over this interstate" guide... and we explained that most people didn't decide to go 'til Day Of (the Lions Club does a ride earlier that they don't even *offer* advance registration for).

Welp, 10 days before the ride, we met and had everything laid out, but the next day we were informed that due to lack of support, the ride was canceled.
... I'm out of town for it *anyway* but the folks who did hte work are going to try to put it on anyway and give them the money...

... but I'm curious - are people everywhere usually "day of" riders - with a whole lot fewer advance registrations? I know it's true for our annual ride, too. (We just buy less food if fewer people are there; we've sometimes only made a little dough with bad weather, but never lost.)