debating ALC5

[liksani]

Man.. I keep debating if I should do it or not, but the training and fundraising scare me. :P The training scares me since well it seems like a lot of time and I only just recently got a bike again. I'm also coming off of just spending the last 3 months training for a marathon. :P Tho I think the fundraising scares me even more... blaaah I keep debating back and forth

[DirtDiva]

Heh. I can't make up your mind for you, but I can tell you that the likelihood of anyone at TE trying to talk you out of riding your bike is non-existant.

Welcome to the board, by the way.

[Trek420]

liksani "Man.. I keep debating if I should do it or not, but the training and fundraising scare me. :P The training scares me since well it seems like a lot of time and I only just recently got a bike again. I'm also coming off of just spending the last 3 months training for a marathon. :P Tho I think the fundraising scares me even more... blaaah I keep debating back and forth"

do it. If it's something you feel you need to do, do it.

three time ALC'er chimeing in (well 2 rides, crewed once, crewing is harder than rideing, I've decided just to count it from now on). I may lead training rides so you may see me out there, well probably sweep training rides...I'm looking to ALC6 but thinking about the Top Hat, other rides this year. Body and mind needs a break.

fund raiseing, yep, it's hard. But you start now, keep at it, let everyone you know that you're rideing and it just falls into place. I think somewhere around here I and others have posted tips.

training. as a "single parent of a dog" it was hard to get the really long training rides in, but I'd say I trained hard and efficiently thanks to a lot of help from the TE gals here.

I wasn't the fastest thing on two wheels but rode all but 10 miles of it this year and felt great doin' it.

As a crew member I know that most do not complete every mile of the 585 mile ride, waaaaay far from it.

I remember one fine morning getting outa camp, takeing the tent down with Bikegoddess (TE gal) and overhearing our neighbor saying something like "my goal each day is to make it to the first rest stop" then she was ok with sagging in.

No dissrespect to that, the first rest stop was probably further than she'd ridden before (and if you're lurking here and recognise this, good job of knowing your limits! Keep at it) but if you should train *much harder* than the actual ride, and you can make the time for that, pay attention to your equipment, comfort, nutrition you can do this thing.

Then on the ride itself treat the ride like a looong recovery ride and take care of yourself. You may feel you've done the hardest work, the miles and hills, fundraising and raiseing awareness put your costume on and ride. It really is a remarkable experience.

[cindysue]

yeah the fundraising scares me too!

see my next post

i remember one fine morning getting outa camp, takeing the tent down with Bikegoddess (TE gal) and overhearing our neighbor saying something like "my goal each day is to make it to the first rest stop" then she was ok with sagging in.

No dissrespect to that, the first rest stop was probably further than she'd ridden before (and if you're lurking here and recognise this, good job of knowing your limits! Keep at it)

love hearing those stories. Keep them coming!

I'm still not sure if I'm doing ALC or a bike tour abroad (or both!)

Cindy

[cindysue]

Here are some tips from the Breast Cancer Fund:

(just replace BCF with ALC below)

Fundraising Tips
It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
1. Set an ambitious goal for how much you want to raise and make a list of all the people you can
ask to make donations. Consider family, friends, colleagues, business owners and other
members of your community.

2. Get the word out…and ask for donations! Write letters. Send emails. Make phone calls. Talk
to people. Tell them why you’re taking on this challenge and what your personal goals are.
Suggest an amount and give a deadline, prior to Bike Against the Odds, for collecting their
donation.

3. After Bike Against the Odds, thank all your supporters and let them know how you did!
Some helpful advice:
Start fundraising now! Sure, asking for money can be intimidating, but in our
experience, not only have riders exceeded their fundraising goals, they’ve also found
the fundraising to be easy, and say they could’ve raised more – if they had only had
more time.

It is okay to ask for money. Breast cancer concerns all of us, but we don’t all have time to
work on solutions. Most people welcome the opportunity to contribute when asked, since
making a donation is an easy way to help. They just want to know that their money is going to
a national organization that can make an impact, and local programs that benefit the
community.

Don’t be afraid to be rejected. Not everyone you ask will say yes, but most will.
Make as large a list as you can of potential contributors, and don’t be afraid to ask.
People almost always wish they were in a position to help and are sorry when they have
to say no.

Get to know the Breast Cancer Fund. In response to the public health crisis of breast cancer,
our mission is to identify – and advocate for the elimination of – the environmental and other
preventable causes of the disease. Breast Cancer Fund is a leader in the environmental health
movement and is shifting industry, policy-makers, and the public toward a precautionary,
prevention-focused, and sustainable approach to protecting human health from toxic chemicals
and dangerous, environmental exposures. For more information on our work, check out our
Web site: www.breastcancerfund.org.

Make it personal. Tell people why breast cancer is an important issue for you personally.
This makes the issue most compelling to your potential donor, and is particularly effective in
the form of a letter.

Ask for a specific amount. Encourage donors to give the most they can. Tell them what your
overall goal is, and ask for an amount that will be reasonable to them. Remember that a $25
donation from one individual may be more of a stretch than $500 from another. Always
graciously accept whatever is given, even a decline.
Ask for help. Get a few friends, family members or co-workers to assist in your fundraising
efforts, either with moral support, help in writing and reviewing your letters, putting together a
fundraising event, or even asking people they know for donations on your behalf.

Fundraising Ideas:

Letter Campaign: By far the most common and highly effective fundraising method is a mailing
and/or emailing, primarily to friends and family, business associates and local businesses. Consider
slightly altering your letter to tailor it to the interests of the individual or group you are sending it to.
Include information about: a) what you are doing and why it is important; b) Breast Cancer Fund; c)
how they can support your effort by contributing toward your fundraising goal; d) how to make a
donation and the date you need it by. Remember to thank them for giving whatever they can.

Letter Writing Steps: (see sample letter)
• Develop a list of people to receive the letter.
• Write and send an effective letter and tell people how easy it is to make a donation
online.
• Make follow-up calls and/or emails. A week after people have received your letter,
follow up with those who haven’t responded and ask if they can support your effort.
People may misplace or set aside the letter and will appreciate a reminder. Followup
calls emphasize how serious you are and will usually double your return.
• Thank your contributors. Keep in touch with them after the event. Some riders send a
picture of themselves after completing their event, copied on a thank you letter with a story
describing their experience on Bike Against the Odds.
Matching Funds: Many companies will match funds raised or donated by their employees. If you or
your supporters work for such a company, these matches can double your fundraising effort. Be sure
to remind the people you solicit of this fact. Matching gifts will count toward your overall fundraising
goal if the gifts are received by October 7, 2005.

Host a House Party: House parties have a wide variety of possibilities. Host a brunch, picnic,
cocktail party, dinner party – just about any excuse to bring people together. Suggest a contribution to
attend or request voluntary donations at the party. Join forces with a group of friends in order to
maximize your potential mailing list, and divide up the work.
Other Possibilities: Try fundraising through a garage sale, car wash, or bake sale.



Sample Fundraising Letter
July 1, 2005
Susie Love
555 Mountain Street
Mill Valley, CA 94941
“We cycle to live out the gains that come with a diagnosis of cancer. In a venture of
our choosing – breast cancer gave us no choice – we apply our courage and faith that anything
is possible, if taken one step at a time. And we do it all as part of a team, cyclists and
supporters, knowing that there is more that we can achieve together than apart.”
-Andrea R. Martin, Founder, Breast Cancer Fund
Dear Susie,
I will be taking on a big physical challenge, and I need your help. I will be cycling a
challenging one day ride on Sunday, October 9th with hundreds of other people and the Breast
Cancer Fund to demonstrate my commitment to end breast cancer. I have set a personal goal of
raising $____ for my effort and I am asking you to support me by making a contribution of
$____ to the Breast Cancer Fund toward this goal.
I am cycling because I am tired of so many women getting this disease. Almost
everyone has had breast cancer touch their lives in some way. I don’t want to get it myself. I
know you share my concern. It is unacceptable that 1 in 7 women in America today have a
chance of getting breast cancer, and that the risk level is rising. In response to the public health
crisis of breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Fund identifies – and advocates for elimination of –
the environmental and other preventable causes of the disease.
I realize there are a lot of people participating in events to raise money for good causes.
I have chosen the Breast Cancer Fund because they are the only group focused solely on
prevention of the disease. With your help, we can find the root causes of breast cancer and
prevent so many more people from having to face this disease.
Please join me in making a difference by giving a contribution to the Breast Cancer
Fund and returning it to me by October 1st so I can cycle on your behalf. You can send a check
to me today (please make checks payable to the Breast Cancer Fund and include my name &
BAO-05 in the memo line) or visit my personal Bike Against the Odds web page at _____ to
make an instant credit card pledge online.
Many thanks,
Doris B. Strong
124 6th Street
Biketown, CA 99999

[Trek420]

liksani, the TE board did kinda a webcast of the ride through the magic of text messaging last June, here on this thread

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ndraising+aids

you should do it, it's an incredible experience

[shadon]

you should do it, it's an incredible experience

Yeah! What she said!

Well...actually, I can't comment on the incredible-ness of the experience, since I'm traiing for my first ALC, but the whole thing has been great so far!

I'm just not gonna worry about the fundraising...it'll work out!

[AllezGirl]

One tip that made a world of difference in my letter campaign was including a self addressed, stamped envelope!

[Bike Goddess]

liksani- I also debated last fall as to whether or not I should sign up for this endeavor. Finally I took the "bull by the horns" (my mind conversation), went to an introduction at the SF AIDS foundation office and signed up!

Two things- it's a lot of training and a lot of talking.

On the training side- I rode with my local bike club as it was difficult to ride on the AIDS training rides due to where I live and when they were scheduled. If you can do some of the training rides, I do reccommend it. I also did a few centuries before the ride to get used to the idea of long days in the saddle. All of the training paid off- I did every mile every day! Might have been tired at the end. but it was all well worth the work involved!

I found that telling people what I was going to do and asking them if they wanted to be on my team was the easiest way to promote myself and the cause. Since AIDS is a well known pandemic I didn't need to say a lot about it. I did, if necessary, explain where the money went. I didn't ask people for a certain amount, I just asked them if they wanted participate. I made sure they understood this. So, my donations went from $5.00 to $250.00 with most people putting in $20-$50. I didn't send out many letters, I found that person to person worked the best for me. The AIDS groups both from LA and SF have many ideas for fundraising as well- dinners, garage sales, etc.

The other advice- after you have reached the first goal- $2500.00 (I started with $1000. as my beginning goal) just keep on talking! This is about funding programs that make a difference in people's lives and people really do want to contribute to a worthy cause especially in these times. I decided I wasn't going to stop until the AIDS crisis was handled. I learned a lot from this experience and I was richly rewarded from it.

WE can, WE will, We must!

[ACG]

We had our first training ride in Griffith park 2 weeks ago, it was a blast! Maybe find out when there is an 'official' training ride. You can go without signing up for the 'big ride', get your feet wet, ask lots of questions. I asked LOTS of questions! All the ride leaders were friendly and helpful.

[Trek420]

shadon "I can't comment on the incredible-ness of the experience, since I'm traiing for my first ALC, but the whole thing has been great so far!"

the incredibleness is...incredible, you are in for a heck-of-a-ride. Just ride/eat/sleep....oh and work and surf TE.

I did more follow up last year, that is folks who say "yeah, I want to sponsor you", if I don't see them show up as sponsors in a month or two sent another letter, e-mail out.

Voila, usually twice is a charm.

I make my sponsors feel like they are on the ride as much as possible, without all the training and gatorade and stuff.

I did a group voicemail each day from both rides to all the sponsors with voicemail, I kept an online journal, not a blog but I'm still working on it...make sure you thank your sponsors, send thank you cards (that's tax deductable).

The folks who don't ride may be fascinated by what goes in to acheiving your goal, most knew that you'd have to keep hydrated and fed, but had no idea how you do that on a long ride.

I made it a "tradition" last year to do the voicemail from Rest Stop 4, with the music in the background, Dolly Parton, Sound of Music, Swan Lake, I forget what they played when they were the Secret Service...

Lastly you never know who is effected by the cause you are volunteering for. Till I did BATO I did not know that the wife of one of my co-workers is a cancer survivor, or that Doreen one of our managers lost her brother in law to AIDS. Yesterday I was talking to a customer at work, I'm not sure how we got on the subject but he told me he used to ride and now his MS has progressed to where he can't, I told him about team AV and there we are, he's just calling the phone company and both of us tearing up....

Doreen's big burly bearded husband wears the ALC ride bracelet I gave them, well he can't get it around his wrist so I hear it's on his coffee cup ;-)

To Doreen and her husband I got the feeling that for them the fact that 2,000 people on this ride alone are willing to do this is like he has not been forgotten. It's like a rolling memorial.

[liksani]

Ended up going to an informational meeting and signing up

[Trek420]

and now there are 5 TE'ers

[shadon]

Ended up going to an informational meeting and signing up

*YEAH*!!! Good for you!

I've met some of the nicest, warmest, friendliest people thus far, including the training ride leader today who said "I die on hills too. Call me and we'll ride." You can do this! and there are so many people that will help you!