2008 December | My Blog

Sue

It’s getting late and i am not done yet with all i need to do but i can’t resist posting something that happened tonight. i am going through and accounting for the money we received from the various teams and i am really touched or maybe a better way and more truthful way of putting it is that i am choked up.

I just opened the envelope from a gal named Gretchen who led a team at XO to raise some money. as i counted the money, i flashed back to another time, 5 years ago. it was 2003 and i made my first attempt at asking others to help me get together enough money so we could buy some bikes for some local kids. and my friends and work colleagues all, yes every person asked, said yes. my donations were in one dollar bills, five dollar bills and 10 dollar bills. That’s how Gretchen’s donation came in. Now maybe it was one person or two people and they just had those bills but when i looked, it was 40. and at the end, the tally was $345! just counting those bills made me emotional as i remembered my surprise, joy and delight with the people i knew who said yes.

and then there was Frank at Fox Racing Shox who was so willing to step up and raise money. he asked his company to kick down and then he sold that stuff on criag’s list. it took his time and effort, his ingenuity, his willingness to go the extra mile and spend his own time to get the job done. he stepped up and said – YES!

and the alliance folks – with work to do they had a bake sale and raised money. how bout that? is that tried and true and they raised over a thousand dollars. it can be done with a willing heart.

and i wish i knew what the Fractious Enery team did to raise over $2,000. there’s a story there. but the guantlet was thrown and they rose to the challenge. if you’re out there, tell me your story.

and AVAC, like they hadn’t done enough with a fundraiser that brought in over 7K earlier in the year, stepped up and went the extra mile collecting over $1,000 more dollars from their own team. they wanted to be counted and make yet more bikes possible.

and there were individuals that stepped up – helen and dan whitlaw, Shaz lint, meredith and steven – i am struck by their willingness to come in and share their own money with local kids! they are competitors and players.

and the Bike Buck Cup winner, ACTC. Local cyclists, led by Jim Shalleau in this effort, managed to bring in the winning number, over 5K amongst 26 participants.

One funny thing – Frank with Fox said, “had i known, i would have pulled together enough money to bring that cup home”. he wanted that cup and vows it will be his next year. so next year, there will be a way to watch the donations!

so that’s the team thing. touched! remembering tonight an effort 5 years ago that led to this project today. without all of you, we at TWFK are nothing. you step up, you do the work, your raise the money, you make the donations. i stand in awe and honored to be associated with each of you ~ i have said it before, you are special people and i am honored to be associated with you.

17

12 2008

by Susie
posted in General
Comments Off

Tracking the Bike build on the web

Hey everyone, I have been looking around and using Delicious (a social bookmarking site) to collect stuff I’m finding. Here is the link if you would like to see what is out there.

Link to Delicious

If you would like to help me out with collecting please tag anything you post with “turningwheels“.

15

12 2008

by Derek
posted in Bike Build
Comments Off

sue

it’s the night after the build and i am finally recovering! what a whole bunch of work and what a whole bunch of fun! though it is exhausting, it is worth the effort. i want to thank all the volunteers! every year i am humbled by your willingness and goodness to be a part of this phenomenal effort. i especially want to thank those that stayed to the bitter end and finished all the bikes. it was a longer day than last year for a variety of reasons! so you are all rock stars in my book!

i am still processing what the day was and is. i am always wowed and awed! i think of what we can all do when we decide to act collectively, outside ourselves for those in the community that need our help. as i told one reporter ~ it is a time of year when the lines blur and for a moment we are all family and we reach out to each other to fill the voids that need filling without regard to judging and with a heart of love and kindness. as Nancy, one of our group, could tell you, i believe kindness is sorely underrated. so for this day, this season, we reach out and our motives are good and we accomplish something so special. so thank you ~ each of you. collectively we can make a difference – we did yesterday!

have a warm and joyful holiday season. keep kindness flowing! merry christmas, happy hanukkah, and i wish i knew all other holiday greetings, but from my heart to yours ~ love, warmth and goodness to each of you!

14

12 2008

by Susie
posted in General
No Comments

My Blog

Archive for December, 2008

Sue

17

12 2008

Tracking the Bike build on the web

15

12 2008

sue

14

12 2008

Archives

Categories

Recent Comments

Tags Cloud

Latest Post