So, I did it again: I signed up for my third Ride to Conquer Cancer. The ride has become something I can’t seem to do without. I love the training, the cause, and the event itself. I look forward to the next ride almost as soon as I cross the finish line of the current ride. The 2013 ride means a little something more to me than my previous rides – with a strong fundraising campaign I should surpass the $10,000 mark for my three combined years of fundraising, a goal that seemed out of reach when I signed up for my first RTCC.
I am blown away by the generosity of people when it comes to this cause. I have had donors from all over, and together we have raised over $6,800 in two years. In the grand scheme of things that may not seem like a lot, but when I think about the difficulty I had raising the $2,500 minimum in my first year, I am so happy with that number. Sitting here just $3,200 away from $10,000 you can be sure that I will give it my all to reach that goal this year.
Training for the RTCC has not been a big problem for me; I love to ride and have tonnes of personal reasons for doing the ride, but to be honest nothing motivates me to get on my bike and ride like a donation alert in my email inbox. I have had days when the last thing I want to do is get on my bike and ride (especially on the trainer in the winter), then I get that email and I’m quickly on the bike turning the cranks.
A new fundraising tool I’m going to use this year is “tune-ups for cancer” – in exchange for a $50 donation I will adjust your bicycle’s gears, brakes, and bearings, and include minor wheel truing as needed, and then clean and lube your drivetrain. Don’t need a tune-up? I will also do bike fittings in exchange for a $75 donation. I have professional experience in fitting riders for mountain, road, and triathlon, and will include shoe fit and cleat positioning as well as assessing and adjusting bike fit. Another old favorite tool to get you to donate is “dares for Jay” – got something you’d like to see me do or wear? Send me an email with a dare for Jay, and if the donation warrants the dare, I’ll do it.
I think I will also be bringing back the mall rides this year, I did them in my first RTCC fundraising campaign and had great success, but more importantly got to talk to people and share stories of how cancer touches us all.
I can be reached at jayticknor@gmail.com if you would like to book a tune-up or fitting, or just want to ask questions about my training, fundraising, or the ride itself.
