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Jul. 25th, 2006
MS ride fundraising letter..
Jul. 25th, 2006 03:47 pmA fundrasing email I sent out today....
Hey everyone!
When I started out to do this ride, I had goals that seemed so lofty, so challenging that I was trepidatious as to if I could possible meet them. My goals were to raise the $200.00 minimum amount to participate in this ride, and to train enough to be able to ride the 33 mile option on day one and the 24 mile option on day two.
That was at the begining of June. Now, here we are, not even two months later and with the incredible help and encouragement that I have received from all of you, this is where I stand:
Fundraising: $860.00 in pledges.
All registration fees and dorm fees sponsored
All equipment sponsored.
Training: Averaging around 100 miles a week. Ready to tackle either the 69 mile or the 88 mile course the first day, depending on the temperature and how I am feeling on that day.
As you can plainly see, all of the goals that seemed so lofty just a few short weeks ago have been shattered. And I do mean shattered. Never in my wildest dreams, nor in my most healthy, pre-diagnosis days, did I ever believe I could accomplish ANYTHING like this. I find it so wonderfully ironic that after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I am now in the best shape of my life.
What I failed to realize before was that these kinds of accomplishments do not belong to (nor can they be achieved by) one person. This accomplishment belongs as much to me as it does to all of you. It also belongs to the person who put this crazy idea in my head in the first place; the friend who looked me, a person with MS who had not been on a bike in years, right in the eye and said with confidence and absolute faith, "Steve, you can totally do this." This accomplishment belongs as much to to Marianne as it does to me. Thanks, partner!
And now, I have ten days until the ride. And I have a new goal: I want to raise the remaining $140.00 to put me at $1000.00 before early check in on Thursday and Friday of this week. It seems greedy, I know.. But let me tell you why I want to do this: There is a reward for raising $1000.00 or more. Just as the daily winners in the Tour De France get a special yellow jersey, the "Winners" in the MS Ride fundraising game (those who raise $1000.00 or more) get a special jersey and a yellow rider number for the ride. I want to ride this ride with those badges of honor. Me, a person with MS who just a couple of short months ago could barely get around his neighborhood on his bike, wants to show up on ride day showing that because I didn't try to do it alone, I can be counted amoung the top fundraisers for this event, especially since those funds will make a difference in my life as well as the lives of thousands of other people with this dibilitating disease.
You all have already given so much, I hate asking for more. But I am asking that you pass this email or the link to my fundraising page below on to 14 people. If just 14 people donate $10.00 between now and Thursday or Friday, this new lofty goal will have been reached. What do you say?
Thank you all so much for everything. Whether we reach this goal or not, I, because of all of you, am already a winner.
Love,
Steve "Bug" Nail.
Donate
Hey everyone!
When I started out to do this ride, I had goals that seemed so lofty, so challenging that I was trepidatious as to if I could possible meet them. My goals were to raise the $200.00 minimum amount to participate in this ride, and to train enough to be able to ride the 33 mile option on day one and the 24 mile option on day two.
That was at the begining of June. Now, here we are, not even two months later and with the incredible help and encouragement that I have received from all of you, this is where I stand:
Fundraising: $860.00 in pledges.
All registration fees and dorm fees sponsored
All equipment sponsored.
Training: Averaging around 100 miles a week. Ready to tackle either the 69 mile or the 88 mile course the first day, depending on the temperature and how I am feeling on that day.
As you can plainly see, all of the goals that seemed so lofty just a few short weeks ago have been shattered. And I do mean shattered. Never in my wildest dreams, nor in my most healthy, pre-diagnosis days, did I ever believe I could accomplish ANYTHING like this. I find it so wonderfully ironic that after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I am now in the best shape of my life.
What I failed to realize before was that these kinds of accomplishments do not belong to (nor can they be achieved by) one person. This accomplishment belongs as much to me as it does to all of you. It also belongs to the person who put this crazy idea in my head in the first place; the friend who looked me, a person with MS who had not been on a bike in years, right in the eye and said with confidence and absolute faith, "Steve, you can totally do this." This accomplishment belongs as much to to Marianne as it does to me. Thanks, partner!
And now, I have ten days until the ride. And I have a new goal: I want to raise the remaining $140.00 to put me at $1000.00 before early check in on Thursday and Friday of this week. It seems greedy, I know.. But let me tell you why I want to do this: There is a reward for raising $1000.00 or more. Just as the daily winners in the Tour De France get a special yellow jersey, the "Winners" in the MS Ride fundraising game (those who raise $1000.00 or more) get a special jersey and a yellow rider number for the ride. I want to ride this ride with those badges of honor. Me, a person with MS who just a couple of short months ago could barely get around his neighborhood on his bike, wants to show up on ride day showing that because I didn't try to do it alone, I can be counted amoung the top fundraisers for this event, especially since those funds will make a difference in my life as well as the lives of thousands of other people with this dibilitating disease.
You all have already given so much, I hate asking for more. But I am asking that you pass this email or the link to my fundraising page below on to 14 people. If just 14 people donate $10.00 between now and Thursday or Friday, this new lofty goal will have been reached. What do you say?
Thank you all so much for everything. Whether we reach this goal or not, I, because of all of you, am already a winner.
Love,
Steve "Bug" Nail.
Donate