2022 Great Cycle Challenge

In 2015 I started riding for the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money to help fight childhood cancer. I had begun riding my bike for my own health after my heart surgery in December of 2013. I was riding about 40 miles a week when I heard about the Challenge so I'd give it a try. It was a simple thing, think how far you will ride in a month and ask people to sponsor your ride. The first year I raised $250 the next year I rode it was a little less and then even less the third year.

But I wasn't really trying. I was just posting a few blurbs on Facebook and hoping for the best. So the forth year I decided to try and raise enough that they would send me a shirt. So I sent our a few emails and called people directly. That worked and I made the $500 that was required for the shirt and a little more.

In 2020 I really upped my game and raised over $1500 that year. Okay maybe I used the fact that I had been treated for prostate cancer to tug on peoples heart strings and open their wallets. But I started this because I was riding to help with a personal health problem so no reason not to use another to help the kids. (You can read more about that here)

Now I was hooked on raising big money for the cause. So in 2021 I sent out both emails and postcards with a picture of me on a bike. That brought the total up to over $1600 for the ride. And I got my sister Palmer Ann to ride in the Great Cycle Challenge too. She did great for her first year and brought in for the kids an amazing $1002.52.

So after last year's challenge I decided that I could not only fund raise but also recruit other riders. My sister-in-law Patty Whitehouse and brother-in-law Tom Tarvin are riding this years challenge in addition to my sister Palmer Ann.

Update:Vincent Stippler has decided to ride this year and joined our team. Welcome Vince!

We have formed a team called "Riding Is Bliss" and together as a team we are trying to raise $5000. and ride a combined 500 miles in the month of September.

This is the team this year and next year you too could be on it!

If you still want to donate to my ride here is the link

GCC Team “Riding Is Bliss”

Comments

Day One of the 2023 Great Cycle Challenge

It's here again, the 2023 Great Cycle Challenge ! I have challenged myself to ride 300 miles in the month of September and I have challenged myself and you to raise $2500 to find a cure for childhood cancer. We are off to a good start, to date I have raised $1226 from friends and family. I have a team with 7 members so far. As a team we hope to raise $5000 and ride 1000 miles. I think we can exceed both of those challenges. I did my first ride this morning and hoped to ride 15 miles. When I was done the app said I had ridden 214 miles in about 2 and a half hours. Quite impressive but incorrect. I contacted GCC tech support and they assured me the glitch would be corrected. i'm going to try and ride as many days as possible this month and document them on this blog. I may have to do a few days on stationary bikes in hotel workout rooms or borrow bikes from friends but somehow I'll get the miles in. If you would like to donate to this wonderful cause follow this link htt

Day Two of the Great Cycle Challenge

The weather was a little nicer today. Mid 80s and for Florida low humidity, about 75%. I rode almost 12 miles today. The Great Cycle Challenge app is still not recording my rides correctly and giving me many extra miles. Technology, Sigh! Below is my actual route and distance. In the picture I posted today shows how far the bay came up during Hurricane Idalia. That high water mark I can see all during my ride. Here the shore rises up to the road so the water did not come up as far. Other places I could see the high water mark on the other side of the street. Along the Causeway the water came up over the trail in many places but as far as I ride I did not see any places it went over the highway. One of the interesting things I found in all this detritus washed up by the storm was thousands of red mangrove seeds. you can see them in the picture above, they are the long green and brown sticks. I noticed that many of them had already begun to sprout leaves and roots. I guess this is a

Day 22 of the Great Cycle Challenge

When I ride I get plenty of time to think about things. I think about how fast I am going, what I had for breakfast and what I'll have for dinner. I think about the other riders I pass on my ride and how this month I'm helping some kids. Often at this spot I think about otters. According to the sign they cross the road here. I've been riding this route for 6 years. At all times of the day, I have yet to see an otter. I've seen all sorts of other animals but nary an otter. Maybe someday. There is a little more than a week left in the Great Cycle Challenge and I'm still a little short of my goal of $2500 for the kids. It is more that I've ever attempted to raise for this challenge but I think we can get there. Any amount helps. Just go to my Great Cycle Challenge page and click donate .

What's After Work?

Search This Blog