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A Note I've Used to Introduce the Cause
I am wanting to let you know about something I will be doing this summer, so, naturally, I have written a facebook note. Complete with sentence fragments. (Apparently face-to-face conversation and good writing are becoming things of the past...) Good luck reading it.
I have been accepted to be a part of something called the Ride:Well Tour -- which involves riding a bicycle across the United States to help raise awareness and funds for a cause called Blood:Water Mission (more on B:WM in a moment).
The gist of what this is all about can be found in the name of the tour: RIDE:WELL (which is a pretty cool play on the word “well” if you ask me).
For one thing, our 15 member team is hoping to ride our bikes well. Really well. Well enough, in fact, to cover over 3,000 miles in less than two months. June 2 to July 26. From the Pacific Ocean (San Diego) to the Atlantic Ocean (Myrtle Beach) -- 9 states, 4 mountain ranges, 4 time zones.
Why am I doing this? Well, for starters, it will be a great opportunity for self-discovery and personal development -- an adventure that will leave some permanent marks on my character and help me to become a better person. But there’s more to it than this. A much bigger picture. Which is where the wordplay I mentioned comes in...
The word well is also a noun -- a noun that happens to hold water and typically takes the form of a deep h*** in the ground. (Personally, I like to picture the flannel board well that was used in Bible classes as I was growing up. I suppose a more recent--and disturbing!--image would be from the movie, The Ring, which is a terrible example to use here now that I think about it. Oh well... )
Though many people think of wells as things of the past, they are actually very much things of the present -- and of the future! Large numbers of people in this world who still depend on them, and it would be difficult to overstate the difference a clean water well can make in any one of the countless villages of people who have access only to contaminated water (very limited access at that). This lack of clean water is especially prevalent in many parts of Africa, and it is linked to the existence and spread of many diseases and epidemics, as well as other social problems.
Blood:Water Mission is a Christian organization that was founded to address these problems, and this summer our team will get to play a role. We will be focused specifically on raising funds to provide resources to the village of Marsabit, Kenya. As we cycle in the heat of the summer, we will gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of clean water -- an appreciation that will fuel our vision of a world in which all people have access to this basic necessity. We will share this vision with churches and communities on an almost daily basis along our way, raising awareness and much-needed funds.
THE COST: For my part, in preparation, I need to raise a minimum of about $5,200 for the cause as soon as possible. Some of this will cover the costs associated with our journey, and the rest will provide a base of funds to be used to benefit Marsabit. (Though we will have to use a lot of these preliminary funds to cover the costs of supplies and promotional materials, during the summer we plan to raise at least $40,000 more and -- perhaps more importantly in the long run -- to increase awareness about the dire need.)
I have been accepted to be a part of something called the Ride:Well Tour -- which involves riding a bicycle across the United States to help raise awareness and funds for a cause called Blood:Water Mission (more on B:WM in a moment).
The gist of what this is all about can be found in the name of the tour: RIDE:WELL (which is a pretty cool play on the word “well” if you ask me).
For one thing, our 15 member team is hoping to ride our bikes well. Really well. Well enough, in fact, to cover over 3,000 miles in less than two months. June 2 to July 26. From the Pacific Ocean (San Diego) to the Atlantic Ocean (Myrtle Beach) -- 9 states, 4 mountain ranges, 4 time zones.
Why am I doing this? Well, for starters, it will be a great opportunity for self-discovery and personal development -- an adventure that will leave some permanent marks on my character and help me to become a better person. But there’s more to it than this. A much bigger picture. Which is where the wordplay I mentioned comes in...
The word well is also a noun -- a noun that happens to hold water and typically takes the form of a deep h*** in the ground. (Personally, I like to picture the flannel board well that was used in Bible classes as I was growing up. I suppose a more recent--and disturbing!--image would be from the movie, The Ring, which is a terrible example to use here now that I think about it. Oh well... )
Though many people think of wells as things of the past, they are actually very much things of the present -- and of the future! Large numbers of people in this world who still depend on them, and it would be difficult to overstate the difference a clean water well can make in any one of the countless villages of people who have access only to contaminated water (very limited access at that). This lack of clean water is especially prevalent in many parts of Africa, and it is linked to the existence and spread of many diseases and epidemics, as well as other social problems.
Blood:Water Mission is a Christian organization that was founded to address these problems, and this summer our team will get to play a role. We will be focused specifically on raising funds to provide resources to the village of Marsabit, Kenya. As we cycle in the heat of the summer, we will gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of clean water -- an appreciation that will fuel our vision of a world in which all people have access to this basic necessity. We will share this vision with churches and communities on an almost daily basis along our way, raising awareness and much-needed funds.
THE COST: For my part, in preparation, I need to raise a minimum of about $5,200 for the cause as soon as possible. Some of this will cover the costs associated with our journey, and the rest will provide a base of funds to be used to benefit Marsabit. (Though we will have to use a lot of these preliminary funds to cover the costs of supplies and promotional materials, during the summer we plan to raise at least $40,000 more and -- perhaps more importantly in the long run -- to increase awareness about the dire need.)
I am operating on the assumption that it would be ridiculous to expect anyone to contribute to the cause if I am not willing to personally sacrifice, so, for that purpose, I want to be pretty transparent here. I am personally donating a significant amount directly to the cause, in addition to the costs associated with purchasing cycling gear, traveling to California and back home after the tour, and taking unpaid leave from work. (Plus, I am already putting myself through some fairly strenuous physical conditioning. Ouch!)
That being said, my personal goal is to raise at least $10,000 in the next few months. (I seem to remember reading something about “going the extra mile” somewhere, and I really like that philosophy.) As a person who has seen my friends/community get behind cause after cause after cause, this seems like a very reasonable goal. Though our team will be speaking with countless communities this summer, I really do believe you all will be among the most generous supporters in the country.
WANT TO HELP? Thanks, thanks, and ever thanks! Anything you can do will be greatly appreciated. (No amount is too small. Many mini donations will work just as well collectively as a few really big donations... even better in some ways.)
Since Ride:Well is a non-profit organization, every penny donated goes directly to the cause and is tax deductible to the fullest extent. Receipts for donations are mailed out in January. (One of the reasons I chose to be a part of this cause, in fact, is their commitment to fiscal responsibility.)
The easiest way to donate is to do so online at "Donate" Page of the Ride:Well Web Site. Here you will have the option to select my name from a drop down menu. It is as simple as that. Ride:Well will notify me of all donations so that I will be able to express my gratitude. Of course, if you prefer not to donate online, a check will work just fine. Trust me, I will be more than happy to provide details!
WANT TO STAY UPDATED? I am putting together an e-mail list so I can periodically send updates. If you would like to be added, please let me know. (You can send just send me a quick message. All I will need is your name and e-mail address.) Also, I will be providing 140 character snippets via twitter, so, if you tweet, feel free to follow along this summer!
That being said, my personal goal is to raise at least $10,000 in the next few months. (I seem to remember reading something about “going the extra mile” somewhere, and I really like that philosophy.) As a person who has seen my friends/community get behind cause after cause after cause, this seems like a very reasonable goal. Though our team will be speaking with countless communities this summer, I really do believe you all will be among the most generous supporters in the country.
WANT TO HELP? Thanks, thanks, and ever thanks! Anything you can do will be greatly appreciated. (No amount is too small. Many mini donations will work just as well collectively as a few really big donations... even better in some ways.)
Since Ride:Well is a non-profit organization, every penny donated goes directly to the cause and is tax deductible to the fullest extent. Receipts for donations are mailed out in January. (One of the reasons I chose to be a part of this cause, in fact, is their commitment to fiscal responsibility.)
The easiest way to donate is to do so online at "Donate" Page of the Ride:Well Web Site. Here you will have the option to select my name from a drop down menu. It is as simple as that. Ride:Well will notify me of all donations so that I will be able to express my gratitude. Of course, if you prefer not to donate online, a check will work just fine. Trust me, I will be more than happy to provide details!
WANT TO STAY UPDATED? I am putting together an e-mail list so I can periodically send updates. If you would like to be added, please let me know. (You can send just send me a quick message. All I will need is your name and e-mail address.) Also, I will be providing 140 character snippets via twitter, so, if you tweet, feel free to follow along this summer!
I feel very strongly that every person should find something he or she is passionate about, and find a way to use that thing to serve others. It is one of the secrets of the Good Life. I am blessed to have this opportunity, and I am super-excited about it! Thanks so much for your interest...
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Comment by Erin White on March 5, 2010 at 2:09pm -
Adam you can have people follow you here as well...that way they can here storied from the whole team throughout the summer!
great job fund raising!
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