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The Hub
(the owner's blog)
Charity Rides
I don’t like charity rides - the rides where
you raise donations in order to enter the event. I only do one
charity ride each year. This year I did the Jimmy V Ride for
Research. Money raised by riders will be used for cancer
research. The event is named after Jim Valvano the former head
basketball coach of North Carolina State Universit y.
He died of cancer in 1993.
The main reason I don’t like charity rides is
having to ask family, friends, and co-workers for donations.
“Hello. I’m doing a bicycle ride to raise money for (enter charity
here). Would you like to contribute?” There are lots of charity
rides and I used to do several each year. But I became increasingly
self-conscience asking the same people over and over for donations.
It felt like I was asking them to pay for my rides. No one ever
said anything; it’s just what I would think if someone kept coming
to me for donations. To avoid asking for donations I began paying
them myself. This solution is not sustainable if you don’t have the
means to afford it. I don’t. That’s why I only do one charity
ride each year.
There are other reasons I don’t like charity
rides. They don’t have good routes; probably because non-cyclists
create them. And many riders doing charity events are not “real”
cyclists. Like Amy. Amy did the Jimmy V Ride for Research.
She rode 25 miles. It was her first event. Her husband, children
and parents were there to support her. She did the ride in honor of
her brother who died of cancer. He was a “real” cyclist. For Amy
this was more than just a ride. It was personal. It was an act of
love. I realized my small contribution might prevent others from
riding in memory of a loved one. It feels good to ride for
something bigger than oneself. I like charity rides.
By the way, “Hello, I’m doing a bicycle ride
to raise money for…”
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