Well folks, as you already know, I'll be heading out on my bicycle this summer on a 9 week trek across the United States and Canada. I've decided to start this blog to keep everyone informed about my training and fundraising progress before I leave, as well as provide updates about the tour while we travel across the U.S. I hope that this blog will give you insight into this experience, and will encourage you to support me and the rest of the tour participants through encouragement and prayer.
This years tour will take me from Los Angeles, CA to NYC, covering over 3,900 miles in the process. Joining me on the 2013 Sea to Sea tour will be 223 other cyclists from all over the U.S.A and Canada. Each of these cyclists have committed their time, money, and energy to this tour to help raise funds and awareness about poverty. In addition to the cyclists, several good-hearted people have also given of themselves by volunteering to support us on the tour through driving the Semi's that carry our camping gear and clothes, preparing food, and setting up rest stops along the road each day. It's obvious that everyone involved in this tour has put not only their energy into it, but their hearts as well.
For this trip, I've committed to raising $10,000, of which 100% of the proceeds go directly toward poverty relief efforts. I have to admit that raising this money has proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated, but thanks to the generous donations of friends, family, and the church members of Sonlight Christian Reformed Church in Regina, SK, I am over 50% of the way there!
Lately my fundraising efforts have moved away from sending out letters to friends and family, and toward events. Through my church, we have done several fundraisers that are helping me reach my goal. So far we have made and sold turkey pot pies, and held a very successful bottle drive (hosted by the GEMS and Cadets). I can say honestly that I'd surprised, (but pleased) by the amount my neighbors drink :) Additionally, we will be selling new church directories, from which all proceeds will be donated toward Sea to Sea.
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Photo with the GEMS and Cadet kids who helped
with the sorting process! |
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| Only SOME of the bottles collected in our first Bottle Drive! |
Another fundraiser we are putting on is a Steak Night June 4th at a local pub (Bushwakker Brewpub) in Regina. Selling tickets at $30 each ($15 for the dinner and $15 directly for Sea to Sea), we are hoping to raise almost $3000 through this event through ticket sales and a silent auction. A big thanks for this event should go to my boss, Bert Adema, who has put in many hours helping to get this going! God willing, this evening will be a big success and help me raise the rest of the money needed to reach my goal!
When people hear that I'm biking across the United States, most don't believe me, and quickly ask, "Well are you training or something?" Given that this trip will cover nearly 4000 miles (that's 6437km for us Canadians), a lot of physical preparation is required. However, second winter has struck Saskatchewan and the cold (and resultingly, the snow) just doesn't seem to want to leave, making biking quite difficult. But I have decided that to be successful I simply need to be more stubborn than the snow. In the midst of the continual snowfall and subzero temperatures, I've been able to squeeze in bike rides to and from work (about 20km each way). Everyone may think that biking in SK has got to be the easiest thing, but what we lack in hills we make up for in wind! But despite the prolonged winter season, I'm excited that I am able to get out on the road and put some well needed km on my bike :)
I hope this gave you a little insight into my trip preparations - Only 64 days until the tour officially kicks off as we begin the first leg of the trip! I'll do my best to keep blogging as the days count down!
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| The view of the Prairies on my first day biking home from work. -5C with beautiful sunshine. |
