Ride2Recovery charity ride -- special request

[Shell...@aol.com]

Dear fellow Florida Freewheelers,

As are many of you, I'm blessed with more time than I deserve to ride my bicycle.  I enjoy tremendous physical, mental, and relational benefits from riding.  Personally, it helps clears my head when I’m confused, helps me feel more physically alive, makes me physically stronger, fights disease, and contributes to a deep sense of wellness and peace.  I’ve made lifelong friends, and I’ve suffered, celebrated, crashed, fixed many a flat, and ridden my heart out just to get a sew-on patch.

Now, I’m participating in a project whose mission is to help others gain from the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of cycling—others who need those benefits far more than I do—and I need your help.  John Wordin, who used to run the Mercury Pro Cycling Team, has started a charity called the Ride 2 Recovery Project.  This charity is giving wounded military veterans an outlet for rehabilitation from serious physical and emotional wounds of war. 

The Veterans’ Administration is now including cycling in the treatment programs of our 60,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating injuries.  Cycling gives these men and women a sense of normalcy, pride, accomplishment, and camaraderie, and provides relief from depression and other problems that often accompany their physical challenges.  To those who have lost a lower limb, cycling allows greater mobility that walking cannot provide.  Money raised from the Ride 2 Recovery Project will go toward counseling, special outings, equipment (to include indoor and outdoor bikes), bike skills training, and technical wear.

To help the cause, I will be one of 200 cyclists riding 350 miles from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, to Mayport Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, December 12-17, 2009.  we have set a goal to raise $3000 in sponsorship donations per rider.  If we reach our goal, $600,000 will certainly have a big impact on our veterans who have selflessly given so much.

Would you please consider sponsoring me with whatever dollar amount fits into your budget?  If you find it in your heart to contribute, you can do so in one of two ways:

1.      For credit card donations, you can go to the charity’s official website at www.ride2recovery.com .  Click on the JOIN THE RIDE button.  Scroll to the bottom of that page and click on Rider Sponsorship Page.  Please be sure to put my name (Shelley Christian) in the rider name boxes. 

2.      For donations made by check, write the check to “Ride2Recovery” with my name in the Memo section of the check.  Please mail your check to me at:

Shelley Christian

2870 S. Courtenay Pkwy

Merritt Island, FL 32952

Your contributions are tax deductible.  I know this is a challenging time for many of us, but imagine how much more difficult it is for these wounded heroes.  Your sponsorship will honor their sacrifice.  Thanks so much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Shelley Christian

[Jerry Goodwin]

Hi Shelley,

 

It is a wondeful thing you are doing. I hope you and maybe some of the otehr freewheelers will also consider coming to some of the local cyclefests that are also part of the R2R program. I knwl many people can't get away for a week at a Time, so R2R will also be having some local smaller rides called cyclefests. One will be held in Southwest Georgia in May 0f 2010. You can read about it at www.southwestgeorgiacyclefest.com .  I will be the ride director for that event.

 

Thank you Shelley for helping out the wounded warriors that have so gallantly fought for the freedomn we as Americans enjoy. For all the others reading thsi I hope you do see it in your heart to at least give Shelley a small donation. Any amount will be a help.

 

Have a great day

 

and remember Veteran's Day is November 11

 

Jerry Goodwin

Moultrie Georgia

 

 

"Just a reminder that I am currently raising funds in support of Southwest Georgia Cycle Fest an organization I strongly believe in and am committed to raising funds for. Please go to www.pincgiving.com/donate/campaign/southwest_georgia_cycle_fest and donate or create a pledge page of your own. Every bit makes a difference!"

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