2011 JDRF Death Valley Ride to Cure Diabetes-Would you be willing to donate?

[brh986]

Please disregard the following post as I have decided not to participate in this year’s JDRF Death Valley ride. I will however continue to contribute to JDRF by participating in other JDRF events. If I change my mind, I will use other means for any fundraising efforts

1st. things 1st. I am NOT currently asking for donations.

One of my life long friends contacted me tonight and was notified that he may be given the opportunity to be a Bike Coach for this years JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes in Death Valley, CA on October 13-16th. and he has asked me if I was interested in joining in on the ride. The short answer was HELL YES! But the long answer is, I honestly do not know if I will even be able to raise the minimum required amount of $2,000 and quite honestly, I would truly need to raise the necessary $4,000 to have my airfare and hotel taken care of by JDRF. Requirements posted here: http://ride.jdrf.org/files/General_F...ng_Options.pdf

What I am not able to raise(of the required selected package level, 2, 3 and 4k) I would have to cover personally... While I would dearly love to participate in the ride, I just don't think I have the resources to make this happen, especially with all of the past shady "fund raising" that has gone on another, now defunct forum, which I know will make this even more difficult. It's even been difficult raising a few hundred dollars for the JDRF walks I have been involved in. Fundraising is not allowed where I work and my only other friends exist here on the forums and I know you all have helped out before and are having difficult times of you own... Believe me, I totally understand....

Ok with that out of the way, I have a very serious question to ask of all of you... IF I was to sign up for the ride, how many of you would truly be interested in donating to support my ride. Your donations go DIRECTLY to JDRF via an online system. NO $$$ is sent to me, just so you know. This is a NO Scam zone!

Anyway, if you would, please post:

#1. If you would donate
#2. How much you would be willing to donate. (NO amount is too small, $1 would gladly accepted.)

I will use the information you provide as an estimate to see what my chances are for actually raising enough to register for the ride. If the estimate goes very well, then and only then will I create a JDRF rider page where I would then ask for the official promised donation to be collected.

Here are some links should you with to check things out for yourself.
Death Valley Ride Info: http://ride.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=114364
Fundraising and requirements: http://ride.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=114799

Thank you so very much for your support, it truly means a great deal to me and my Type 1 Daughter.

Derek Wayland

[Sandbagger]

You going to do the 100mile ride?

[brh986]

You going to do the 100mile ride?

That's the plan! That last little bit before the turnaround should be very interesting. :eek:

[mojave]

In preparation you could run the Badwater Ultramarathon. :D It is a 135 mile race from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney. The race used to go to the 14,494-foot summit, but now just goes to Whitney Portal. In 2001, Marshall Ulrich ran this race back and forth twice for a total of 586 miles in 10 days. :eek:

[brh986]

While that sounds very interesting... ;) My goal is to raise money for JDRF, NOT my own funeral. :angel: :biglaugh: I think I'll still with my little bike ride for now. :)

[Sandbagger]

I am with you as for staying on the bike, my knees dont like running, even hated it when I was in the navy.

Here are a few rides that I want to do, although this year when I go out to my parents I will be taking the mountian bike, not the road bike so maybe next year

6,000 feet of clime in 64 miles

2700ft of climb in 38 miles


Last summer I was riding the first 4 listed below
All the local routes can be found here http://tomorrowhillfarm.com/JohnHodgebicycleMaps.html

[persisting1]

I just sponsored a buddy for a 100 mile charity ride. He road on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. He road the whole thing. I am proud of him.

My only concern is the foundation itself and the percentage of money that actually gets donated to research/awareness. I know this is for a good cause, but as we all know, not all charities are the same.
According to Charity Navigator, the JDRF (if this is the same charity sponsoring the ride) is not an efficient charity.

I tend to only donate to charities that have at least three stars or more.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/inde...ary&orgid=3963

[tthurman]

:eek:

That's an eye opener!

I just looked at the National MS chapter I sponsor (and walk in) annually. They get one star as well.

hmmmm

[Sandbagger]

and that site rates united way 4stars ?????
I refuse to give money to them after the problems they have had over the years

JDRF is one of the VERY FEW charity I give to, they do a lot of good work

[brh986]

I'll have to look into that. I will be talking to my local chapter (we are good friends with a few of the main fundraising members) and see what they say.

It's a real downer for me personally.... I know my daughter knows how much I love her, but I was really looking forward raising enough money to participate to show it in a more tangible way. :(

Now I am left feeling that my donations would not mean nearly as much as I would have thought. Total buzz kill.

The main JDRF web site states the following... "JDRF respects the effort put into raising funds for type 1 research so fundraising costs are kept to a sustainable level with 70c of every dollar generated funding research."

http://www.jdrf.org.au/about-jdrf-australia/where-your-money-goes

[persisting1]

I'm sorry if the link I provided has discouraged anyone.

I've noticed that some private chapters of a charity will be much more efficient than the parent charity. This could be the case.

[tthurman]

I didn't intend to be a downer either, if I came across that way! I decided to do some investigating and was discouraged to see how badly the MS chapter I support was ranked on their site.

I know a lot of you guys from a certain former site as well. I certainly didn't intend to down play the importance of this post and if I did, I apologize.

For the last few years MS has suddenly gone from something I was vaguely familiar with to something I wish I never knew as much about. Never the less it has become a huge reality check, and I am trying to do as much as I can to support my wife. Learning about it has been one thing, but doing the walk is a main focus for her, and one that I won't stop doing regardless of anything I read.

[brh986]

No worries guys, but...

Please disregard this thread as I have decided not to participate in this year’s JDRF Death Valley ride. I will however continue to contribute to JDRF by participating in other JDRF events. If I change my mind, I will use other means for any future fundraising efforts.