2011 Holiday Campaign, Second Edition

As we enter our second week of the 2011 Holiday Campaign, following the Thanksgiving holiday, we at Adventure Cycling are extremely grateful for the generosity of our members throughout the year. We are especially thankful for how your donations have supported our work, which, in turn, allows people to fulfill their dreams of bicycle travel. Or, like in the case of member Joe Golden, who never dreamt of bicycle travel, allows people to use the bicycle as a conduit to a better life.

?Riding a bike cross-country wasn?t of interest to me. It wasn?t on my bucket list, you know?" recounts Joe. ?My motivation for riding the TransAm with Adventure Cycling was to set a goal so I would train and get in shape." Joe was pre-diabetic and on medication to control the disease before his TransAm trip. But all that training to ride cross-country and the tour itself dramatically reduced his chances of becoming diabetic. He lost weight, and his doctors told him

that he didn't have to resume the meds.

While Joe's TransAm trip was provoked by a desire to improve health, a new love sprung from it. "I did it for my fitness, but the joy of the trip made me a dedicated cyclist," he says. "Seeing the country at 12 miles per hour is like nothing else. I just want to relive it again and again. That?s why I?m doing the Sierra Cascades next year.? (There's still room on the Sierra Cascades self-contained tour too. Sign up now.)

Joe's story is just another example of how our member support helps us change lives. Without it, we could not create and maintain the 40,000-mile-plus route network that thousands of cyclists use annually; we could not provide the expert advice and inspiration received through Adventure Cyclist magazine, our blog, BikeOvernights.org, and BicycleTravelBloggers.org; and we could not advocate for safe conditions for cyclists. It's contributions, small and large, from members that make it all possible.

Please consider helping us meet our $50,000 match challenge* by donating today.

One more thing! If you make an online donation of $10 or more between now and midnight PST on November 30th, you'll be automatically entered into a raffle to win an Adventure Cycling gift basket. Help us meet the match and win great prizes at the same time!

*Two generous donors who strongly support our work have challenged our members, donors, and supporters to raise $50,000, which they will match for a total of $100,000! To do this, they have agreed to match all gifts 1:1. If you are a member, check your email tomorrow about a special 2:1 match opportunity.

Top photo courtesy of Joe Goldman. Bottom photo by Amanda Lipsey.

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AMANDA LIPSEY is Adventure Cycling's development director.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/11/2011-holiday-campaign-second-edition.html

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