I'm Back!

Hi friends, welcome back!! I ask that you please take the time to eventually read this whole post, but if time is short or if you want to know why now, 4 years later, I am creating a new post on this blog, go ahead and skip to the end. As always, thank you for your friendship and support!

Just over 4 years ago, I joined an amazing group of individuals on a 4220-mile trip from Jacksonville, FL to Monterey, CA. This trip was the 2014 Bike & Build Southern US (SUS) trip and it opened my eyes not only to the wonders of our great country but to the needs of those within it. All across this country, there is a significant need for decent, affordable housing. Many families lack the funds and support to have a place of their own, something which many of us take for granted. Supporting affordable housing is about helping others to fulfill the basic human need for shelter and giving them the chance to improve their own well-being.

 

On SUS 2014, our group of cyclists met many people along the way that were positively supported by affordable housing. From veterans to single-parent families, those that we met were the kindest, most gracious and welcoming people that I have ever been in contact with. I have been very fortunate to be a part of this and see firsthand the benefits that an organization like Bike & Build and its affordable housing partners can bring to the less-fortunate all across the country. 

My OTHER Ride (Rocky Mountain Trailhead 29er)

Wait, what happened to my road bike??  Well, friends, I am pleased to announce that this summer, I will be joining Bike & Build for another ride, but this time it will be on a less-paved course very far from any ocean. On September 14th, I join the  Bike & Build DirtDrift leaving out of (& returning to) Boise, Idaho!

This ride will be the first test of a future off-road Bike & Build trip and although we won't stray outside of Idaho, we are still following the same organizational goals of my 2014 trip. These include earning our 'sweat hours' on at least two affordable housing build days and raising funds for affordable housing projects. I am extremely excited to be joining Bike & Build once again on this shakedown ride and paving the way (though not literally)  for future generations of service-minded young adults to continue supporting the affordable housing cause. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your support as I tackle this new trip!

Please feel free to follow me here for updates on the ride. Given the nature of the ride itself, I may not be able to post every day during the week-long ride (or at all), but I will have some amazing pictures after it has wrapped up. I am responsible for fundraising $700 towards this trip, so if you wish to help support me financially, please see my fundraising page at https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/1521309. Thank you once again!!

More information about this Bike & Build trip is available at https://www.classy.org/event/bike-and-build-dirtdrift/e188238.

Training For The Trip (Plainfield, NH)

Fundraising Update

Over 3/4 of the way there!!!

It's official, I am currently at 77% of my minimum fundraising goal of $4,500!  A hearty thank you to everyone who has donated so far, and thank you in advance to everyone that is planning to donate!  I still have my two main fundraising event up and coming, so please come and join me at the...

• Bike & Build Booster!  Tomorrow (Friday, March 7th) at 6-9pm at the East End Arts Carriage House in Riverhead, NY.  You can send me a message at crosscountrydan@gmail.com for more information on this event.


• Trivia Night Fundraiser!  Thursday, March 27th from 7-11pm at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center in Grasonville, MD.  For more information, please click on this link.
 

While I am on the home stretch of my donations, there is no reason just to stop at just $4,500 when you're supporting a great cause like affordable housing!  As I've told my donors before, only half of my minimum fundraising goal actually goes straight towards putting on this great trip.  The other half is given directly back to affordable housing groups (large and small) in grants and donations, which I get to help choose.  Keeping in mind that this is all for affordable housing, let's see how much we can raise together!

Thank you again for taking a look at my blog and for all of your generosity and support for affordable housing!  Please consider  joining me at one of my upcoming fundraising events (and inviting all of your friends)!  Both are bound to be a lot of fun :)

Cheers,
Dan

Source: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/

Giving 110%

How much do you have to give?

We learned back in grade school that the most that you can have of anything is 100%.  If I had 10 marbles and you gave me 5, I now have 150% of what I had, but I would still only have 100%.  As a result of this continued logic, the term "giving 110%" (in sports, work, etc.) seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years, but I believe that there might still be a place for it.

I believe that giving 110% is how we grow as humans.  If we always did what we felt comfortable with (our 100%), then how would we stress our bodies to become smarter, stronger, more capable people?  This summer, I'm going to be giving 110% to affordable housing through my trip with Bike & Build.  That means that every day, I'm going to try to give at least 10% more than I thought that I could the previous day.  I'm going to work harder, build better, bike faster, and do my best to make more of a difference than I ever considered that I could or would.

Finally, I wanted to share with you that beyond the abstract idea of 110%, I'm also literally giving 110% towards my trip with Bike & Build.  In addition to the 100% of my time on the road and the potential income that I am giving up to go on this trip, I am also matching 10% of every donation given by my generous donors to this trip.  I believe in the cause and only feel right that I give equally as well too, so I have already made my starting $450 donation to the cause, trusting and knowing that we can reach a minimum of $4500 together.

PS - For a hockey player's take on "110%", take a look at http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2012/05/30/110/.