Thrivent signs on as tour sponsor

For the second year in a row the local Thrivent Financial organization has made a generous donation and agreed to sponsor the 2015 Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's tour.

I spoke before the Thrivent board this week. Got to the meeting early to set up my display with posters and an original jersey. Much to my surprise I didn't need my jersey to show them their sponsorship panel from 2014 .... that's because they had one framed and hanging on their wall.

After I gave my sales pitch on the upcoming tour I fielded a couple of questions including how I'm training, when I'm leaving (that's still in the works) and where I'm staying.

This will again be a thrifty tour where I'll rely on the kindness of strangers and the goodwill of the church to help me directions and safe haven, if need be. My favorite comment so far is from Mike Husar who said, "I'll make a donation if you can manage to tuck yourself in to the Vatican one night."

"Done," I said. I have to start making a to-do list of things I'd like to accomplish on this tour and that can be No. 1.

Thanks to West Bend Noon Rotary - guest speaker Monday

Took advantage of a nice opportunity to entertain the West Bend Noon Rotary with my stories from the road. I was able to tell them of my great adventures pedaling 1,031 miles from Nova Scotia to West Bend.

"Then the village clerk rolled out a cot and said, 'it should be pretty comfortable, the fire department is the only one that uses it for CPR training.'" It's no wonder I travel alone.  

I sparked some interest in this year's tour and chased through a stack of sponsorship forms. 

Looking to build on the $82,000 I've raised for Alzheimer's activities and events at Cedar Community.

Joining me at the podium Monday were West Bend High School students Drew Rettler and Lindsey Brugger. Drew is a wrestler and he coordinated the garbage collection during the Rotary's Riverfest. Lindsey carries a 3.95 GPA and is a hostess at Riverside Brewery.

RIDING IN TRIBUTE

During my upcoming Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's tour in Italy I will be riding a day in tribute to Vic and Gen Albiero. Their photo will grace the top of this website for a day and I will detail my days travels in their honor.

On a side note, it was Vic who gave me a $100 donation three years ago for my first ride for Alzheimer's in Alaska. The wheels had started falling off my plans and I went to give Vic his money back and he said, "Just do the best you can."  Sound advice and inspiration enough to continue to move forward.

Three years later the tours have raised over $82,000 for Alzheimer's activities and events at Cedar Community.

If you would like me to ride a day in tribute to someone - all it takes is a simple $100 tax-deductible donation and a jpeg photo set to judyharley@yahoo.com

More details are below. 

Checks payable: "Cedar Community Foundation"113 Cedar Ridge Dr., West Bend, WI 53095Cedar Community is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit.

Include Federal Tax ID No:39-1249432

                             100% of donation goes directly to Alzheimer's programs

TRAINING FOR THE TOUR HAS BEGUN!

Although the Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's tour in Italy is still more than five months out - I have started training. Bicycling over 1,000 miles does take some prep work. Last year, for the Nova Scotia to West Bend tour, I completed 10,000 pushups as part of a fund-raising pledge.

This year I'm taking advantage of a gift certificate I bid on during a fund raiser. I've started training at Paradise Springs Fitness and I love it!  Very challenging and a new method of training that focuses on a lot of core.

During my first workout at Paradise Springs Fitness the trainer kept saying, "give more weight to Steffes" and "put more weight on Steffes."   Me, I was looking at this nice looking guy.

However, 30 minutes later I had to yak because I was overdoing it and ran across the floor to the bathroom.

Too bad I was so unfamiliar with the layout of the place and my destination just ended up being a well-lit corner with a plant and no bathroom.

My friend asked if that guy I spoke about was impressed by that. 

sigh.....

If this were easy ..... everybody would do it.