2012 Weekly Fundraising Contest

You've got your Kintera page set up and are starting to learn more about what the Arthritis Foundation plans on doing with the funds you'll raise...now let's give you a bit of extra motivation to get out there and ask for donations!

This year, we'll be featuring a lot of great prizes from our sponsors and vendors for our summer-long contest.  Winners will receive entries into our drawing to win from a large pool of prizes, which we'll draw after dinner at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  Each week, we'll look back to the previous calendar week (Monday-Sunday) and issue entries for:

• Top Overall Fundraisers:  The top overall fundraiser will receive THREE entries.  Second and third place will receive TWO and ONE entries respectively.
• Top Offline Fundraisers:  Many of our participants are great fundraisers via letter-writing and direct personal requests.  The person with the largest amount sent in via donor checks will receive TWO entries, with second place receiving ONE entry.
• Most Emails Sent/Clicked:  Kintera has great fundraising tools that allow you to send out donation requests via email to your friends and we're able to see who is using those tools.  The person who sends out the most emails each week will receive ONE entry.  The person who has the most emails clicked (not always the same person!) will also receive ONE entry.

The more effort you put into fundraising, the greater chance you will have of winning prizes...and you can indeed win more than one!

Our top prize is a set of one-of-a-kind Swift Industries Mini Roll-Top Panniers.  Of course,  you could always go to Swift Industries website and get a set of these lovely bags built in any color you choose but it won't have TAPCC's logo embroidered on the pockets.  Thanks to Martina and Jason for donating these beautiful bags, worth $210!

Next up is a set of our Swift Industries Large Trunk Bag with a Carradice Bagman Rack.  Only three of these ever made with custom TAPCC screenprinting and embroidery.  Attaches to almost any bike via saddle rails (not recommended for carbon saddle rails).  These are perfect for the daily commute, big enough for a set of clothes and lunch.  We had this one leftover from 2010 and recently commissioned Swift Industries to make three more Small Trunk Bags for the 2012 Fundraising Incentive Program.

One lucky winner will receive a Columbia Sportswear Sweet As Jacket in the size of their choice!  This is the same jacket we'll be issuing to our staff, volunteers and honorees, and also available in our 2012 Fundraising Incentive Program.  I'd love to claim that Columbia made it especially for us in TAPCC colors, but we just got really lucky that their stock colors matched ours!

We've also got one Primal Wear Second Layer Cycling Jacket in our 2012 design available in any size (XS-XXL) the winner needs.  These will also be available for purchase via June welcome packet and at the ride.  Perfect for cool mornings on the Oregon coast...and our houndstooth design will get you noticed on and off the bike!

But wait...there's more:

• Four $25 Wells Fargo Visa Gift Cards
• One 19 Hopoe Bill (AKA the John Maier) from the National Bank of Rogue
• One Swift Industries Mini Mechanic Pouch (in the same picture above with the trunk bag)
• One Swift Industries Hip/Handlebar Pouch (pictured above as well)
• Four Portland Design Works Radbot 500 lights
• Four Portland Design Works Poco Pumps
• Four of our Cowbells.com cowbells
• One Rogue Blue Sampler, with wedges of award winning Rogue Creamery blue cheeses (this will be ordered and sent to you after the ride)

That's a total of 24 items so far and I plan on finding more items to throw into the prize pool!

Why Raise Money for the Arthritis Foundation?

The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases.

Arthritis Facts (and Myths)

Arthritis can affect people of all ages across all cultures. Auto-immune conditions such as lupus, fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis are just some of the 100+ diseases that have arthritic symptoms. Most people are familiar with degenerative forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In the United States, 50 million adults have some form of doctor-diagnosed arthritis. This number translates to over one in five people.

As the baby boomer generation enters retirement age and obesity numbers continue skyrocketing, it is estimated by the CDC that 67 million people will have arthritis by the year 2030. That translates to over one in four people.

Arthritis has been pegged as an "just part of getting old" for far too long. That nothing can be done about it is very much a myth. Much can be done through lifestyle modification and medical attention to maintain and improve a patient's quality of life. For example, losing just one pound of weight translates to four pounds less of pressure on the knee. Cycling is often recommended by physicians for the sake of keeping muscles groups around damage joints strong, which can delay the need for joint replacements. Research is bringing us closer to the day when joint cartilage can be re-grown.

Auto-immune forms of arthritis have been successfully treated and even put into remission in the last 20 years. The first product on the scene was Enbrel (developed by our title sponsor Amgen right here in the Seattle area). Rheumatologists have hailed this class of treatments as a major milestone towards controlling the devastating progress of chronic, and potentially terminal, diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

In short, if you suspect you have arthritis, follow the Arthritis Foundation's credo: Take Control, We Can Help. See a physician for a proper diagnosis, the check out http://arthritis.org for resources on how to improve your life as soon as possible.



Education Resources from the Arthritis Foundation

As The Amgen People's Coast Classic heads down the Oregon coast, we will also be delivering our "Arthritis Road Show" series of educational health fairs for the under-served communities along the way. In 2012, we will be offering programs in Newport, North Bend, and Gold Beach. These will include town-hall style programs provided by rheumatology specialists and other medical professionals. Email lmitchell@arthritis.org for more details.

What bike should I bring to TAPCC?

As we begin our 2012 training season, the question I often get is "What kind of bike do you recommend for this event?" You can do The Amgen People's Coast Classic on any road-worthy bike that is in sound mechanical condition. In the past, we've had riders bring their road, touring, commuter, cyclocross, and mountain bikes to the ride. At the end of the day, the bike that you're most comfortable with is what you should bring!

If I had to pick a bike that I considered perfect for our event, it would be the Co-Motion Nor'Wester, or any similar "all-road" type of bike. The Nor'Wester fits and rides like a road bike, but has clearance for up to a 32mm tire thanks to "long-reach" dual caliper brakes. We recommend no smaller than a 25mm tire, with 28mm tires being ideal for the "chip-seal" roads we'll see in some places. Participants with racing road bikes will want to consider bringing "training" tires for added durability.

Mountain bikes certainly can work, especially if you switch out the knobby tires to smooth and skinny tires. For those who don't have a road bike, there isn't a specific need to pick up a new bike (unless you were looking for an excuse to do so /=P). Mountain bikes typically have very low gearing, which is good for steeper roads like the climb up to Cape Lookout. The only drawback would be that mountain bikes are usually a bit heavier, especially if they have front and/or rear suspension.

Speaking of low gearing, we do recommend a "compact" or triple crankset for this event. The Oregon coast is nothing if not HILLY. Day two is a particularly hilly and long day. Having something along the lines of a 34t x 27t, or even a 30t x 27t, low gear may be welcomed af the end of the day.

If you want more comfort on the bike, we recommend making sure you have a good saddle and shorts. You may want to consider using chamois cream, which minimizes chaffing. If your hands are prone to numbness, try wrapping your handlebars with a second layer of bar tape and/or add a layer of shock absorbing gel. We will have mechanical and sag support patrolling the route each day, but do still encourage all riders to carry their own pump, flat repair kit, and/or spare tube, especially if you're using odd-sized tires such as 27", 650B, and 650C. We will send out a pre-event survey to make sure our mechanics have supplies to service all types of bicycles.

Make sure to check out our Co-Motion Promotion, where you can buy a Co-Motion Nor'Wester (that's me with my new one) from Bike Newport (no sales tax and discounted pricing) and have it waiting for you at the start line. Riders concerned about buying a bike sight unseen will be glad to know that our mechanic, Elliott from Bike Newport, is a certified bike fitter. He'll help you pick the correct size, make sure you've fitted to it before the ride begins, then follow-up throughout the week to make sure it is dialed in. You'll get to ride the beautiful Oregon coast while riding a beautiful Oregon-built bicycle!  After the ride, Elliott will pack it up and/or ship it home for you.  Choose from our limited edition paintjob, or create your own custom bike!

Call to Action: Let the fundraising begin!

May is the official start of our fundraising and training campaign.  Between now and the start of The Amgen People's Coast Classic on September 9th, we'll be providing all of our riders a wealth of information right here on the blog, including:

• Mission moments: You've committed to raising money for the Arthritis Foundation.  Now find out what your support and that of your donors will do to benefit those served by our mission.
• Meet our honorees: Our honorees are chosen to represent the Arthritis Foundation's credo "Take Control We Can Help".  They are incredible individuals who are engaged in their well-being through physical activity and have inspiring stories to share. 
• Fundraising tips: Asking for a donation is not easy and takes a lot of work.  If you're new to a fundraising event, it also takes a change of perspective.  You'll receive fundraising tips from our staff and other participants.  If you have an idea to share, please send them to me  at tlee @ arthritis.org (posted with spaces to avoid spam bots...remove spaces to use) and I'll be happy to share them in future newsletters.
• Planning and travel tips:  How are you going to get to the event?  Where are you going to stay?  What should you bring?  Where do you ship your bike?  You've got questions and we'll have all the answers.  Some of them can be answered at the FAQ section on our website, but don't hesitate to reach out to me individually if you need an answer sooner that we provide it
• Exciting things about the event:  The last few newsletters before the event, we'll show you some previews of the ride to get you in the mood for your ride down the Oregon coast!  Check our Youtube Channel for 2011 preview videos.
• Training rides:  We will have organized training rides in the Seattle and Portland-areas.  Seattle area rides begin in June, with a couple of "pre-training" rides in May to get any kinks worked out of your bikefit.

Don't hesitate to use the comments section to reach out to other riders.  Perhaps you live close to each other and want to share transportation to our pick-up location in Portland?  You don't live in Seattle and Portland and want to know if there's someone local you can pair up with for training rides?

Ready...Set...GO!

Many of our returning riders and those already connected to our mission have already been diligently requesting donations.  Third-year rider Al Knopik of Team Brooklynn-Postal is a USPS truck driver here in the Seattle area and managed to get a donation form put into his local APWU newsletter.  New 2012 team Bozos on the Baltes Bus (pictured here) are our current top team and have already raised over half of their $10,000 goal thanks largely to AF National Board Member and Treasurer Ken Baltes and his wife Dorothy.  Members of Team Amgen, led by 2012 top fundraiser Jeff Bass, are already up to $4,151. 

We are off to an incredible start on our 2012 campaign.  As of April 30, we've got $105,268 (including a check received in today's mail) already raised.  Our goal is $428,000 and to bring in another 40 riders! 

If you haven't gotten started on your fundraising efforts yet, this is your call to action!  Sign up for the ride if you haven't done so already.  Log in to your Main HQ and customize your fundraising page (here's mine).  Start getting the word out to your friends and family members that you'll be taking on big challenge to support the Arthritis Foundation and that you'll be looking for their support.  Over the next four months, we'll make sure you're prepared to bring in the donations so that you can join us for The 2012 Amgen People's Coast Classic!

2012 Scouting trip: Part 2

Newport and some of their fine denizens have been the most gracious hosts to our event. We've had the pleasure of working with Rebecah and Lucy at the Oregon Coast Visitors Association since launching this event in 2009. They graciously allow us to use their slogan "The People's Coast" as our event name. Sure...we could just call it "The Oregon Coast Classic", but "The People's Coast Classic" has such a nice ring to it.

Elliott and Daniella Crowder of Bike Newport have also been incredible supporters of this ride. Elliott is our event mechanic. It helps to have a local support this ride because it seems he knows every inch of this route like the back of his hand. Daniella has volunteered to plan our Day three party, which we've previously called the Rogue Ales Party on the Beach. This year, we'll be moving the party to the Newport Yacht Club so I guess we'll have to change the name!


We've stayed overnight in Newport every year for our annual scouting trip and have been exceedingly fortunate to receive donated rooms from the Elizabeth Street Inn in the Spring.  This is a beautiful hotel perched above a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport, with each room having an beach-facing balcony.  We stay here in September during the event as well and I always take a few minutes to sit on the balcony, crack a cold Rogue ales and watch the beach...even better if it's during sunset like this video I took last year.  Thanks to Jennifer and staff at Elizabeth Street Inn!

Last year, we brought in the Oregon Coast Aquarium as an overnight site. Their "Sleep with the Sharks" slumber parties are a huge hit with school age children and we figured our riders would love it too! We shot this quick video tour of the aquarium, including the Passages of the Deep where we will be sleeping on Day 2. This year, we'll have separate sleeping spaces for our early birds and night owls.

Finally, Newport is home to our favorite Brewmaster, John Maier of Rogue Ales. We are so thrilled to have Rogue Ales on board as a sponsor. It turns out that John was so thrilled about our ride last year that he signed up as soon as registration opened for this year's ride! For those of you who have met John, you know he's a fairly quiet guy. He gets up before dawn each morning, rides his bike across the Yaquina Bay Bridge to start work at the brewery. We wanted to capture John in his element, so we followed him to work while we were in town.

After meeting with our friends in Newport and meeting with the staff at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Dan and I continued north on our scouting trip.  We were thrilled to see that road conditions, particularly  along the Three Capes Scenic Route, did not deteriorate too badly over the winter.  The winter of 2010-2011 was particularly wet and caused a significant amount of damage.  Oregon DOT did a great job repairing the road in time for our event last year.  Thankfully this last winter didn't cause the same amount of damage.  The section of road that washed out just before Netarts has been completely replaced.  The big bump in the road descending from Cape Lookout has been completely repaired.  Aside from some downed trees from the most recent winter storm, it appears that the Oregon Coast Bike Route will be ready for us this September!

2012 Scouting trip: Part 1

Each spring, we drive down the Oregon Coast Bike Route.  Winter conditions and heavy rainfall can significantly damage road surfaces, especially on remote sections like the Three Capes Scenic Route.  Getting our eyes on the route in Spring gives us enough time contact Oregon Department of Transportation for road repair requests before the big event in September.

Things happened a bit differently this year.  I picked up Dan Kaufman, our new cameraman and photographer, on the way down to Central Point, Oregon to exhibit at the Oregon Cheese Festival, hosted by major sponsor Rogue Creamery.  Along the way, we stopped by Co-Motion Cycles and took a factory tour.  We also sorted out the details of our Co-Motion Promotion discount purchasing program.  Check out this video and stay tuned for a longer factory tour on our YouTube channel.

Continuing South through torrential rain, we arrived at Rogue Creamery's factory for our tour with Plant Manager Craig Nelson (himself an award winning cheesemaker), with Dan shooting footage the entire time.  It was an amazing experience to learn about cheesemaking and the artisan craftsmanship it takes to make "The World's Best Blue Cheese".  I got to see my favorite Rogue Creamery cheese, Caveman Blue, as it went from beautiful white curds to pungent moldy goodness.  The next day, we exhibited at the Oregon Cheese Festival and met a lot of cheese-loving cyclists!  Huge thank you to David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery for being an incredible host.  We wined and dined like kings the whole time.  I still can't believe I get to do things like this for work!  Check out this video clip...if you like cheese, turn the resolution all the way up to see the mold at work!

After the cheese festival, Dan and I officially began our scouting trip.  We drove three hours from Central Point to Bandon and stopped in for lunch at Tony's Crab Shack.  I've been wanting to check this place out for years because I always seem to miss it during our scouting trip and event.  How about some steamer clams for lunch on Day five?

Dan and I headed north after lunch, keeping our eyes peeled for any alarming road conditions.  No trip along the Oregon coast is complete without a stop to see Heceta Head lighthouse.  Even though I've seen it many times now, we had to stop.

On the first night of the scouting trip, we pulled into Newport, Oregon.  It's always a treat to stop here during each year's Spring trip.  For starters, we always stay at the Elizabeth Street Inn, where every room has a balcony that faces the beach.  When we stay here in September, I love opening the sliding glass balcony door and falling asleep to the sound of waves.  A big thank you to Jennifer @ Elizabeth Street Inn for donating rooms for the Spring trip for the last three years!

We've got more from our scouting trip in part two of the report!

Getting Ready for 2012!

We're ramping up for another year of The Amgen People's Coast Classic.  Lots of small things happening behind the scenes to get ready for upcoming expo's (Seattle and Portland), our poster and brochure (hitting a bike shop near you in April), print ads in Outside, Sunset, Adventure Cyclist, NW and Rocky Mountain Tour Guides, BicyclePaper, Velonews.com, and BikePortland.org. 

Need something to help you forget about the winter blues?  Check out the slideshow from our 2011 event and get registered for 2012!