Ride To Reach The Day...

***UPDATE*** 4/30/06 - Many thanks to Hugh Hewitt, Darren and Ben, and the overwhelming response that their posts have generated in just the past 36 hours.  Donations are begining to roll in and my heart melts at the generosity of everyone who has contributed to William's cause...

A good friend of mine needs your help.  This June, 17 cyclists will travel from San Francisco, CA to Norfolk, VA in ten days.  I will be joining them, but for those of you who know me you will not be surprised to hear that I have opted to drive a van as opposed to riding a bike.

The ride is to raise money for and awareness of childhood cancer.  I have sent the following letter to my friends, and I also wanted to share it with my readers, whom I also consider friends.

Dear Friend:

I am writing to tell you about my good friend William Kiefer. In March of 2004, just after his first birthday, William was diagnosed with Rhabdoid Tumor of the Kidney, which is an extremely aggressive form of cancer. On August 1st of that year, William lost his battle to cancer and went home to be with the Lord. Each year more than 12,500 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with some form of cancer. Although much advancement has been made in treating childhood cancer, nearly 20% of all children diagnosed with cancer have their lives cut short.

A group of friends have joined together in support of the Kiefer family and other families by forming Team-Will. Team Will is designed to raise awareness of and money for children’s charities through cycling activities. On June 16, 2006 seventeen riders will be leaving San Francisco, California, traveling through 11 states and arriving in Norfolk, Virginia on June 25, 2006. Team-Will plans to make up to nine stops at hospitals during the trip to help raise awareness in cities throughout the nation.

Along with raising awareness, each rider of Team Will has pledged to raise $2,250. Team-Will has joined up with CureSearch, which:

…unites the world's largest childhood cancer research organization, the Children's Oncology Group, and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation through our shared mission to cure childhood cancer.

CureSearch is a nationally recognized, IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization (Federal Tax ID 95-4132414). One of the benefits of working with CureSearch is that only 6% of all donations go towards fundraising and administration, while 94% goes towards the goal for finding new and better cures for childhood cancer.

To help make this goal a reality I am asking for your help. As a volunteer driver, I have personally committed to raise $700 towards the trip. Any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated, and will help to ensure that this becomes an annual event until the day that there is no longer a need to fight childhood cancer.

Another way you can help is by spreading the word about the event. Aside from the ride itself, there will also be a live auction in Sacramento on May 20, 2006. If you are interested in attending or would like to purchase raffle tickets for the auction please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you in advance,

Chris Miller

If you would like to make a donation there is a PayPal button on my Team-Will bio page.

***UPDATE*** Submitted to the Beltway Traffic Jam.

Comments

[eFundraising]

If you need fundraising help, try www.magfundraising.com. It's a free online magazine fundraiser that lets you set up a website for your cause. It's completely free so it can't hurt to try! Good luck!

[Jordan Cunningham]

Great cause Chris. I will make a donation just as soon as I get my paypal account squared away.
--Jordan

[Miller's Time]

Thanks Jordon...