Good morning! I'll be busy preparing for the Conquer the Coast tomorrow, so you're getting the usual Friday blog on Thursday...
Lunch and Learn
Just a quick reminder about our Lunch and Learn today. All new and nearly new riders are encouraged to attend, but the rest of you can come, too. The event will be held in the North Private Dining room by the cafeteria at Valero HQ from 11:30 to 1:00 pm. The speaker will be Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven (my favorite bike shop), and the subject will be Cycling Technique and Maintenance. We'll follow with a Q&A session on the MS 150. If you don't work at Valero HQ, park in the Visitors parking, go to the main entrance, and let the guard know you are there for the Velo Valero event. Zora and Carl will direct you to the dining dining room where the event will be held. For more details, click here.
Weekend Rides
Check our training schedule if you plan on doing any of the weekend rides (which you should be doing if you plan on riding the Bike to the Beach - there are only three training weekends left!). There's been a change - both the Saturday and Sunday rides will start from Comal Elementary School in New Braunfels.
Fundraising - Creeping Up, Still a Long Way to Go
Our fundraising is creeping up - we are at now at almost $83,000, which is 33% of our target of $250,000. To see the latest team roster and individual fundraising totals, click here. If you haven't started your personal fundraising campaign yet, what are you waiting for?? Click here for some fundraising tips to help you get started.
MS 150 News You Can Use
I'm starting to put together all the information you need to help you have a successfull MS 150 Bike to the Beach. Command Central for Velo Valero riders in this event is on our web site at the MS 150 Home Page. I recently added a Participant Guide and a Packing List, based on the excellent documents that 2005-2006 Team Captain Laura Vaccaro put together. Take the time to peruse these when you get a chance, and as always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. The Board and I are committed to making this the best cycling experience you have ever had!
Tony! Tony! Tony!
This picture below speaks for itself. Tony Ralf, VP, South Texas Chapter of the MS Society, is a force of nature, and is one of the reasons the MS 150 is such a fun event to participate in. I often talk about the energy and commitment of the riders and the volunteers in this event, but we can't overlook the work that the MS staff performs - people like Tony, Deanna, Lisa, etc. Next time you see Tony or any of his high octane team in action, thank them for putting together such an incredible cycling experience for us!
Tony Ralf sportin' those Join the Movement colors...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter