I know myself and the other organizers are working hard to put this event together, with all its details and calls to make, figure out, and do. But just like the name itself, we are working hard to breath life into the Dream Ride.
I realize how small of a niche the ride holds in the world of charity events. It is on the cusp of its inaugural year and so it doesn’t yet have the following and notoriety of many other events. Yet, I have found that people, whom I have talked to, are interested and get excited about the mission of our event – to help people in the world who need it the most. They believe in the cause, though when I solicit their participation in the ride, either say that they aren’t a cyclist, don’t have time, or believe that it is too difficult for them. And from my experiences on a similar ride last year, I’ll accept only the 2nd reason. We mean for this ride to be challenging (for us all), rather than impossible. Many of the riders last year bought their bicycles only months prior to the ride and therefore had minimal experience on the bike. This ride is meant to stand as an example of something that seemed people thought were impossible yet show people
We selected six beneficiaries with different areas of work in the hopes that it would appeal to more people. We chose ones with a reputation for doing quality and essential work in their particular fields. I am personally very proud to be involved with these six organizations. Having spent time abroad in Mozambique, and having seen many different organizations working (some far more effectively than others), I feel quite confident in these six. Yet I am also particularly interested in seeing how these organizations use the money which we are able to fundraise. Like all the donors, I want to see how the money is used. This is why we are working with each organization to direct the funds to particular projects – everybody like tangible results. At the very least, we are building a relationship with these organizations and their particular projects.
What I am looking forward to, is simply being a part of the ride and seeing how the different participants interpret and run with the cause and its possibilities. We all come to the ride and its cause from different angles. Some are more motivated by the ambitious cycling itinerary, others more focused by the difference we will make with the fundraised money. How we mix together is what will make this ride unique.
I get excited by the possibilities of what stands in front of us. Who will sign up for the ride? Who will get involved? I’m just so damn happy to be a part of this event. And I personally can’t wait to bike through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It’s an area that I have been a few times but certainly not explored to any degree. There are some incredible roads up there….I hope to do a little additional exploring if I have a little extra time.
Chris Wells
