fundraising letter
1/27/06
Dear Friends,
A few of you asked me for a letter describing this year’s fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, so here it is. I’m sorry to do this to you right now, because January is an especially cruel month. Kris Kringle is long gone, but the awe-inspiring bill for his brief visit lingers.
Yet January is also the time for planning the future and making the resolutions and figuring out the family budget, so if it’s possible, I’d like to find my way onto your list of causes for the future.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation raises funds for cancer survivors and cancer research. It is a first-class operation and a spectacular success. Although the foundation is based in Austin, Texas, it does good work all over the country. A few years back, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received a $1 million grant from the foundation.
Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, and largest single donor to the Lance Armstrong Foundation with a $1.5 million gift in 2005, has established a new goal in life: eliminate cancer suffering by the year 2015.
I think he’s going to get it done, and I’m going to help. This summer, I’ll be riding the entire Tour de France route, one day ahead of the professionals, as a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
If you’d like to make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, please make your check payable to “Lance Armstrong Foundation” and send it along to me at:
Joe Berkeley
55 Point Allerton Ave.
Hull, MA 02045
Anything you give would be greatly appreciated, and I’m hoping to have as many donors as possible. Of course, your donation will be tax deductible, as allowed by law.
While I will ride all 2,261.6 miles of the Tour de France, I will not ride alone. There are at least nine other middle-aged folks in a similar state of denial who will be on my team. Together, we shall attempt not to conquer the course, but to survive it, preferably with dignity.
One of my kind, caring, considerate co-workers, Kevin, asked if it would be possible to mount a webcam upon my handlebars for the Tour. That way, if I rode my bicycle off a cliff, were hit by a truck laden with croissants, or collapsed on the side of the road in exhaustion, he would be able to view the spectacle from the comfort of his workstation back in Boston.
I can’t promise you that sort of coverage, but I will honor the spirit of kind Kevin’s request. To wit, I’ve started a blog that features all of the news on the event. You may visit it at http://www.joeberkeley.blogspot.com/ At the moment, it features miscellaneous ramblings associated with training. Once in France, I will update the blog as time and energy allow.
As far as donations go, I would be happy to receive anything, even a dollar. If you have been blessed with good earning genes, good fortune, or success that came to you as a pleasant surprise, you may wish to give more. Here is a little guide based on mileage:
A Penny A Mile: $ 22.61
A Dime A Mile: $ 226.16
A Dollar A Mile: $2,261.60
My goal is to raise $50,000 for the cause. While I’m on the topic of money, let me state, for the record, that all expenses of the trip are coming out of my pocket. Every penny of your donation will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
If you have any questions, or would like to dedicate a stage of the Tour to a loved one, you may reach me at jberkeley@hhcc.com or 617-859-4414.
Warm regards and thanks,
Joe Berkeley
Dear Friends,
A few of you asked me for a letter describing this year’s fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, so here it is. I’m sorry to do this to you right now, because January is an especially cruel month. Kris Kringle is long gone, but the awe-inspiring bill for his brief visit lingers.
Yet January is also the time for planning the future and making the resolutions and figuring out the family budget, so if it’s possible, I’d like to find my way onto your list of causes for the future.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation raises funds for cancer survivors and cancer research. It is a first-class operation and a spectacular success. Although the foundation is based in Austin, Texas, it does good work all over the country. A few years back, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received a $1 million grant from the foundation.
Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, and largest single donor to the Lance Armstrong Foundation with a $1.5 million gift in 2005, has established a new goal in life: eliminate cancer suffering by the year 2015.
I think he’s going to get it done, and I’m going to help. This summer, I’ll be riding the entire Tour de France route, one day ahead of the professionals, as a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
If you’d like to make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, please make your check payable to “Lance Armstrong Foundation” and send it along to me at:
Joe Berkeley
55 Point Allerton Ave.
Hull, MA 02045
Anything you give would be greatly appreciated, and I’m hoping to have as many donors as possible. Of course, your donation will be tax deductible, as allowed by law.
While I will ride all 2,261.6 miles of the Tour de France, I will not ride alone. There are at least nine other middle-aged folks in a similar state of denial who will be on my team. Together, we shall attempt not to conquer the course, but to survive it, preferably with dignity.
One of my kind, caring, considerate co-workers, Kevin, asked if it would be possible to mount a webcam upon my handlebars for the Tour. That way, if I rode my bicycle off a cliff, were hit by a truck laden with croissants, or collapsed on the side of the road in exhaustion, he would be able to view the spectacle from the comfort of his workstation back in Boston.
I can’t promise you that sort of coverage, but I will honor the spirit of kind Kevin’s request. To wit, I’ve started a blog that features all of the news on the event. You may visit it at http://www.joeberkeley.blogspot.com/ At the moment, it features miscellaneous ramblings associated with training. Once in France, I will update the blog as time and energy allow.
As far as donations go, I would be happy to receive anything, even a dollar. If you have been blessed with good earning genes, good fortune, or success that came to you as a pleasant surprise, you may wish to give more. Here is a little guide based on mileage:
A Penny A Mile: $ 22.61
A Dime A Mile: $ 226.16
A Dollar A Mile: $2,261.60
My goal is to raise $50,000 for the cause. While I’m on the topic of money, let me state, for the record, that all expenses of the trip are coming out of my pocket. Every penny of your donation will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
If you have any questions, or would like to dedicate a stage of the Tour to a loved one, you may reach me at jberkeley@hhcc.com or 617-859-4414.
Warm regards and thanks,
Joe Berkeley
posted by joe berkeley at 8:11 AM
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