Rider Profile: Meet Jefferson Mappin!

It was a goal to get in better shape that first motivated Jefferson Mappin to join the RONA MS Bike Tour in 2010. "My trainer suggested that working towards an event like the tour would keep me on track," he says. "Without a specific goal, there's always an excuse to skip your training ride."

As he fundraised and connected with old friends, he was surprised that many people he knew were personal affected by MS. “It made the cycling so much more meaningful,” he recalls. “My goal has now expanded to include raising money to help end this disease which has impacted so many people’s lives.”

Jefferson’s hard work paid off. He substantially increased his fitness level and proudly completed the tour from Grand Bend to London. Beyond the physical accomplishment, he raised an incredible $10,155 in pledges and earned the title of “Rookie of the Year” for highest fundraising total of a first-time rider.

Jefferson has already started training for 2011, increasing his personal challenge by registering for three RONA MS Bike Tours. “I love the camaraderie of the rides, with everyone working together to raise funds to help find a cure,” he says. “I am happy to do my bit.”

Want to share your experience? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! Your story could be featured in our next blog post!

Reminder: Book Your Accommodations Early!

What do rugby players have to do with booking accommodations for the RONA MS Bike Tours?

Surprisingly, quite a bit—at least for the Grand Bend to London tour.

Southwest Rugby recently announced that the inaugural Grand Bend International Rugby Tournament will be held from July 22-24, 2011.

Does that date sound familiar? That’s right! It just so happens to be the same weekend as the RONA MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London.

We look forward to sharing the booming metropolis of Grand Bend with this new and exciting rugby tournament! However, if you plan to drive down early and stay in town Friday evening, we do recommend that you book your accommodations early.

With over 48 rugby teams expected to take part, hotel and motel rooms are going to go fast.

Fundraising Tip: Get Started Today!

So you’ve registered a team for the RONA MS Bike Tours, now what?

That’s an excellent question.

There are a number of things you can do to get ready for the tour. But most importantly, it’s time to start fundraising! Contrary to popular belief, it’s a lot easier than you might think. And if you start now you’ll be on your way to becoming a Top Fundraiser!

Here are a five simple ways you can get your fundraising started today:

Set a fundraising Goal. Set your goal high, you may be surprised at how much you can raise just by asking and being motivated.

Don’t be afraid to ask. Create a donor list of people that you think would be interested in supporting you and go from there—the worst that can happen is they say no.

Use the Online Fundraising System. Send a personalized email asking friends, families and employees to donate and track your progress.

Send a letter. Copy, paste and personalize this sample letter and then send it to family, friends, local businesses and other places where you’d like to make a more formal request for donations.

Update your social networks. Use online communities like Facebook and Twitter to promote the RONA MS Bike Tours, raise pledges and keep your social networks up-to-date on your progress.

Procrastation may seem like the easiest next step. But trust us, participants who start fundraising early raise more money overall and get more out of the tours!

Have another great tip to share? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! You never know, your tip might even be included in our next blog post!

Reminder: Only 2 Days Left to Recruit and Win!

TeamMS Registration & Goal Setting Week kicked off this past Monday with an exciting recruitment incentive.

Register a full team of four by January 15, 2011 and be entered to win an MS Friendly Bike Shop Gift Pack valued at over $200!

Act fast, register online at msbiketours.ca or email Andrea Davidson Mulvihill. With only 2 days left to recruit and win, you don't want to miss out on this great prize!

Don’t forget to also set a fundraising goal to challenge your team and benchmark your success! After all, the real reward is getting geared up to end MS.

Looking for team to join? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! Teams are always looking to recruit new members.

Recruiting Tip: Help Make Resolutions a Reality!

Did any of your friends or family make New Year’s resolutions last week?

If so, odds suggest that at least a couple of them set goals to get in better shape during 2011. Regretfully, studies also show that less than 1 in 10 people successfully achieve their resolutions each year.

Why?

Well, most often it’s because people make resolutions without having a plan or the support in place to help them succeed. But that doesn’t have to be the case for your friends and family this year. Help make their resolutions a reality by recruiting them to join your team for the upcoming RONA MS Bike Tours!

It’s what we call a win-win situation. They get in shape by training for a great event. You get some help raising money for a great cause.

Sounds like a great resolution to us.

Have another great tip to share? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! You never know, your tip might even be included in our next blog post!

Reminder: TeamMS Registration Week Starts on Monday!

Mark your calendars and clear your schedules because Team MS Registration & Goal Setting Week starts on Monday!

The new RONA MS Bike Tour season is finally here and we have a little incentive to help you get geared up and ready to recruit this week.

Register a team of four or more by January 15, 2011 and be entered to win an MS Friendly Bike Shop Gift Pack valued at over $200! Register online at msbiketours.ca or email Andrea Davidson Mulvihill.

Just don’t forget to also set a fundraising goal to challenge your team and benchmark your success! Cycling on a team keeps you motivated, energized and provides a network of support and celebration.

Looking for a team to join? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! Teams are always looking to recruit new members.

Top 10 Memories from the 2010 Tours

As we ring in a new year, we wanted to take this opportunity to quickly highlight some of the best moments from the past tour season.

So without further ado, here are your Top 10 Memories from the 2010 Tours:

The RONA saw-cutting start. To celebrate 10 years as a National Sponsor, RONA teams participated in a unique saw cutting ceremony. Instead of a traditional ribbon cutting to start each tour, RONA representatives sawed their way through a 2 x 4 piece of wood to send off our cyclists in style!

Expanded TeamMS Village. We saw a large increase in the number of team tents and tables in the TeamMS Village this year, and overall it was a great place to be!

Move to Acton. Prospect Park in Acton was introduced as a new start location with an improved, more scenic route that allowed cyclists to choose between a 150 km or 200 km route. The location change also came with a special perk for the Top 100 Fundraisers from 2009—onsite parking!

New scenic lunch spot in Toronto. Right by the water, this new spot gave participants a great location to relax and enjoy their lunch. We even shared the area with a miniature sail boat racing group!

Rock Band in the Eramosa tent. In Niagara, Eramosa and Eramosa Junior riders brought in an amazing 20 x 20 tent, where they set up Rock Band and invited people to play. It was a big hit!

Great team photographer. We had the privilege of having professional photographer Scott Martyn volunteer his services to take team photos for the Acton to Waterloo, Niagara and Toronto tours. He was absolutely wonderful and all the participants loved the photos!

New indoor lunch location at Grand Bend. A new indoor lunch location was used this past year at Grand Bend to London! This allowed for entertainment and the opportunity to sit down at tables and chairs out of the elements on the Saturday of the tour.

Grand Bend to London hits $1,000,000. The Grand Bend to London tour finally broke the $1 million milestone on event weekend – and eventually surpassed $1.2 million!

Grand Bend to London 20th Anniversary. Another exciting milestone for Grand Bend to London this past year was the celebration of its 20th Anniversary! Lori Anne McNulty and Barry Travnicek took the stage during the Saturday evening ceremony to thank everyone for making this phenomenal achievement possible over the years.

Over 3,700 riders cycled over 85,000 km to help end MS. This past year saw a record number of participants raise over $2.55 million! The 2010 tours were truly a huge success and we look forward to another great year ahead.

Have another great memory to share? Leave us a ‘wall post’ on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter! We’d love to hear about your favourite memory from the RONA MS Bike Tours 2010!