Wendy - Focused on Fundraising

This will be Wendy’s fifth year riding in the MS Bike with her team, I ride cause I can. She says her team’s name has a double meaning, “the first is because I CAN ride, as there are days that riding is easier than walking, and the second is that we CAN make a difference in ending MS.” For Wendy, cycling equals freedom. “Being diagnosed with MS has changed my life in so many ways and I’m worried that one day I won’t be able to get on my bike, let alone get out of bed,” she says “I push myself now more than ever and I don’t take my mobility for granted.”  

“Before my diagnosis I never set goals, I only had dreams,” she continues. “Now, I still have dreams but I turn them into goals as I am more aware of how quickly life passes us by.” Her main goal is fundraising as much as possible for her MS Bike campaign. “My fundraising consists of an assortment of activities that I organize with my teammates, which includes a bottle drive, draws for gift certificates from local businesses, a silent auction and a bar night where local bands come and play. Fundraising possibilities are truly endless!”

Having such a supportive group of friends who will help her reach her fundraising goal is “one of the best things a person with MS can have,” Wendy says. “I am blessed to have such a strong support system, cheering and celebrating with me every peddle of the way.”

For more great fundraising tips, visit msbike.ca

Put the FUN in Fundraising!

The best way to earn some extra pledges for MS Bike is to make it fun for everyone! Here is a FUNdrasing tip you can try out:

Host a THEME DINNER for 10 or more people. Have your guests donate $50 each and spend no more than $20 per person for food and supplies. By the end of the night you’ll have made $300 or more!

 

Theme Dinner ideas:

• Pick a style or culture of food to serve and have your decorations correspond (ex. Greek, Indian, Mexican)
• Correspond with holidays – the first day of summer and Canada Day are approaching!
• Got a favourite book, or movie? Why not theme a dinner after it?! If the characters in the book/movie eat a certain meal, recreate it! Take the location it features and have the menu correspond. For example, if Moulin Rouge was your favourite movie, create a French menu, serve champagne, and ask people to wear blue, white and red.
• Pick an Era – have your guests embrace the 1960’s and use tie-dye, flowers and music to set the mood. Your guests might want to wear their old bell bottom jeans!

UPDATE - Ben Dalton in Winnipeg

Ben Dalton, the dedicated cyclist who began his ride across Canada in Victoria, BC to raise awareness for MS, arrived in Winnipeg ! Despite wicked winds, Dalton made it to Winnipeg on Friday June 6th where he did an interview with CBC to share his journey with others.

Dalton’s inspiration to ride comes from the death of his brother-in-law who had MS and passed away 2 years ago.

Unfortunately he was unable to attend the funeral, and in the back of his mind always planned to do something to commemorate him. Months leading up to the ride, Dalton connected with people who had MS and experienced a real empathy and passion to help them.

His cross Canada ride originally focused on awareness, but as Dalton continues his journey he is encouraging people to donate online in honour of his ride. He receives a jolt of encouragement when he hears that he is having an effect.

Please honour Ben Dalton’s ride across Canada and give him an extra boost of inspiration by donating today. Be sure to mention his name in the donation form as we will be providing Dalton with updates on the funds raised.

We wish Dalton a safe ride. Thank you for your support and spirit.

We want to know where your Jersey’s been!

Bring your MS Bike jersey on an adventure! Join MS Bike participants, Beth Button and Jeff Munroe and show us where your MS Bike jersey has been.

Submit your photo for a chance to WIN 2 FREE registrations for 2015!  

Submissions are due Friday, May 30 and a winner will be selected June 2.

Please email all photo submissions to carrie.gibson@mssociety.ca

Ben Dalton’s across Canada cycle

Ben in Victoria

It’s wonderful to envision a journey across Canada, exploring its vast beauty from sea to sea – but now imagine doing it on a bike!

Ben Dalton, a dedicated and caring cyclist, is travelling across Canada this summer to raise awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. He began his ride in Victoria, British Colombia and does not have a set route or timeline and will take the ride at his own pace. This will be his 4th time riding across Canada!

Ben will be sharing his journey through his twitter account @BENBIKEDALTON. Follow him to support his message and commitment.

Let Ben’s story inspire the cyclist and traveler inside you!

From the MS Bike team, we thank Ben for his support and wish him a safe journey across the country! Good luck!

Over 70 members strong and 10 years long!

Co-captains Marion and Sharen are no strangers to the MS Bike. Team Doug and Marion’s MS Erasers formed 10 years ago and has been growing in number ever since! The team currently has an extraordinary 78 members, and they are hoping to reach 100+ in time for the tour. When asked how they grew their team so large, the enthusiastic Team Captains say it is a matter of friends asking friends and the momentum carries on from there, “We invite someone once and they usually get hooked! It’s kind of addictive team members invite a friend and that friend invites a friend and so on. There are so many smaller groups/families within our team, but once we are at the ride, we all join together and have a blast.”

Marion and Sharen also believe that a contributing factor to their ever-growing team is in large part due to the emphasis they place on having a good time and enjoying the whole experience of the event, “We have lots of fun and great laughs. We aren’t competitive or have eligibility criteria other than raising the fundraising minimum, but as a team we end up raising more! We are also very welcoming of new participants, and have a few team members with MS who add an extra level of motivation for us."

The team has another great recruitment tool as Marion and her husband own Doug and Marion’s Bike Sales and Repairs, a cycling shop based out of Strathroy. “We have members from the Strathroy, London, Waterloo Region, Guelph, Fergus, Woodstock, Barrie and Hamilton area. Doug and Marion’s is great for recruiting new members as they are always promoting the ride in their store. They are so dedicated to giving to the community in everything they do they promote the MS Bike to every customer that comes in,” says Sharen.

For more tips and information on participating as a team, check out the Team Tools page on msbike.ca

Mandarin MS Walk this weekend!

Good Luck to everyone participating in the Mandarin MS Walk this weekend!