Dear Friends,
If you know me, by now you know my passion for the bicycle as an "instrument of good". The bicycle lends itself as a tool for families to reconnect and ride the local streets, or paved walkways, it allows some of my closest friends to commute full time to work and earn their modest living, it helps reduce congestion in areas that need it one car at a time and it helps those fighting health issues to use the bike as a tool to find an appropriate exercise for themselves.
Last year I embarked on the first Ride on Washington with friend Tim Johnson and our industry national advocacy group Bikes Belong.
Five days of riding from Boston to Washington found us challenging ourselves to raise funds to support Bikes Belong activities. Government funding is being cut at an alarming rate for this alternative form of transportation and Bikes Belong has been there to walk their talk on behalf of any of us that ride a bicycle for the reasons I mentioned.
Bikes Belong helps grow programs in communities committed to sustainable infrastructure in areas such as helping communities install a 'Safe Routes to School' program to help kids find safe ways to get to school that incorporate the bicycle, they help cities & urban communities provide the necessary infrastructure such as bike lanes and assisting other groups in the rails to trails program growing across the US.
Any donation you can make, big or small has me humbled you would care for such a worthy cause, let alone something so personal to myself & my family. Thank you for stopping by & your consideration even if you chose not to support this specific cause.
Visit the
Ride on Washington website or
Facebook page for more info. The ride has each rider required to raise $2500 in order to be eligible to ride. I am grateful for any donation you would consider.
Thank you friends.
Matthew Simpson
Tim Johnson's Ride On Washington 2012
This winter, six-time national champion and cyclo-cross superstar Tim Johnson will throw his leg over his bike for a hard week of training. But he's not riding to improve his cycling; he's riding to improve your cycling.
Tim Johnson will ride to raise funds and awareness for the Bikes Belong Foundation as he pedals 500 miles from Boston to Washington D.C., the site of the National Bike Summit, in five days.
Starting Friday, March 16, Tim will be joined by long time cycling journalist, advocate, promoter and announcer Richard Fries, and 20 other leaders of American bike culture. Leaving from Boston, they will ride every day, hitting Providence, Hartford, New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore, until they reach Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 20, for the start of the National Bike Summit.
“We want to engage governors, mayors, bloggers, reporters, schools, and most of all other cyclists along the way,” said Johnson, who is already building support from the bike industry for this mission.
Tim Johnson hopes to see this event raise funds and awareness for Bikes Belong and the National Bike Summit. Your support will be critical to make that happen.
Ride With Us
You can ride with us for five minutes, five miles, or all five days. When you register, we will create a personal fundraising page for you on www.PledgeReg.com, where you can raise money to benefit Bikes Belong. We will post the exact routes as we get closer to the ride. Please note that although we will have neutral support along the way to help all riders, individuals looking to join will be required to take care of their own logistics.
The final 10 miles of the ride to D.C. will be a giant bike parade where anyone can join—no spandex required. We will ride past 15 Capital Bikeshare Stations so that anyone can grab a bike and join us. The ride will end with a celebration on Capitol Hill.
Donate
If you can't ride with us, visit PledgeReg, search for "Tim Johnson's Ride On Washington", and donate to one of the dedicated riders doing the event. The goal of this ride is to raise $100,000 for Bikes Belong. The funding we raise will leverage government funding for bike paths, bike lanes, bike facilities and bike programs. No other donation you make could make such a huge impact for America's health, environment, and quality of life.
About Bikes Belong
The Bikes Belong Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on improving bicycle safety and enhancing children's bike programs. It administers the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, supports the Bicycling Design Best Practices Project, and directs the Peopleforbikes.org campaign. Visit bikesbelong.org/foundation for more info.
The Bikes Belong Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on improving bicycle safety and enhancing children's bike programs. It administers the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, supports the Bicycling Design Best Practices Project, and directs the Peopleforbikes.org campaign. Learn more at bikesbelong.org/foundation.