I do not know when it occurred to me to do the Ride again. I kind of assumed that it was going to happen, I just did not know when it was going to happen. So in true John Mullady fashion, the date of the ride and members of the ride changed a few times before the final numbers were set.
So here I am, the night before I head down to New York to start the Ride and finding myself being more nervous then last year. This year Alex, Quinn, and Lizzie will not be traveling with us. I know that if they could, they would all be in their shammies again, however life happens.
I was asked if this would be a charity ride, and I responded with, "yeah..kind of." So here is a longer answer to a short question:
I had hoped (and still do) that this ride would grow in popularity each time that it was done. The more people doing the ride the more money that we could have raised for two amazing charities. Maybe it was vanity or just naivety but I think that this ride has potential to be a great fundraiser. However, I failed to do any sort of fund raising this year. With so many people being laid off, I felt uncomfortable with the thought of asking friends or family for a handout. The reactions of shop owners who have been losing business as I ask them to give some of their earnings for a charity that they never heard of deterred me as well. I am frustrated with myself with failing to raise money, but at the same time I believe that there will be another ride and another opportunity next year.
