1/16/08 - Logistical Updates

I have been extremely busy working on the logistics of the "Cruisin' For A Cure" motorcycle tour around the country and the Send-Off Party at the South Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society office parking lot. We are still awaiting the final approval from the building manager on having this location as the Send-Off Party site but at this point, we don't think this is going to be a problem.

Yesterday, I made e-mail contact with approximately 16 different motorcycle riding groups from San Antonio, Austin, and the Houston areas, to invite them to attend the send-off party and either escort me from San Antonio to M.D. Anderson Cancer Research in Houston, TX or from M.D. Anderson to the Texas-Louisiana state line. So far I'm getting really positive results and it sounds like there is going to be a good showing of motorcycles as well. There is nothing like a whole bunch of motorcycles riding (and rumbling) down the road. It is enough to make a grown man cry. :) Now, it looks like I have to work on getting a police escort to get us out of San Antonio safely. Hopefully, I "may' have some connections there.

While I'm mentioning all this stuff that has been going on, I want to take a moment to thank three people in particular. Anne Temple (LLS Campaign manager)and Deb Barker (LLS Sr. Campaign Manager) and my wife Lisa, who have been my biggest supporters and I can't thank them enough. Thank you ladies!

OK, this morning I ordered my "Cruisin' For A Cure" business cards so that I can hand them out to people around the country to show them the donation website and the travel blog site. I have to wait 7 days for them to come in but it will be well worth it. I'm also having a "advertising vehicle wrap" installed on my two side saddle bags that will have Cruisin' for A Cure" and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society logo on them. If you have ever seen a public bus with the wrap on type advertising, that is what this is. I will have the donation website installed on the left and right bottom side of the trunk so that people will see it. I'm having this done by a company called Fast Signs on Wurzbach and I-10, here in San Antonio. Byron has been working really hard to make this look nice on the bike and the owner, Larry is going to donate a banner for the Send-Off Party on May 16th. This will have "Cruisin' For A Cure" and the LLS logo as well as corporate sponsors logos. If you know of any potential corporate sponsors, please let me know. I also hoping for a gas/fuel company to help cover my fuel costs for this trip. As you can see, we are seeing gas prices rise again. Once I get my local AAA office to do my trip tickets, I can calculate the cost of fuel that I will have to cover, if not sponsored.

The Corporate Sponsorship packet has been completed as well as the Individual Fundraising letter that I will be sending out to "everyone" that Lisa and I know. An e-mail will also go out since I don't have every one's address so you may get duplicate requests. Sorry but it is hard to get all that info.

What I'm really hoping for now is a sponsorship from a motorcycle shop that will be able to help me with things like a good tune-up and to check my Honda Goldwing out so that it is safe for the trip. I'm hoping for a new front and back tire as well so I could use all your prayers on this issue in particular. I'm just waiting back for a response to this corporate sponsorship request. With all of the items that I need to get like the Honda authorized CB radio/antenna, intercom system, highway pegs, and possibly a trailer that I might have to purchase and build, the sponsored tune-up and tires would really take a big load off of what I have to pay for.

I do have to tell you about a donation that "Cruisin' For A Cure"/The LLS received yesterday. I was stunned when I received a $200.00 donation from one person on the website. No, literally I was stunned. I have not even met this person yet and to receive this just made me feel like I'm doing a good thing here. Now I know exactly what Lisa felt like when she was fund raising for "Team In Training". It really makes you realize that there are very caring people out there who think of others without any hesitation. We have people suffering with cancer that need our help and I personally think that cancer should be one of this countries top priorities to cure. My own mother died from ovarian cancer and to be there with her and see what she was going through was very difficult. All I could do was make her comfortable and wait until God would finally stop her pain. We can all make a difference by helping fund the research that doctors and scientist are performing to fight this battle on cancer.

I'm asking for every one's help here. Please reach down inside yourself and help me, help others that are suffering. Visit the donation website at http://www.active.com/donate/cruisinforacure . All proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and your donations are tax deductible but don't just do this because it is a tax deduction, do this because your kindness can make a real difference to children and adults that are sticken with these blood cancers.

Logistical Update on "Cruisin' For A Cure" Trip

Hi Everyone,

I figured I should update the blog site with what has been going on with me and the trip logistics. I'm really getting excited about the trip now because things are starting to fall in place. Yesterday and today, I have been working on getting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society logo and the "Cruisin' For A Cure" (new) logo put on my Honda Goldwing. If you have ever seen public buses driving around with fancy painted-on looking advertisement (vehicle wrap), that is what I'm doing with my Honda Goldwing.Both of my saddle bags will have the logos on them and the lower sides of the trunk will have the donation website. (www.active.com/donate/cruisinforacure).

I thought to myself, why not have it put on now and start advertising the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, "Cruisin' For A Cure" ride around the country. Unfortunately, only the San Antonio folks will be able to see it initially but if all goes well, we will all see it on CNN or some national news program(s) around the month of May or at least at the Send-Off Party. So I'm pretty excited about all this and it should be done in the next week or two at the latest.

I'm also working on getting business cards so that I can hand out to people when they ask about what I'm doing and want to know what the website(s) are. My wife Lisa, along with Anne Temple, who is a campaign manager at the South Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, have been doing an incredible job in helping me complete the fund raising letters that I will be sending out to individuals and the corporate fund raising packet that will go out to hopeful, corporate sponsors. If you know anyone that you think may be interested in being a corporate sponsor, please let me know. It is going to take a lot to raise $50,000.00 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I need your help!

Anyway, I won't bore you any longer but please keep this event in your prayers as well as myself when I get on the road. I hope you will subscribe to my travel blog site as I could use all the encouragement I can get to complete this 9,000+ mile journey. Select the Follow This Blog, option on the right side.

One last piece of advice to all. Please watch out for motorcycles and use those turn signals. Those are apparently optional here in Texas. :) That is a bikers only way of knowing what you are going to do on the road around us. We need as much warning as possible.