Pacific Northwest - Livestrong Challenge Seattle 2011?

I just noticed the schedule for the 2011 LiveStrong Challenge series is online (http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events/LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Series). It seems Seattle is getting the shaft next year.

I did the Seattle ride in 2010. This was one of the best events I've ever participated in (execpt for the rain). There were 1600 riders. We raised $800,000 for the foundation. It seemed like a resounding success.

So what happened? Why is Seattle left out in 2011?

No idea why, but it has left me disappointed as well....I had listed it as one of my goals for next year.

Maybe the criteria is that you've got to raise $1,000,000 or more to get a date. The three cities listed for 2011 all met that level in 2010.

Echelon Gran Fondo staff is coming to Seattle this Thursday and Friday to meet with 4 different cancer centers and anticipates making an announcement shortly about an Echelon Seattle Gran Fondo. We did one in Hood River in September. LIVESTRONG will be one of the beneficiaries with the majority of funds remaining in the Seattle area.

http://www.echelongranfondo.org

I think LIVESTRONG, being such an established brand, is focusing less on the event side of things and more on its cancer programs leaving grass roots efforts like ours to help fund them. While LAF might get less of the total funds from an Echelon event, it is more cost effective for them plus we get to satisfy local cancer institutes and foundations. Our pitch anyway. We can help fund the LAF survivor center at Fred Hutchinson.

Everybody wins.

We are looking for up to 30 people for our Seattle Organizing Committee if you care to get involved.


Hunter Ziesing
hunter@planetz.org
Executive Director
PlanetZ/Echelon Gran Fondo
107 Reed Ranch Rd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
415.720-6789 ph

Echelon Gran Fondo staff is coming to Seattle this Thursday and Friday to meet with 4 different cancer centers and anticipates making an announcement shortly about an Echelon Seattle Gran Fondo. We did one in Hood River in September. LIVESTRONG will be one of the beneficiaries with the majority of funds remaining in the Seattle area.

I hope you pick a weekend that doesn't have already established rides scheduled that same weekend. I think during the past two years Livestrong chose weekends that were already pretty busy (I think 2 years ago it was the weekend of the Tour de Blast, there was a conflict w/something else last year).

The Washington ride calendar is pretty crowded in June and July, not so busy in August.

I see it more as the NW got the shaft. I've done all 5 in the NW and I was hoping after a 2 year hiatus, it was moved back to the Portland area. The course in Seattle was nice, but Oregon's (both the 06 and the 07-08) courses were too, plus IMO the ones in Portland were safer as they avoided the industrial areas, and railroad tracks (the last two years just before the industrial area I came across people being loaded into an ambulance after hitting the tracks (a high speed corner)

I wrote to them and asked. I'm including the response below. I also believe it may have to do with coverage. Our city did a poor job (media/news) at pre-coverage and day of coverage. Not a single news stations had anything on about the event the day of the event. I also believe the day of the event (2009 and 2010) were poor choices. Both fell on Father's day and I believe many families probably celebrated that day another way. I took part in 2009 and 2010 and enjoyed both very much (even with the rain in 2010). Here's the response from the folks at LiveStrong Challenge:

Hey David,

Thank you for your note and interest in our LIVESTRONG Challenge Seattle. I hope you’re doing well today.

LIVESTRONG has received great support from the Pacific Northwest since the inaugural LIVESTRONG Challenge event in Portland in 2005. After four years in Portland and two in Seattle, we have engaged over 11,000 participants and activated more than 10,000 donors per year in the LIVESTRONG mission. Despite these successes, our event has not seen growth in key areas that are critical to the overall support of mission activities. In addition to stagnant fundraising, we are faced with increasing local costs related permitting, rental fees, and site selection, as well as a very difficult economic landscape.

After careful consideration, we will not hold a LIVESTRONG Challenge event in Seattle in 2011. This is not a decision that was made easily or without careful and detailed analysis on our part. In the end, we believe that we must be good stewards of the funds our participants and donors entrust to us in the fight against cancer, and the overall local costs are too great for us to achieve the results we believe are best for our donors and those whom we support.

LIVESTRONG will continue to support those affected by cancer in the Northwest through programs such as the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare, and LIVESTRONG at the YMCA. Additionally, we invite all participants and donors in the northwest to work with us to further build local events that can support LIVESTRONG and local cancer support/research organizations.

And we’re always looking for new events to add to the Team LIVESTRONG mix. While our calendar is full for 2011, now is a good time to begin setting the groundwork for opportunities in 2012. If you know of anything, feel free to shoot us a note.

Though the Challenge won’t be back in Seattle next year, LIVESTRONG isn’t going anywhere. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I hope you have a good afternoon. Thanks again.

Cheers,

I don't think anybody thought LIVESTRONG was going anywhere. I just hope if the Echelon ride is in Seattle, it is better supported than the one in Hood River

I was in Seattle last week visiting the city and three local cancer centers. Echelon will move the Seattle date back to later in June or to a week in July that does not conflict with STP. We will also make a lot of changes (from our Oregon event) including more on course support, better food, better signage. In addition to donating net proceeds to LIVESTRONG, the majority of proceeds will go to a local beneficiary.

Getting press will not be an issue since our model works by partnering with local community.

Finally, I think LIVESTRONG being so established (as a charity/brand) can now focus on more efficient ways of fundraising (such as grass roots efforts like ours). Susan G Komen for example still does a lot of events but also has many other means to fundraise since their brand is so recognized. Events build awareness for a charity but are costly. Being locally focused though, Echelon off to a great start expense wise in all of our cities given all the donated merchandise and media we get.

Hope that helps. Please drop me an email if you have time to get involved in our Seattle plans.

Hunter Ziesing--Echelon Foundation.:)
hunter@planetz.org