So I just signed up to ride the upcoming Dallas MS150 with a good friend of mine and his dad. I've never been much of a fundraiser, so that's probably about half the excitement for me at this point. It seems that always I've been fundraising for a trip, or something equally stupid - this feels like I'm doing something useful. Has anyone ridden this - how did YOU raise the money?

Also, I looked through the rules, and didn't see anything about it, but if I get the go-ahead, I'll post an online donation link here, for anyone who wants to support my efforts for multiple sclerosis.

Even more also, I signed up to get assigned a Pedal Partner (I wear a bandana with the signature of someone with MS while I ride, and they give me contact information, etc.), and anyone who would like to write to my partner once I get the information can get in touch with me!

I rode a couple of them. For the fundraising I set up the personal webpage they allow and emailed everyone I know. It worked great. Good luck on the ride!

You may place a link with a SHORT explanation in your signature. That's about it.

Good luck.

Koffee

I used to ride the MS 150's in Missouri back in the mid to late 80's. Volunteered and was chief medical/safety organizer (how I got that w/o any background in meds, I dunno) for a bunch of years. This was before "E" anything. Got sick of asking friends for money and paid the donation myself. It was a blast to ride way back then. My first long back to back rides of my cycling life (got a later start in that). Probably what kept me energized to ride in the early days. They're so much more organized and "slick" nowadays. Being on the "inside" was very interesting and made me all the more committed to the effort. In those days none of the other ride organizers knew much about cycling so, it was a very ragtag affair but, a lot of fun! Rest stops every 10 miles, lots of cheering on. Great cuase to boot.

I have done 5 MS rides. Fantastic weekend. Well organized, and planned. The ride I do has stops about evry 23 miles. Here is my link. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/PA...MS120060610PGH I am well on my way to making my goal. But I will swap you $10.00.

Heck, I'm a team captain in the Houston - Austin ride. My donation link is in my autosig for email at work, and I hit up everyone with a pulse. Got lucky the other day, in that our COO came through on an inspection tour. I hit him up for a donation and got a big one. Now I will hit up the local division VP. He'll see his boss's donation, and fork over. Then I will got to all the guys who report to the VP, just working my way down the hall.

One of my teammates is a yoga instructor, and she is holding a Yogathon, complete with tee shirts and all. She raised about $2300 (after expenses) this way last year.

Others are holding raffles as a means of fundraising. Some have even set up outside stores, in full team kit, asking for donations. The MS Society's website has a ton of ideas for fundraising listed. The main point is to not be shy about asking.

https://dallas.ms150.org/dallas/fund_...sing_ideas.asp
My team website is www2.lgc.com/ms150

Good luck, have fun & look for my teammates on your ride!

I have done a few fundraisers but finally got so frustrated with not being able to get donations I finally gave up. I would ask people for $1.00 and they wouldn't even give me that. I did have a couple of people I could depend on every year, but finally felt guilty always asking them. If I go on a fundraiser again I just won't make any donation, I figure my entry fee can go towards it.

I do the sponsored rides each year, and just hit anyone who dares to speak to me. A friend of mine got in contact with a Printed T shirt manufacture and the ride was for a Cancer Charity. He got people to donate £10 for the name of the person they wanted to be remembered to be printed on his Ride T shirt. £2,600 later and....

Fund raising can be a bit of a drag so the smaller rides That I want to do- I pay the entry fee and £10 extra as a donation.

Thanks, that's what I needed to know!



And thanks everyone for your suggestions - I've already started letting people know I'll wear names in exchange for donations, and I'm thinking of doing computer repair for donations since I work tech support occasionally.