The Suitcase of Courage

Pedal for Paws 2011

Wow, it's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post.  But for good reason.  Pedal for Paws 2011 is now in the history books.  All of the last minute preparations kept us busy, and of course the actual day was crazy.  But it was all worth it.  Thanks to our wonderful riders & sponsors, we were able to raise a lot of much-needed funds for the shelter.

The day started out cloudy, with a few showers.  But those who braved the forecast were rewarded with dry Autumn weather later on.  And thanks to our wonderful volunteers (not to mention the riders themselves), it turned out to be a great day! 

We had great rest stops... 

 

We had an AWESOME band - The Sawtelles (not only is their music great, but they're huge cat lovers too!)...

 

We had distinctive signage (most rides just mark the road, but we think our Paw Pointers stand out!)...

 

Even Sylvester & Tweetie showed up!

And no well-organized ride would be without its SAG wagons.  Here's one of ours, all decorated for the day.  We had a few of these going along the routes, looking for anybody who needed a hand or a ride back.  I think only one person took them up on their offer.  They're like a first aid kit - good to have "just in case" but even better not to need them.

But what about that most-important feature of any large charity or group ride - FOOD?  It's one of our BIGGEST draws and the Forgotten Felines Baking Squad goes all out for this event.  Unfortunately, we were so busy eating we forgot to get a photo of the large spread.  But trust us - you don't leave hungry no matter HOW many miles you rode!

Here's one of our registration tables, with a board featuring some of our cats waiting for "forever homes."  Until that happy day, thanks to Forgotten Felines (and to the funds that this ride generates), all the cats are warm, safe, fed and well-cared for.

One new addition at the registration table this year was a huge map of all the routes.  We included smaller maps with the cue sheets too, but this large map had all road names and the routes color coded.  Definitely helpful in getting your bearings and seeing how the route(s) fits together.

Despite the forecast, it never really poured, but it was definitely wet at the start of the ride.  And I got a new-found appreciation for fenders.  Not that I had them on MY bike - I hardly ever ride in the rain - but they're definitely in my future.  Nothing's worse than riding behind a guy without fenders when it's wet out.  It doesn't even have to be raining, and you still get soaked.  Unfortunately, I was "that guy" - but I wasn't the only one!

Fortunately, the weather didn't dampen any spirits, just the roads.  One of the best things about Pedal for Paws, and one of the things that sets it apart from many charity rides, is that we get a lot of families - many of them doing their first "big ride" together.  The short beach loop ride is ideal - flat, wide shoulders, and just over 7 miles long (a little over 11 miles with an "unofficial" extension).

And speaking of families, you don't even need to go out on the road.  At Pedal for Paws, kids ride for free and these two little guys wanted to ride, but their parents didn't think they were quite ready to ride on the road.  So they struck a deal: The kids would ride laps around the parking lot and the parents would give them $2 per lap so that they could participate.  How cute & cool is that?

So despite the weather, the day was a great success.  We got to ride our bikes on some beautiful roads, and raised much-needed funds for a great cause at the same time.  After last year's absolutely perfect weather, we were due for a few showers this year.  But now that we got those out of the way, we're due again for some great weather in 2012.  Hope you make plans now to join us! 

Why Cycle Wednesday:Pedal for Paws, Saturday October 1

As many of you know, I'm helping Mrs. SOC with Pedal for Paws, a charity bike ride benefitting the Forgotten Felines no-kill cat shelter where she volunteers.  The ride will be on Saturday, October 1st in Old Saybrook, CT and the surrounding towns along the CT River and Shoreline.

Last year, I had Mrs. SOC - the brainchild behind the ride - guest post here to tell you "Why We Ride."  Our primary inspiration was Rainy, a wonderful tortie we adopted from Forgotten Felines and who became our erstwhile "coach."  Unfortunately, Rainy's not with us this year but her memory - and the knowledge of all the cats we help with this ride - continues to inspire us.

So hopefully you won't mind if I repost what Deb wrote last year.  Frankly, I couldn't do a better job of describing why this is an important event and why we hope you'll come out and support Forgotten Felines on Saturday, October 1.  The entry fee is all we ask for a great ride for a great cause - No additional fundrasing is required (though additional donations are welcome and appreciated).  Heck, if you register by this Monday (Sept. 19), you'll even get $10 off and a free t-shirt.  What could be better than that?

Ok, enough of the details, here's Deb with the background...

--------------

About three years ago, Mr. SOC and I adopted this girl from Forgotten Felines...

Give me ten more...

and our lives have never been the same. She's the first feline coach we've ever had.

Blowing off your ride again today?

I started volunteering at the shelter shortly after she and Rosie came to live with us (Tim is still not quite sure about his sisters), and it was always my dream to do a charity ride to benefit all the cats that came after Rainy. Last August, with much counsel from the SDCs, Pedal for Paws was born.

With less than a month to go, the planning gets overwhelming. All the details make me crazy. But then I go to the shelter, and see all those faces, and I realize all over again there's nothing I'd rather do.

I can give you lots of statistics (but, alas, no Garmin): as a no-kill shelter, we have over 125 cats at any given time; we've taken in 167 so far this year, and adopted out 100. There are over 30 kittens placed in foster families, and as fast as we adopt them to new families, they keep on coming. We're an all-volunteer organization: 115 volunteers, and of those, 56 of us work a weekly shelter shift. As my mom used to tell my sister and I growing up, cats have to eat and have their boxes cleaned every day. And so we do, twice a day, seven days a week, holidays included. Our other volunteers help with the website, the phone calls, the vet runs, the supply runs, the building maintenance and lawn mowing. We rescue cats from 10 towns along the CT River and shoreline, and the shocking thing is that we don't receive a dime from any of them, nor the state. Our funds are all donated through generous people, through our fundraisers or otherwise.

But when I am there, I forget all of this. It's a special place where every cat has a name and is loved and spoiled and played with and treasured, til his or her forever family comes along. I'd like to give you a Tour...wait til you see the catscape!

Please check out the photo album in the column at the left, or click here.

And if you haven't already signed up for Pedal for Paws, I hope you'll do it soon. Coach Rainy is counting on you!

Why Cycle Wednesday:Pedal for Paws, Oct. 2

 Kathleen Goodwin School

80 Old Boston Post Road

Old Saybrook, CT

8 am

It's been a while since I posted a "Why Cycle Wednesday" but I can't think of a better reason to ride than to help raise money for a good cause.

Charity bike rides are popular fundraisers.  Name the cause, illness, or need and there's likely a way to use riding your bike as a means of support.  Like many cyclists, Mrs. SOC and I have participated in a number of these events.

But this is the first time we've CREATED one!

Actually, it was Mrs. SOC's brainchild.  She volunteers at Forgotten Felines, a no-kill cat shelter in Westbrook, CT.  They're in desperate need of funds and receive no public funds, so a charity bike ride seemed like the perfect solution to a serious problem.  For more background, click here.  Mrs. SOC did a guest post here a little while ago.  If you missed it, you really should check it out.  She described, in better detail than I could have (including LOTS of kitty photos!), how important this ride is.

So with tons of help from lots of hard-working folks and generous sponsors, it's finally here!  The response has been great and the weather forecast looks BEAUTIFUL.

If you haven't signed up yet, it's not too late!  Just show up at the Kathleen Goodwin School this Saturday morning and head over to the "Day Of" registration line.

We promise beautiful fall scenery to delight you, good food to feed you, a band(!) to entertain you, and even Sylvester the Cat to make you smile.

And you'll feel good knowing that you're able to ride your bike for such a great cause.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Tour de Forgotten Felines:Why We Ride

As many of you know, I'm helping Mrs. SOC with Pedal for Paws, a charity bike ride benefitting the Forgotten Felines cat shelter where she volunteers.  The ride will be on Saturday, October 2nd in Old Saybrook, CT and the surrounding towns along the CT River and Shoreline.

But to get a better understanding of why're we're doing all this, I couldn't think of anyone better to tell you than Mrs. SOC herself.  So, without further ado, I give you Mrs. SOC . . .

--------------

About three years ago, Mr. SOC and I adopted this girl from Forgotten Felines...

Give me ten more...

and our lives have never been the same. She's the first feline coach we've ever had.

Blowing off your ride again today?

I started volunteering at the shelter shortly after she and Rosie came to live with us (Tim is still not quite sure about his sisters), and it was always my dream to do a charity ride to benefit all the cats that came after Rainy. Last August, with much counsel from the SDCs, Pedal for Paws was born.

With less than a month to go, the planning gets overwhelming. All the details make me crazy. But then I go to the shelter, and see all those faces, and I realize all over again there's nothing I'd rather do.

I can give you lots of statistics (but, alas, no Garmin): as a no-kill shelter, we have over 125 cats at any given time; we've taken in 167 so far this year, and adopted out 100. There are over 30 kittens placed in foster families, and as fast as we adopt them to new families, they keep on coming. We're an all-volunteer organization: 115 volunteers, and of those, 56 of us work a weekly shelter shift. As my mom used to tell my sister and I growing up, cats have to eat and have their boxes cleaned every day. And so we do, twice a day, seven days a week, holidays included. Our other volunteers help with the website, the phone calls, the vet runs, the supply runs, the building maintenance and lawn mowing. We rescue cats from 10 towns along the CT River and shoreline, and the shocking thing is that we don't receive a dime from any of them, nor the state. Our funds are all donated through generous people, through our fundraisers or otherwise.

But when I am there, I forget all of this. It's a special place where every cat has a name and is loved and spoiled and played with and treasured, til his or her forever family comes along. I'd like to give you a Tour...wait til you see the catscape!

Please check out the photo album in the column at the left, or click here.

And if you haven't already signed up for Pedal for Paws, I hope you'll do it soon. Coach Rainy is counting on you!

Why Cycle Wednesday:Charity Rides

This week, Why Cycle Wednesday is all about a GREAT Reason to Ride - fundraising for charity.

You've probably heard of the MS 150 for Multiple Sclerosis, the Tour de Cure for diabetes, and - of course - Livestrong for cancer (though not a ride per se, Lance is involved so it counts).  Well, Get Your Guts in Gear (GYGIG) is the ride for those with Crohn's Disease & Colitis.  It takes place in three locations - Texas, Washington and New York - and I'll be riding 210 miles from NYC to Saratoga Springs.  It's my first-ever charity ride.

But while GYGIG is an important cause to ride for, if the people I've met so far through it are any indication, it's going to be a heck of a lot of fun too!

This past Saturday, GYGIG founder Judy Pacitti and I organized a training ride for those nearby that'll be doing the NY ride.  Judy didn't know the area, so I got to pick one of my favorite routes: Branford to Guilford via Rt. 146 with a detour to the picture-perfect seaside village of Stony Creek.  I've described this route before, having just done it with a good friend of mine for his 65th birthday.  We're at Stony Creek in the pic above - that's Paul, Felipe, Caroline, Mrs. Suitcase and Judy.  Be sure to click here for more pics of this route on a sunnier day . . .

After 14 or so miles of rolling terrain on backroads along the ocean, we reached our turnaround point in Guilford.  Not only does Guilford have a beautiful seashore and town green, but a neat independent coffee shop.  Of course, any good training ride has to include nutrition and - true to the, shall we say, "informal" nature of this particular training ride - we stopped for lattes and dessert.  Don't let the pic below fool you - she may look like a potassium addict, but I'm convinced Caroline was just trying to make up for the whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top of her coffee (or was that ice cream in there?)

We'd never met any of these folks in person before and had only GYGIG - and our love of cycling - in common.  But by the end of the first few miles of the ride, they already seemed like old friends.  If you have a chance to do a fundraising ride this summer - do it.  You'll not only provide critical support for some very worthy causes, you'll meet some really great people along the way.

If you've done a charity ride - or are planning to soon - leave a comment and let me know.  And be sure to check out the full route map and stats of our ride here.  To donate to GYGIG, please click here and thanks in advance!

(props to Judy for the great banana pic!)