This list is in rough chronological order, but grouped by the charity that the ride supports (and from whom you will get your tax deductions).
Tour de H2O - 5/30/2015 100km / 62 miles
This is a Columbus, Ohio event that supports the work of Global Partners for Development to provide clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in Kenya and Uganda. Imagine having to hike 4 miles or more to get clean water, if it is even available at all. That is the situation many in rural Kenya and Uganda face.Lack of clean water in a community has far reaching implications. Limited access to water influences the sustainability of other critical needs, including education, economic development, nutrition, environmental health and gender equality. Sick adults are in a poor position to take care of their families. Sick children are unable to go to school or they have to drop out of school because there is not enough time for them to complete their daily chores, which includes spending substantial time getting water. Women also spend hours gathering water, which is time that could be diverted to income-generating activities that could enhance the standard of living for their families. According to the World Health Organization, "improved water and sanitation also contribute to gender equality and empower women, being linked to school enrollment and attendance, especially of girls." A steady supply of water is also important for irrigation and livestock to keep crops and animals strong and healthy. In total, a reliable source of clean water can go a long way in helping a community break the cycle of poverty.
Marcy and I are riding this together, and you can sponsor us here:
http://www.tourdeh2o.org/pages/kotting.aspx
UPDATE: This event raised over $30,000, which will fund developing fresh water wells and sanitation facilities in two villages. THANK YOU, SPONSORS!
Tour de Cure - June 6, 2015 160km / 100 miles
I have two friends who have Type 1 Diabetes (the kind that isn't a result of bad choices, just bad luck). In Type 1 Diabetes, your pancreas is pretty much under attack all the time, and can't make insulin the way it's supposed to. This is a challenge for anyone, because without the automatic regulation of blood sugar, one mistake in what you eat, or calculating your insulin administration, and you can die, or suffer permanent damage.I do this ride for Julia and Nina, two amazing young ladies whom I have come to admire for their ability to hang in there, and face the world, and their disease.
This one kicked my behind last year...4,800' of climbing hurt.
https://donations.diabetes.org/site/Donation2?df_id=15871&PROXY_ID=9267156&PROXY_TYPE=20&FR_ID=10141
UPDATE: While I have a number of sponsors who don't show up in the online listing, I am still behind on this one! If you'd like to help out, please do so today!
Bike MS Events
I do a lot of these. They're great events, well supported and interesting and challenging routes, but I mostly do them because I have family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who are affected by MS.MS is currently understood to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the meyelin sheath surrounding the nerves. Imagine a short circuit inside a computer. Now imagine that the computer is your brain, the thing that controls all pain sensation and muscle movement, all perception and speech.
It is a challenging disease to deal with, because the nerves are constantly in a state of damage and repair, so the symptoms are inconsistent, and sometimes devastating. It usually affects people in the prime of life, and affects women disproportionately.
Bike to the Bay - June 20 - 21, 2015 320km / 200 miles
This is the first of the three MS Bike rides I'm doing this year. It's the one that Marcy and I did together last year, but she can't ride in this year because of a schedule conflict.Please Note: I've met my sponsorship goal for this one! THANK YOU SPONSORS!!!
If you're inclined to sponsor me for an MS Tour, choose one of the other two.
Central Ohio Challenge - July 11th, 2015 160km / 100 miles
This is the toughest MS Tour that the Buckeye Chapter puts on. It's a pretty similar course to the Diabetes Association Tour de Cure, and the climbs will put a hurt on the unprepared. I take this one on because I have so many friends who can't.Sponsor me here:
http://bikeoha.nationalmssociety.org/goto/ckottingCOC15
UPDATE: If you want to sponsor me, and have some fun doing it, pregegister here for the Central Ohio Draught Night TONIGHT at Wolf's Ridge Brewing Company.
Buckeye Breakaway - August 1-2, 2015 282 km / 175 miles
This used to be the Pedal to the Point, the tour that got me back on a bike back in 2004. New route this year, new turnaround point, better facilities. The real point here is that a few thousand people get together to challenge themselves, and do something to stop a terrible debilitating disease.Sponsor me here:
http://bikeoha.nationalmssociety.org/goto/ckottingBB15
And finally, the big ride of the year:
South Dakota for Sun Dial - August 23rd-28, 2015
705 km / 435 miles (estimated)
This is being put together by a friend, to support a retirement/assisted living facility in his home town. I'll let him explain:"It is a fundraiser for Sun Dial Manor, a small nursing home in Bristol (my home town) as a tribute to the decades of caring they have provided for the area and in honor of my parents, Mary & Barney Klein, the first administrators of Sun Dial in 1968."Day one of this little jaunt is 100 non-stop miles. Straight into the Black Hills. In August.
If you want to sponsor me for this bit of insanity, and see me push myself further than I ever have, you can do so here:
http://cycling4sundial2015.myevent.com/3/donate.htm
I'm a little shocked by the mileage I've committed to this year, a total of 1,072 miles.
If you want to help me make good on those commitments (or just want to see me suffer all summer) pick an event and sponsor me!
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