Howdy (again)!
Last year, I decided to say yes to an opportunity that —unbeknowst to me— would be the hardest thing I'd ever done in my then 23 years of life: riding from Boston, MA to Montréal, QC in 5 days, back to back. I won't sugarcoat it... it was hard and I contemplated quiting multiple times. When it was all said and done, and I laid down in my own bed after a week of riding into a busy weekend in Montréal, I knew this experience (with all its ups and downs) would be a core memory for the rest of my life.
The journey was filled with hijinks, adrenaline, and friendship galore. From helping Ben K. climb onto a decomissioned tank with his bike in Rouses Point, NY to get a picture; to walking the halls of McGill University for a lecture on Montréal's bike infrastructure, to stopping to help Four D. and Ethan N. fix a flat that would go on to become the first of many during the trip on Day 1; to getting into an impromptu street race with Philippino bike messengers on the streets of the Old City... Bos/tréal's mission to serve as a pipeline for advocacy and bikepacking rang true.
Now, a year older, I look forward to helping others access this opportunity. In 2023, folks like you helped me raise $2,170.69 to benefit to work of the Boston Cyclists Union. This year, I hope to double that goal by raising $4,000. Building on their work in previous years, one of the efforts I'm most excited to support is the organization's BCU Labs project: a volunteer-led data science and analysis team with a mission to clean up and visualize data related to mobility issues. These insights are then converted into compelling stories which serve as tools to empower advocates on a mission to help us, one day, reach a utopian world with 0 cyclist and pedestrian deaths #VisionZero.
Please consider donating whatever you are able to in order to help support this fantastic organization and the amazing work it does! As an incentive, I will match whatever you give in the form of a donation, in your name, to a charity of your choice. In other words, if you give me $100, I will give $100 (now or in the future) to a charity/cause that is meaningful to you. To start, I have made a $500 seed donation to World Central Kitchen: an organization providing humanitarian relief through nutritious, locally made meals on the frontlines of global catastrophes (the receipt is in my gallery below). If you can not donate at this time, please consider sharing my fundraising page.
Thank you for your time and support! I hope to see you on a bike sometime soon and share some laughs. Until then...
Happy trails,
Monty
---------------------------------------------
If you'd like to view my page from 2023, you can do so by clicking here.
