What!?!
Improbably, I will be biking from Boston to Montréal in late May. That’s 400 miles and 14,000’ of elevation gain! Five days to cover the miles, two days to learn about Montréal’s bike infrastructure. I know enough French to know what the “Mont” in Montréal means….
Why???
Obviously, I would not do this without a good reason. This is a fundraiser to support the Boston Cyclists Union (BCU), a 501(c)3 which advocates for better bike infrastructure and safer streets in Metro Boston.
I get around Boston by bike all year long. Bikes are affordable and useful in cities across seasons and terrains. Safe, bikeable cities are more walkable and socially connected. On a bike, people chat with me at stoplights. Children yell “I see you!” because I wear bright colors in startling combinations.
Biking is not currently as safe as it could be however. I have been forced off the road by cars and I have been “coal rolled”! I have gotten a wheel caught in a trolley track edged in pot holes and fallen amidst moving traffic (significantly injuring a hip). I have fallen and torn multiple structures in my shoulder. I have been found next to a bike path so concussed I have no idea what happened (likely, debris caught in my wheel stopped the bike but not me). I have fallen for a variety of reasons that better biking infrastructure could have prevented. (OK, some were skill issues...)
The Pitch
I am fundraising for BCU to further its work to make streets safer and more accessible to the diversity of what the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts call “vulnerable users.” I am, unquestionably, a vulnerable user. Please do not hesitate, donate! I am getting neither younger nor less injured.
I have set my fundraising goal at the required minimum -- $1,900 -- but organizers say it is OK if I go over my goal! That would be nice!
The Small Print
The motto (seriously) of my maternal Lavasseur line is “Du mieux que je puis” ("I’m doing the best I can"). No chest-thumping braggadocio for us, just steady, dogged perseverance to get the needful done. If I make it to Montréal, that's how I will get there -- pedal stroke by pedal stroke. It would mean a great deal to me if you would cheer me on (and donate) to this rather daunting endeavor. If you have read this far, obviously you know what it is to commit to a long grind for a good cause. I am training to make it to Montréal. Your donations will go to BCU whether I do or not.
Prizes!
Your $10 or $20 donation will be the wind under my wings. I would be truly grateful to know you are with me in that way. If more is possible (a 4% downhill grade with a pleasant wind at my back), there are prizes!
- For a $50 donation, you can receive a custom haiku on the theme of your choosing!
- For a $100 donation, you can receive a wee Quebec flag (and the haiku)!!
- For a $500 donation, you can receive your very own Lavasseur refrigerator magnet (the Quebec flag and haiku)!!!
Hit that "Donate" button now! You can also send a check (with my name in the memo line to credit my ride) to:
Boston Cyclists Union
P.O. Box 191710
Roxbury, MA 02119
Onward, with gratitude,
Sarah
