An open fundraising appeal for Climate Ride

Photo by Richard Stowe
Taken on Sunday September 7, 2008 while riding Transportation Alternative's New York City Century.
Its time for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to be open to cyclists 365 days per year.

Dear cycling friends:

Thank you all of you have donated to Climate Ride to date. Donations have come in as recently as a few minutes ago. The following fundraising letter is to encourage those of you haven't donated yet to do so.

At this late date, the most ideal method to donate is via credit card online. The link to seamlessly do that is toward the end of this e-mail.

I hope to join bicyclists in the 320-mile (New York City to Washington D.C.) "Brita Climate Ride 2008” http://www.climateride.org from September 20-24. The challenge between now and then is for me to raise $2250, the minimum necessary contribution to qualify as a "climate rider." With your help I will be participating in that bicycle ride.

Climate Ride’s goal is to donate 60% of the money raised to two 501-c-3 non-profits: New Canaan-based "Clean Air-Cool Planet" and "Focus the Nation."

The purpose of “Brita Climate Ride 2008” is to encourage members of Congress to craft and pass legislation that addresses the ominous threat of climate collapse by reducing petroleum consumption and shrinking the supply of coal-fired electricity. Also needed is a sensible Federal energy policy driven by conservation, efficiency and investments in low-impact renewable energy.

‘Climate Ride’ participants will hear presentations from the following speakers: Betsy Talyon (President 1 Sky); Randy Swisher (Director, American Wind Energy Association); Michael Eckhart (president American Council on Renewable Energy); Wood Turner (Executive Director, Climate Counts.org, & PointCarbon); Janet Larsen (Director of Research, Earth Policy Institute); Mike Tidwell (Executive Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network); Keith Laughlin, (President, Rails to Trails Conservancy.)

At the end of the "climate ride" from New York City to Washington D.C. we will have the opportunity to meet with members of Congress such as Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA) & Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR).

Please let me know if there is any message you would like me to forward to our elected officials.

While in Washington D.C., I will make every effort to speak to members of Congress about climate collapse, peak oil, the need for investments in energy conservation and efficiency, low impact renewable energy, bicycling as transportation, commuter rail, rail freight and transcontinental high speed rail.

I hope you will contribute to my goal of raising $2250 so that I may become an official ‘climate rider.’ Your contribution to ‘Brita Climate Ride 2008’ will be tax-deductible.

It's very easy to donate via credit card online. Just go to this 'Donation Page' link:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=272731&lis=1&kntae272731=5A2A08454DDD486FB7B7985B4824B32B&supId=232014988

Please call me at (203) 594-9097 if you have questions, encounter difficulties, or would like to contribute via check.

Thank you,

Richard Stowe
http://ecoman.wordpress.com