This came across our desk a while back, but should be a worthy cause. Click on the 'read more' below for an initiative to help out a fellow cyclist:
Cyclists of Kansas City:
My name is Eric Schaumburg, and you are receiving this email from me because a) I know you or b) at some point we have communicated and you were part of my contacts list. I want to start by saying the cycling community in Kansas City is really something to be proud of, and it's nice to be able to send a mass email like this and know it's getting to the right people!
The reason for this email is this:
A few weekend's ago I had the opportunity to race at the Sunflower State Games in Topeka. While waiting at the start line, a young man named Daniel from nearby Berryton, KS introduced himself to me. Daniel pulled up on an ancient 10 speed bike wearing a CamelBak water pack, a baggy t-shirt with tightly tied running shoes and old style, block pedals. Anyone who has lined up at a Cat 1-5 race knows this is unusual, and he probably felt out of place amongst the $2,000+ carbon fiber bikes and matching team kits. He was amazingly outgoing, and I asked him if this was his first race. He told me that he loved racing even though he wasn't necessarily trying to win and had "just gotten back on the bike" since he was recently placed back in foster care.
I just looked at him and said, "this is a great sport, isn't it?"
Then he said something that stuck with me for the entire race.
"Yeah it is!" He said. "No matter who I'm with or where I'm living, I can always get out and ride. If I've had a hard day or I'm angry, I can just get out on the bike and ride as hard as I can. It's like freedom."
The whole race I was reminded of why we do this, and how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to fork over race entry fees week after
week- replace tires, buy new cassettes if we need them, race wheels, etc.
After the race, I thought about tracking Daniel down and buying him some new shoes and pedals, just to help make things a little easier for him. I called Jerry Armstrong at Capp's Bike Shop in Topeka and found out something else:
Jerry said that he had worked on Daniel's bike right before the race because a brake was loose. Jerry told me that Daniel's tires were rotted, the brakes might not hold up and the whole bike was basically unsafe for riding. Jerry wasn't sure the bike would hold up for the race. He also told me that the crank arms were so old, clipless pedals wouldn't even fit. Daniel told Jerry this was the bike that foster care had provided him years ago, and it was all he had to work with.
I began thinking that if I put that $200 I was willing to spend on shoes and pedals for him into a pot, and contacted some of the people I know in the cycling community, we might be able to afford to buy him an entry level road bike.
Jerry and the guys at Capp's said they would be more than willing to help provide a Specialized or Trek for cost + 10% (roughly needing $450 – $550).
It turns out that one of the employee's at Capp's Bike Shop goes to school with Daniel and he lives in the neighborhood. Jerry said he will facilitate the donation.
Now I'm not coming to you all in hopes of some righteous movement for saving the world. This isn't about holding up a giant check for him, or getting our pictures in the paper. This is about the community that I'm proud to say I'm apart of, helping at the personal level. This is about inviting one more kid to join us, who in this case, doesn't have the means to do so on his own. But the thing that triggered me, is that his reason for cycling is the exact same as mine (and I'm sure yours as well). "Getting away" for awhile, the freedom, pushing yourself, being with yourself and listening to your mind work. I think keeping Daniel out on the road, on a bike that works, will pay dividends in ways we can't even yet fathom.
So if you can, please shoot me a quick email with an amount you are willing to donate, and then send the check out to Jerry. (The information is at the bottom). I will let you know when we hit the mark. If you can't donate to this, please don't guilt yourself.
There are other ways to help people. But if you wouldn't mind, please forward this to another cyclist you may know.
Even if 10 years from now we weren't able to say we pitched in a few bucks to help the next Mark Cavendish, (which you never know!), we can at least know we helped show a kid with very little certainty in his life, that he can still count on the intrinsic value of the people around him.
Thank you all so much for your time.
See you on the road,
Eric Schaumburg
Cycle City Racing
913.269.8508
schaumby@gmail.com
Please send checks to: (And please email Eric with the amount so he can keep track of the pot!) Jerry Armstrong
Re: Daniel's Bike Fund
Capp's Bike Shop
2917-B S. Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, KS 66611
(785) 266-5900
PS: Once we reach the goal, I will hopefully get a picture of Daniel with his new bike to send to all of you
PPS: According to the race results, Daniel did finish the race!