DONATION LETTER

This is the letter I mentioned in last blog

Hello Friends,

As you may know, I have decided to act on a lifelong dream. On Friday, March 5^th at Dog Beach, San Diego, I will dip my rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean, and then ride my bicycle for 59 days and 3098 miles to St. Augustine, Florida, where I will dip my front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, April 30^th.

I hope to accomplish this feat with a group of 20 other women, all part of a Woman Tours- a tour group especially established for women over 50 who have this nutty idea to ride their bikes across the country. I have spent the last 3 months glued to a “spinning” bike, lifting weights, doing sit-ups and push ups, stumbling on the treadmill and dreaming mightily of the peaceful open road. As I have contemplated this adventure and my personal goal, I have decided the effort is bigger than just my own dream.

So this is where you come in. I am writing to you to ask if you would like to commemorate my ride with a donation. Although my dear Jeffrey Fouse thought $100 a mile would be appropriate, I think a penny a mile (that’s only $30.98) would be a reasonable request.

In this spirit, I have selected three charities close to my heart:

My 13 year old “grandniece” Mia Avramis suffers from Berger’s Disease and just last week received a kidney transplant in Children Hospital Boston. The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is dedicated to funding research and finding a cure for many types of kidney disease.

Tommy Everett, a dear college friend has been living with grace and perseverance for 3 years with ALS. In his name I have picked the ALS Association of Greater Chicago Chapter.

To commemorate my 20 year membership in my beloved book club, Babes on Books and the joy and clarity that reading brings, Open Books Chicago is a perfect fit. It is a nonprofit operating a used book store, providing community programs and mobilizing volunteers to promote literacy in Chicagoland.

My hope is that you might donate to one of these charities or of course a charity that is close to your heart. If you choose one of the above, this is how you go about it…

1. NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF IL

Send a check to address below or go to www.nkfi.org and hit the .JustGive.org button

215 W. Illinois Suite 1C

Chicago, IL 60654 tel. 312 321 1500

2. ALS ASSOCIATION GREATER CHICAGO CHAPTER

Send a check to address below or go to www.alsachicago.org and hit donation button

220 W. Huron Street #4003

Chicago, IL 60654 tel. 312 932 0000

3. OPEN BOOKS

Send check to address below or go to www.open-books.org and hit donate button

213 W. Institute Place

Chicago, IL 60610 tel. 312 475 1355

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU NOTATE ON CHECK OR ONLINE DONATION “KATHY KIRBY BIKE RIDE” (so that I can thank you personally)