Fight Cancer, Win a Kona Cadabra
A Note from Fatty: I just got finished standing out in front of my house for fifteen minutes, where I was trying very hard to do the following:
- Not stare into the TV crew’s camera. I was told to look at the reporter instead.
- Not say “uhm” more than ten times per minute. I’m pretty sure I failed at that.
- Describe what this blog is about. Which gives rise to an interesting question: what is this blog about?
- Explain why we’re raffling off a Kona Cadabra, a bicycle so desirable and rare that it won’t exist for another half year or so.
My understanding is that KSL — the Salt Lake City NBC affiliate — will be running this story today, and there should be an online version of it available tomorrow. Which I will link to, unless it’s horribly embarrassing.
UPDATE: The story and video segment are now live. Click here to take a look.
Fight Cancer, Win a Kona Cadabra
A couple weeks ago, Fat Cyclist readers pitched in to vote for “Cadabra” as the name of Kona’s super-light, long travel all-mountain bike.
And we did it.
So now — true to her word — Heather Gilbert, a cancer doctor and the inventor of the name “Cadabra” is going to donate her prize — a Kona Cadabra — to some lucky random person who either raises money in their own Team Fatty LiveStrong Challenge page, or donates to mine.
Show ‘Em What They Can Win, Johnny
The Kona Cadabra…well, it doesn’t exist yet. There aren’t any prototypes. There’s not even a final drawing. But we do know that it’s going to be a lighter, climbier cousin to the $5799 Kona CoilAir Supreme:
Yeah, I think that’ll absorb the bumps quite adequately.
So, while we know you won’t get your Kona Cadabra until December at the earliest, we also know it that the Cadabra is designed to be the ultimate trail bike. Super light, a wicked climber, with enough rear travel to deal with rough terrain and make long epic rides sweet, fast and super comfortable.
So How Can You Enter?
The really cool thing about how you can win the Kona Cadabra is that you will be helping the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) fight cancer with your donation. When my wife’s cancer came back, I contacted the LAF and got terrific, personalized help right away. And since then, I’ve directed a number of people who email me with cancer questions and concerns to the LAF, which is always prompt, caring, and — above all– helpful.
So, here’s what you do to fight cancer and — just maybe — win a Kona Cadabra: just click here to go to my LiveStrong Challenge page, and donate any multiple of $5. The more you donate, the more random numbers you get, and the better your chances of winning.
Yes, it’s really that easy.
What If You’re a Member of Team Fatty?
If you’re a member of Team Fatty and are working to raise money for your own LiveStrong Challenge, donate money at your own page! And get other people to donate at your page, too. Every $5.00 you raise on your page between now and May 25 will earn you a chance at winning the Cadabra.
In other words, those of you who have joined Team Fatty but have not yet felt the urgency to start raising money, this should be a terrific incentive for you to get started.
When Does the Contest End?
It ends at Midnight, MDT, May 25. In other words, one week from today. So don’t dilly-dally. Go donate now.
Of course, the winner won’t actually get the bike until it exists.
Got any questions? Ask ‘em in the comments section and I’ll answer the best I can.
Good luck!
PS: As of today, Team Fatty has raised more than $200,000 this year toward fighting cancer with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We’re making great progress toward that goal of $500,000. Thanks, and congratulations!
Comment by mark | 05.18.2009 | 12:58 pm
Fatty, it’s a trail bike, not a freeride bike. Sheesh.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. “Freeride” doesn’t appear anywhere in the post. Sheesh. – FC
Comment by MattC | 05.18.2009 | 1:03 pm
So….all the money we have on our LiveStrong pages as of MDT May 25th counts? Or is it just the $$ we raise from NOW unitl THEN? Just to be clear.
Between now and then. I’ll update the main post to clarify. Thanks! – FC
Comment by David | 05.18.2009 | 1:09 pm
I have got to get connections like yours Fatty. I’m giving cheese balls to people who donate to my LAF page…….
Tell them you’ll let them borrow your Cadabra if you win. – FC
Comment by H.D. Thoreau | 05.18.2009 | 1:25 pm
Post the interview either way–curious readers want to know!
Comment by Jenny-Jenny | 05.18.2009 | 1:29 pm
Can’t wait to see the interview! If I win the Cadabra, will I have to ride it in places where my face has the chance of looking like Ricks or where I’ll get attacked by a swarm of bees?
Comment by MOCougFan | 05.18.2009 | 1:29 pm
Will you answer ANY questions? Cause I got a few of them to ask.
Comment by Weiland | 05.18.2009 | 1:33 pm
I’m sure if it’s horribly embarrassing Dug or someone else will post it on your behalf on their blog.
Comment by Linda | 05.18.2009 | 2:03 pm
Did you ask the reporters to shave their heads if you could raise X amount of dollars? It worked last time.
Comment by Trout Underground | 05.18.2009 | 2:23 pm
A TV show host asked me (on camera) what my fly fishing blog was all about, and because my mind is razor sharp, I froze for thirty seconds (suggesting I’d spent the last few years in prison instead of writing about fly fishing), then mumbled something about it being a “state of mind.”
Thusly did I illustrate why I write for a living instead of doing things that would get me on Oprah.
Good luck with the broadcast end. With any luck, the reporter will get something wholly and completely wrong, making you look like a complete numbnuts (when I said “with any luck,” I meant for your friends).
Comment by Clydesteve | 05.18.2009 | 2:52 pm
This should dovetail nicely with my 100 Miles to Nowhere race in the middle of my home town Farmers Market next Saturday!
Comment by Clydesteve | 05.18.2009 | 3:04 pm
Ahh! this is rich! Sidebar ad right now – World of Warcraft with a “Reach people as strange as you. Advertise with Fatty” sidebar right undr it.
Comment by Kathleen@ForgingAhead | 05.18.2009 | 5:18 pm
Love this idea! Off to rally the fundraising troops…
Comment by Jenni Laurita | 05.18.2009 | 5:27 pm
I had planned a LiveStrong fundraising day at my school for this Friday anyway, so bring it ON! I will make my (hopefully substantial) donation on Saturday.
Perfect timing Fatty, you must’ve read my mind!
Comment by USAFANARC | 05.18.2009 | 9:34 pm
I guess this is as good a time as any to hijack my wife’s email and start bugging all of her friends about donating. (I’ve thoroughly annoyed my friends…but still plan to bug them more over the next month before Livestrong Seattle).
Comment by An with Divvy | 05.19.2009 | 12:38 am
This is an awesome promotion & I’d love to see your segment. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you fear.
If I win the bike, I’ll divvy it out to other divvy users so we can all enjoy its sweet awesomeness.
Comment by LuckyLab | 05.19.2009 | 12:42 am
Darn it! I put in the money I raised at the local festival last night! Oh, well. Just have to go raise more.
Comment by GenghisKhan | 05.19.2009 | 3:45 am
Fatty, is it any sized frame?
Any of the available standard sizes. – FC
Comment by Mike Roadie | 05.19.2009 | 5:07 am
What if you live where there are no mountains???
Then maybe you’ll want to give it to your favorite blogger as an AWESOME birthday gift. – FC
Comment by buckythedonkey | 05.19.2009 | 9:00 am
> Which I will link to, unless it’s horribly embarrassing.
In which case we’ll all link to it. Can’t wait.
WIN SUSAN!!
Comment by DaCuzz | 05.19.2009 | 10:09 am
Yeah, the bike rocks and what a great cause to give the bike away for. Please post the interview for sure regardless…we all want to see it.
Comment by GenghisKhan | 05.19.2009 | 10:28 am
Calling all creative folks!
In honor of this yet-another-great-cause-giveaway, someone really needs to “rewrite” Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra” to better fit the prize and the cause. I’m just sayin’…
Comment by WheelDancer | 05.19.2009 | 1:02 pm
Well since I finally landed a new job, I am diving into support the cause and of course winning the Kona Cadabra is just frosting on the donation. So could the winner re-donate it for additional raffling/incenting or is re-donating frowned upon as much as re-gifting? I’m not sure if I’m that generous but it does have a nice ring to it :-)
Comment by Lana | 05.19.2009 | 1:44 pm
Can we still sign up as a virtual member of Team Fatty? How can we do that? I am doing a fundraiser during the 100 Miles of Nowhere, and I want a place people can send donations (esp if that is for such a sweet ride). Also, does anyone know if we can also accept checks and mail them in somewhere to get them counted?
Comment by MattC | 05.19.2009 | 1:51 pm
Lana, you most certainly CAN sign up as a team member still! Here is a link to the San Jose team page (sorry the rest of you…the early bird gets the worm! AND we need help!):
https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=294743&team=3274893
Click on the red “join our team” link and go from there. And WELCOME ABOARD!!!
Comment by MattC | 05.19.2009 | 1:55 pm
OK…I feel guilty. Lana…if you go near the top of Fattys page, look on the right side for the LiveStrong Challenge area…with the 4 cities in red. You can click on ANY city and it takes you to that Teams page where you can sign up. I was greedy. Welcome to ANY city you choose!
Comment by Clydesteve | 05.19.2009 | 2:51 pm
How silly. I always want more members for Team Fatty: Seattle. Matt seems indifferent. Go ahead and join the Seattle team!!! :-P
Kidding, of course – Join Matt’s team unless you have some notion you might get excited, change your mind and switch from virtual member to a rider. In which case join the team whose location is most likely to make that happen!
Comment by wally | 05.19.2009 | 5:18 pm
ok so i donated some money at your LAF page to hopefully win that bike and i am not a member of your team i just saw what was going on when i was watching the news so i donated and you said the more 5 dollars you donated the more numbers you get well i dont know what numbers you are talking about? where can i find the numbers? can you help me out?
Comment by Hilslug | 05.19.2009 | 5:51 pm
See Fatty here:
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6544485
Comment by KanyonKris | 05.19.2009 | 9:17 pm
The TV news story was good – ya dun fine, Elden – Heather too.
Comment by m Burdge | 05.19.2009 | 9:42 pm
Of course, Kona would get EVEN MORE good publicity if they were to not only get Dr. Gilbert another Cadabra, but throw in another high-end bike for raffling. The exposure they received just now–not just to bike nerds, but real people–was worth thousands. It would seem kind of cheap for them not to pay for it by getting Dr. Gilbert onto a bike she named.
M Burdge
Comment by buckythedonkey | 05.20.2009 | 4:11 am
Do you always sound so camp, or is that your special TV voice? ;-)
Great clip.
WIN SUSAN!!
Comment by Rubyblue | 05.20.2009 | 6:37 am
I detest anything and everything related to Lance Armstrong. But I can’t deny he has done lots for cancer. Your good works alone Fatty are the only reason I will donate. Wouldn’t it be cool though if they would rename it the Team Fatty Foundation. I’m just saying…your a more likeable spokesperson. :)
Comment by Lana | 05.20.2009 | 6:50 am
Follow-up on virtual membership for Matt and Clydesteve (or anyone else who knows) – So if I raise scads and scads of money, so I still qualify for the cool challenge incentives, even if I can’t make it in person?
I am sorry to disappoint both of you, but I am most likely going to sign up for Philly as it both gives me plenty of time to raise money, as well as is the only one that I can most likely make it to if I change my mind randomly.
Lana
Comment by Marina | 05.20.2009 | 7:45 am
Totally off topic.
What happened with the person that won the meet ‘Bike Snob NYC’ prize? How did the meeting go? Marina
Comment by MattC | 05.20.2009 | 7:52 am
Lana…as a TEAM member…well, you ARE part of the team. I wouldn’t even think of it as a ‘virtual’ membership…all of the teams have members that have no intention of making the event. Actual participation is just icing on the cake…but not necessary. It’s the fundraising to BEAT CANCER that is the big-picture goal. I can guarantee that you won’t disappoint me by joining Team Philly (well…maybe just a TINY bit…a single neuron of disappointment)…after all, we are ALL part of Team Fat Cyclist FIGHTING FOR SUSAN! Sign up and WELCOME ABOARD!!
Comment by Bull Schuck | 05.20.2009 | 9:34 am
At 20 seconds in, we find the truth about Fatty:
“Thanks to the help of a popular psyching blog…”
AHA! I always suspected, but now I have proof.
Comment by Mark | 05.20.2009 | 4:04 pm
Mine came in the mail today. Great stuff! Fatty and Twin Six rock!
I’m wondering.. There was a subtle comment a few days ago. I wonder if Fatty’s ride with involve a special bike and a fake beard :)
Comment by Paul | 05.21.2009 | 3:58 pm
Signed up for the Philly Livestrong ride today!!!
Win Susan!!!!
Comment by Philly Jen | 05.22.2009 | 10:17 am
@ Marina
BikeSnobNYC wrote about the winner on his blog. They haven’t met up yet, I don’t think, but when they do it should be cool.
@ Paul
Welcome to Team Fatty Philly, the fattest of them all!
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Tomorrow’s the Big Race | 05.22.2009 | 10:38 am
[...] to raise money to fight cancer (it’s not too late for you to enter that contest, by the way: click here to learn more). Well, Heather’s also a doctor who fights cancer full-time, and she just sent me this [...]
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » 100 Miles of Nowhere: Racers’ Reports | 05.25.2009 | 9:54 am
[...] Note from Fatty: Today is the last day you can enter the Win a Cadabra contest. Go here to read about what, how, and why, and then go here to donate. [...]
Pingback by 100 Miles of Nowhere : NOT YELLOW, CHICKEN | 05.25.2009 | 10:48 am
[...] coffers. He’s the brainchild behind this event (and if you do it today, you can even win a Kona “Cadabra” mountain bike which has been named but not yet [...]
Comment by Richard | 05.28.2009 | 3:26 pm
So who won the Cadabra bicycle??
Comment by Daniel | 06.24.2009 | 6:21 am
Seriously . . . was there a winner announced?