2010 Team Fatty LiveStrong Challenge Registration Starts Today!
Those of you who have read my blog know that I’m not an especially serious person by nature. In fact, I may well be the antonym of serious. But 5+ years of living with this evil disease as it killed my wife a little bit at a time has made me serious about this.
I hate cancer, and I’m never going to stop fighting it.
And the ugly fact is, either you already have seen cancer close up, or you will sometime in your life. It’s that common. And you’re going to hate it too. It’s that evil.
So let’s fight it together. And have fun and win stuff and meet an incredible group of people and break some records while we do it.
In 2009, Team Fatty raised more than $800,000 for the LiveStrong Challenge — an amount that took all previous records, smashed them, crushed them, tore them into small pieces, and broke them down into their constituent atoms.
We came close to hitting our goal of $1,000,000 — but didn’t quite get there. So that’s our goal again this year: $1,000,000.00.
Registration for Team Fatty for the 2010 LiveStrong Challenge is now open! As in 2009, we’ll be in all four cities. And as in 2009, we’re looking to build the largest team, raising the most money for this critical fight.
To sign up with Team Fatty, just click the city you’d like to join (if you don’t plan to actually attend the event — you just want to help Team Fatty raise money — it doesn’t matter which city you join), noting the event dates. That will take you to the Team Fatty page for that city. From there, click the “Join Our Team” link and follow the instructions from there.
And now, for a few frequently-asked questions (as in “questions I’ve been asked once or twice, or questions I think I ought to be asked”) about Team Fatty.
Q: Is there anything special I need to do to be part of Team Fatty?
A: All you need to do is register as part of Team Fatty in any of the four LiveStrong Challenge teams linked above. And then you need to start working on raising money. You need to raise at least $100 to be counted as part of the team, and $250 to attend the event. But really, if we’re going to seriously raise a million dollars, basically a thousand of us needs to raise a thousand dollars each. That’s a lot of people raising a lot of money. But I believe we can do it.
Q: I want to join Team Fatty and raise money in the fight against cancer, but I know I won’t be able to attend any of the events. Do I still have to pay the $35 registration fee?
A: No, you sure don’t. When you register, choose “Virtual Challenge” and you don’t have to pay anything at all. But I still expect you to do your part in the fundraising, OK?
Q: How do I get a Team Fatty jersey?
A: Most sizes of the Team Fatty (pink) version of the Fat Cyclist jersey are available right now at Twin Six. Click here for Men’s, or click here for Women’s. You’ll also find t-shirts, stickers, bottles, vests, shorts, arm warmers and caps by clicking here.
Once these run out, we’ll gauge whether we need to do an extra pre-order of Team Fatty jerseys. If we do, we’ll make sure we do it in plenty of time for you to get your jersey before any of the LiveStrong Challenge events.
And you should know that the profit from these jerseys goes right back to the LiveStrong Challenge, and that the Twin Six guys helped us raise more than $50,000 last year between jersey sales, supporting the 100 Miles of Nowhere, and sale days where all their profit went to LiveStrong. So when you’re picking up your Team Fatty gear, maybe consider buying a couple other jerseys and t-shirts as well. Support a small business that is not only designing the most awesome bike clothes out there, but is spending a ton of their money and time doing the right thing.
Q: Do I have to buy a Team Fatty Jersey?
A: Absolutely not. But my bar-none favorite thing to do at the LiveStrong Challenge events is to hang out at the finish line and high-five Team Fatty members as they cross the line. And since the team’s big, if you don’t have a team jersey on, it’s unlikely all recognize you for the awesome person you are.
Q: Are there going to be fundraising contests, like last year?
A: There sure are, and being a fundraising member of Team Fatty improves your chances of winning, since all funds donated to your LiveStrong Challenge page are counted toward your chances of winning.
Of course, hope of winning a prize isn’t the reason we do any of this. But it is a nice little bonus.
Q: Is there any special reason I should join now?
A: Yes there is. Right now — and through this month — registration costs $35. After the end of this month, that cost will go up to $45. So if you join now, you’ll save a little money. Also, you’ll be all set to tell friends and family that if they have been wondering what to get you for Christmas, that joining you in the fight against cancer and making a donation on your page would be a fantastic, meaningful gift.
PS: Got any more questions? Ask them in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them either directly below your comment, or I’ll add it to this list.