How to Give Incredibly Thoughtful Gifts, and Also Maybe Win 1 of 5 Dream Bikes, Like this Sweet Cannondale Road Bike

12.20.2013 | 9:59 am

Hey, I need to tell you something, and I’m afraid it’s going to freak you out a little bit, so I apologize in advance.

Christmas is in just a few days.

Yeah. Really. 

And if I know you the way I think I know you (and I think I know you pretty darned well), you are currently steeling yourself for a weekend of ugliness: walking (or maybe driving, or quite possibly driving) from store to store, trying to find something that will suffice as a present.

And we all know how that’s going to turn out. 

I have a better idea. It’s a present that’s perfect for everyone, is easy to buy, and will definitely get to them on time, no matter where they live. 

Donate to the Grand Slam for Zambia: The Power of 5 in your friends’ and family’s behalf. 

It’s super easy, they get an e-card saying what you’ve done, and—here’s the genius part—you are still entered in the drawing and may win one of the five dream bikes that are going to be given away (more on that in a bit).

Here, let me walk you through it. First, you go to the Grand Slam for Zambia: The Power of 5 donation page (click here), and click the “Contribute Now” button.

Next, you fill out the the donation page, just like you normally would.

Don’t freak out that this page doesn’t have anything about your donation being in someone else’s name. That part comes after you complete the transaction.

Once you click the Donate button, you’re taken to a page that looks like this:

From here, you can click “Send an e-card,” which lets you write a custom message and choose the image you like. It gets emailed right away, and they get a cool e-card showing what a thoughtful and timely gift you have just given them: making the world a better place in their behalf. Like this one I just got from Katie Bolling of World Bicycle Relief:

This is what my sisters and parents are all getting for Christmas. 

And the cool thing is, it’s my name that goes into the drawing for one of the five dream bikes being given away as part of this fundraiser. (OK, as the guy who’s running this contest I’m unfortunately not eligible to win, but you get the point). 

And don’t forget: every dollar you’re donating gets matched, so feel free to tell the person you’re donating on behalf of that you actually gave them twice as much as you actually did.

Because, you know, it’s technically true. 

Win a Cannondale CAAD10

I’m very pleased to announce the third bike to be given away in the Grand Slam: Power of 5 lineup: A Cannondale CAAD10, totally loaded up with SRAM Red components and ZIPP wheels. Nice!

If you want a shot at winning this — or any of the other four dream bikes — make sure you donate!

The Story Behind The Bike

You might wonder a little bit about how this bike came into this contest. Well, it’s both a sad and also beautiful story. You see, Pam Keith, a long-standing employee of Cannondale, has become one of World Bicycle Relief greatest champion’s this past year. She lost her husband, Bill — A SRAM employee — unexpectedly in January and has gone on to create an absolute stunning legacy in his name.

Thus far she has raised over $50,000 for World Bicycle Relief and is extremely passionate and dedicated. This past May, Pam and her sister, Kim, traveled to Zambia to be on-hand for a distribution in Bill’s honor. Be sure to read the story on that. Katie at World Bicycle Relief said the following about Pam and her work:

I can honestly say that Pam gives me a great reason each day to come to work with a spirit to do my absolute best for the people we serve. Her ambition to create a lasting legacy in Bill’s name is an active testament to the meaning of love. Cannondale has really impressed me with their willingness to support Pam’s drive. We’re honored to have the support of Pam, Dave and the entire Cannondale family.

I want to add my thanks to Pam and Cannondale. I love seeing people turn tragedy into something good.