Welcome to another semi-exciting, super-informative edition of the Charity Treks newsletter. We’ve got all sorts of stuff to share with you, and are excited to think that in less than 4 months time we will all be gathered together again.

For the people in the Northeast, that means that by then, most of the snow will be gone and we will be able to begin training …

The 2011 Event

I know this event information might seen redundant, so I promise not to repeat it again in this newsletter.
- August 9-13, 2011
- Montreal, Qc to Portland, ME
- Onsite registration on Monday, August 8, 2011
- Registration Fee: $210.00 (no fee to Crew)

Fundraising

The main purpose of producing the event is to provide our beneficiaries with the funding for their research. With that in mind, have you given yourself a personal goal to achieve for this year? Have you started your e-mail / snail mail campaign to get the process rolling?

Since we started producing our events, the total amount of funds raised is $852,257, all of which went to the beneficiaries. We are hoping for a banner year this year, and with a little luck and a lot of effort, surpass the $1,000,000 mark. Possible? You bet. Difficult? You bet, but still probably easier than cycling 410 miles through the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

If you’re not sure where to start, remember that there are many people within the Charity Treks family who are familiar with fundraising and would be more than happy to help out.

Registration Update

Registration for the event remains very strong. We are already at 45 riders and 20 crew, which is way, way ahead of last year at this time. If you are looking for a turning point in your training regimen (you remember training, don’t you?), head on over to the website and register for the event. POOF!, instant incentive.

This added to the fact that the rest of your Charity Treks family wants to see you in August and you have the makings of a training program.

Camp 1 – Black Bear Inn
As mentioned in the last newsletter, our first night’s “camp” will be at the Black Bear Inn in Bolton Valley, VT (http://www.blkbearinn.com/). It would be well worth it for you to visit their website. HINT: some rooms have private outdoor hot tubs !!

We are finalizing the details with them, and you will soon get a call from David who has been given the thankless task of doling out the rooms and coordinating sleeping arrangements. While all efforts will be made to accommodate everyone, we cannot guarantee that everyone will have the best room in the house. There are a limited number of rooms available, but tent / camping area onsite for any overflow.

Looking for Sponsors

If you happen to work for a benevolent company or know of someone who would be interested in sponsoring the greatest group of cyclists around, please send an e-mail to John Beal (a.k.a. John the Baker: johnthebaker at yahoo dot com) or Chris Janson (cjanson1 at verizon dot net). They are heading up the sponsorship committee, and would love to hear from you.

On the Lookout for a T-shirt

As many of you are aware, Elaina will be making a special quilt to commemorate our tenth anniversary. She will be using some t-shirts from previous events and is looking for someone with a t-shirt from the Emory Vaccine Center, since they are one of our beneficiaries. Does anyone have one that they’d be willing to give to a good cause?

If so, please e-mail Elaina at mangy_one at yahoo dot com.

Host Hotels

Below are the coordinates for the Host hotels. Please note that the rate for Le Dauphin is valid for the weekend prior to the event, if you choose to arrive early and act like a tourist in Montreal.

IN MONTREAL
Hotel Le Dauphin
1055, rue St-Laurent Ouest
Longueuil, Qc J4K 1E1
450-646-0110 or 866-646-0110
Rate: $95.95 + 16.3% tax

NOTES: Rate for Le Dauphin quoted in Canadian dollars, which is currently at par with USD. Room rate is based on 1-4 person occupancy. Breakfast is included in rate. All rooms are non-smoking. When calling, ask for the Charity Treks room block.

IN PORTLAND
Holiday Inn By the Bay
88 Spring Street
Portland, ME 04101
207-775-2311 or 800-345-5050
Rate: $175.00 + 8.5% tax
NOTE: Room rate is based on 1-2 person occupancy. Breakfast is NOT included in rate. All rooms are non-smoking. When calling, ask for the Charity Treks room block.

It is my sincere hope that you are able to look past the winter weather and think warm thoughts, like reuniting with family and friends in August. With this in mind, here is some information and motivation to start to make that a reality.

The 2011 Event

OK, go ahead, call me Captain Obvious, but here are the pertinent details for our upcoming get-together / event this summer:

- August 9-13, 2011
- Montreal, Qc to Portland, ME
- Onsite registration on Monday, August 8, 2011
- Registration Fee: $210.00 (no fee to Crew)

2011 Fundraising Challenge

What would the event be without the fundraising?

The main reason for us getting together every year is to raise the critical funds needed to do the groundbreaking research that are beneficiaries are working on.

In our first 9 years, we have managed to raise a total of $852,257, 100% of which was given to our beneficiaries. We are asking you to help reach the $1,000,000 mark. This is a lofty goal to reach but so is finding a vaccine. We all believe that it is possible to find a vaccine, so why wouldn’t it be possible to hit our lofty goal?

The key is to start now, and remember that the majority of our donations are small but cumulatively they add up, so please keep at it.

Registration Update

Registration for the event has been strong so far. We expect it to get much stronger in the near future (see next item below for incentive for Camp 1).

The registration level for this same date last year was 9 riders and 4 crew. For 2011, we already have 29 riders and 12 crew signed up.

If you haven’t signed up yet, please consider joining us for what promises to be another fabulous event.

Camp 1 – Black Bear Inn
For our tenth anniversary, we wanted to try something different for one of our camps and we think we’ve found something out of the ordinary.

Our first night’s “camp” will be at the Black Bear Inn in Bolton Valley, VT (http://www.blkbearinn.com/). It would be well worth it for you to visit their website. They are Vermont’s only Inn with private outdoor hot tubs !!

Mark, with his eagle eyes for mapping and innate ability to use Google, was able to find this location and charm the owners into reserving the entire Inn for Charity Treks’ exclusive use on August 9th !

Mark and I visited the Inn and stayed there during our recent mapping trip at the end of January. The Inn is like a big Bed and Breakfast, with individually appointed rooms, rustic design, a big general foyer, internet access, great views, a pool and hot tub.

There are some rooms that have private outdoor hot tubs (on the balconies), and these rooms will be allocated first come first served, based on when you registered and paid for the event. If you have already registered, you can expect a phone call from David so he can begin the room assignment process.

We are finalizing the details and layout of the rooms, and will do our best to accommodate everyone who registers, but still need to maximize the rooms and beds to fit everyone.

Camp 3 – the Secret’s Out !!
For those of you on the edge of your seats wondering what the #$%@ was going on with Camp 3, here’s the scoop:

Camp 3 is now affectionately know as Camp Woodlawn. The name Woodlawn just happens to coincide with the street name of one of our riders, Rosanne Buck, who has graciously offered us the use of her property for Camp 3.

She has also made arrangements to have a shower trailer onsite for us and we will also have access to her pool. We are humbled by her offer of generosity and kindness, and look forward to our arrival at our new Camp 3.

If anyone would like to contact Rosanne, here e-mail address is: rkbnp [at] aol.com.

Route Changes for 2011

As mentioned earlier, Mark and David completed a route mapping trip at the end of January. With Camp 1 and 3 being completely new, there are changes to this year’s route.

The most significant is that we will not be having lunch at the Outspokin’ Bike Shop at Lake Sunapee. We will provide more details about the new route in upcoming newsletters.

For the daily mileage, right now it is as follows:
Day 1 – 114 miles
Day 2 – 89 miles
Day 3 – 59 miles
Day 4 – 102 miles
Day 5 – 46 miles
TOTAL: 410 miles

Host Hotels

Below are the coordinates for the Host hotels. Please note that the rate for Le Dauphin is valid for the weekend prior to the event, if you choose to arrive early and act like a tourist in Montreal.

IN MONTREAL
Hotel Le Dauphin
1055, rue St-Laurent Ouest
Longueuil, Qc J4K 1E1
450-646-0110 or 866-646-0110
Rate: $95.95 + 16.3% tax

NOTES: Rate for Le Dauphin quoted in Canadian dollars, which is currently at par with USD. Room rate is based on 1-4 person occupancy. Breakfast is included in rate. All rooms are non-smoking. When calling, ask for the Charity Treks room block.

IN PORTLAND
Holiday Inn By the Bay
88 Spring Street
Portland, ME 04101
207-775-2311 or 800-345-5050
Rate: $175.00 + 8.5% tax
NOTE: Room rate is based on 1-2 person occupancy. Breakfast is NOT included in rate. All rooms are non-smoking. When calling, ask for the Charity Treks room block.