CHOC Cows Post #5

Hello all,

Technically I'm not going against the fact that I said in my last post 'next you hear from me will be after the races' because, well, it's now after 2 of the races mentioned, okay one of which I wasn't racing (although it felt like I was, some kids can pedal fast).

So after two days in a row in a Cow Suit racing around on the bike I can assure you that when the outside temperature is hitting 40c it is pretty warm in the suit. Although Saturday's short sprints gave me sufficient rest between the spurts, Sundays 55Km slog on the dirt was testing, testimony to that fact is that in the 4h18m30s it took me to finish, nearly 40 minutes of that time was spent stationery, either at the water points refuelling or wherever I could find some shade along the way to cool down for a bit. 

Plenty of people came past me offering encouragement, thanks to all, and I was privileged to finish the race alongside Grant Bain, it was he, his wife Kerrin and a few of their friends that initiated the Cows movement as they planned to ride in memory of their daughter Jessica, they got together and decided to raise funds for CHOC riding in Cow suits. Read more about that here

Anyway we have been encouraged to make a final push in the last week before the 94.7 Cycle Challenge so here goes PUSH this button  pleeeeaase. It really is for a good cause. 

Just to give you an overview this what The Cows intend to assist CHOC with in the coming year:

• Accommodation - assist with house running costs
  (The CHOC Lodge, Durban; CHOC Houses Saxonwold, Diepkloof and Pretoria) 
• Psychosocial Support -fund the salaries of 7 psychosocial staff members
  (Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Free State) 
• Programme vehicle (CHOC Free State) 
• Essential maintenance to CHOC Houses (Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and East London) 

So one more race to go, and I'll also be helping at the Cycle Challenge Expo, so if you're there look for me at the COWS stand and say hi, maybe even purch some merch, and put some 'change' in a tin, the proceeds all go to CHOC.

CHOC Cows 2015 #4

So If you've been following you will know it's 2 weeks (actually 13 days) until 94.7 Cycle challenge.... but the week before that (this coming Sunday) there is 94.7 MTB Challenge and this Saturday there is the Kiddies Rides and the 10Km Fun Ride, with some other cows I will be assisting with some marshalling and sweeping of the Kiddies Races. I could still do with another body or two to help, let me know if you're available (Sat 7 Nov 7h30-11h30), you don't have to ride we need some people on the ground to help (re)direct the kiddies.

Although I'm not quite there yet I know some of you are going to get me the final mile to being a Super Cow riding the 94.7 in a COW Suit helping with an Ice Cream Bike too. If you look at my GiveNGain project page you will see that shows I'm at R6,450 however there has also been an additional very generous donation direct to the Cows of R10,000 and there are some promises in the pipeline. One way or another the target will be achieved.

I'm sure there are some of you that have been promising yourselves to give to this cause and just haven't remembered to get around to it.... Now is the time, if you haven't got the bucks, make a pledge. If you want to donate anonymously (to me anyway) get hold of Daisy at The Cows office, just tell her it's in my favour.

Just in case you have missed out on my previous posts you can find them here.

That's it for now, next you hear from me will be after the races.

Thanks for your attention.

CHOC Cows 2015 #3

Hi All

With 30 days to go to the 2015 94.7 Cycle Challenge here is an update to let you all know where I stand with my fundraising project for the CHOC Cows.

Thanks to all the generous donors this year we have managed to reach R6,450 of the R20,000 goal in order to get me in a cow suit on the 94.7 Cycle Challenge but more importantly to support the various projects that the Cows are going to assist funding the staff, premises and recipients of care through CHOC.

This really is a worthy cause and has been an immense help to families with children who have cancer. Just to give you some idea here is a post from the CHOC facebook page of one of the things your donations go to support.

And here is another post to help understand why we do what we do.

A child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.

Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different
Each one is special
Each one is beautiful

Some food for thought from John Piper:

"Life is not simple. There is pleasure, and there is pain. There is sweetness, and there is bitter suffering. There is joy, and there is misery. There is life and health, and there is disease and death. And therefore emotions are not simple. For those who love others, and not just their own comforts, this complexity means that we will rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. And there is always someone we know who is weeping, and someone we know who is rejoicing. And therefore we will learn the secret of “sorrowful yet always rejoicing”—and joyful yet always sorrowing."

Yes as The Cows we put on silly costumes, we make people laugh, we suffer a little in hot cow suits, doing double laps of 100Km races, riding or pulling and pushing Ice Cream bikes, not because it's fun (although it is that too) but we do it for those who suffer much through cancer treatment. We do it to bring a little brightness into the lives of the children and their families, to make a hard circumstance a little easier, it's because we have "a love for others, and not just our own comforts".

Help us help them; please contribute by following this link and click the big red donate button.

For more info follow the many links in this post you won't regret it I'm sure.

P.S.
In case you didn't see this on SuperSport I am in this video at 4m20 - 4m34 (This was from the Silverstar Pennypinchers MTB race I mentioned in my previous post - the muddy one)

CHOC Cows 2015 #2

Yes believe it or not this is only my second post on the subject this year.

As I start writing this there are :

As borrowed from the cycle challenge web site
BUT I will also be riding the MTB challenge which happens a week earlier.

So without much ado I would just like to remind you that I am trying to raise funds for
Click to find out more 

by riding in cow print attire with

Click to find out more

In total The Cows have raised a moovelous R22,143,163 since 2008 and we are hoping to reach R4,000,000 for this year to support the following projects:

• Assist with expenses for accommodation at the various CHOC lodges and houses around the country. 
• Assist with funding of salaries of the social workers in the paediatric oncology treatment centres.
• Assist with funds for salary and other costs for a programme coordinator in the Western Cape and Namakwa regions. 
• Funding of a programme vehicle in the Kalahari to assist with raising awareness on the early warning signs of childhood cancer.
• Cover the costs of maintenance of CHOC houses in Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth.

Please help us reach our target by donating:

 Donate Now!!!  

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to in the last few months. You will notice I am riding in a cow suit sometimes, these are borrowed suits, help me earn my own suit to ride in all events by getting me to my personal target of R20,000.

 2015-08-29 Riding Sweep at Nissan Trailseeker #3 Hazeldean
(I had Just assisted someone with a chain repair to get them back on their way)

 2015-09-05 Getting dirty at Siverstar MTB race

2015-09-19 Posing with some other CHOC Cows at Believe MTB race

Again I appeal to you in this really worthy cause and encourage you to go read some of the stories on the CHOC website the assistance provided is greatly needed and appreciated by those who have benefited from the many support programs they provide. If you need a tax certificate or want to donate by other means, that can be organised just let me know, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help us help the children by donating. Just click the link below and follow the simple instructions.

 Donate Now!!!  

Love Living Life

5 Years with my R4

5 years ago I came home with this:

Give or take a few K's it has taken me 19,446 Km's further than I would have ridden if I hadn't got off my couch a year earlier, It's also helped me lose a few Kg's and put me in touch with a whole new crowd of people; athletes, social riders, riders with a purpose and some who I think I can call friends. It's also put me in magazines once or twice. We will be doing Momentum 947 Cycle Challenge together for the fifth time this year and in case you haven't noticed the last 3 years we've been doing it to support children with cancer for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation by riding in cow gear CHOC Cows. So please go and donate http://www.givengain.com/activist/103478/projects/10394/

Oh for those wondering what this has to do with an R4 it's a Scott Addict R4.