**Vineyard12**

zamboni00

I am officially signed up to volunteer in Sturbridge for the PMC again.  I have to wait a week to sign up for Bourne, since my crew leader there doesn't do the pre-selection.  But yay!!  The PMC is coming up!!

I imagine you haven't really had too many chances to get on your bike this winter!  Have you started training/when will you be starting training?  It will probably be a nice break from all that studying

 5 months to go!

vineyard12

I haven't been on my bike, yet! Nor have I signed up either. I'm not so sure I would even be able raise the minimum it's so high. How does your husband do it? In the past I've been lucky to raise $1k for one event, so I am not sure I could even do $2,500. Maybe I could volunteer instead? Do you have to raise money if you volunteer? It'd probably kill me to not be on my bike, though! Lol.

If I do ride the PMC I am going to do the 50 mile route this year. I'm not sure if I could do a century. Definitly not 150.

zamboni00

Volunteers don't need to raise, but it's encouraged.  I don't raise for myself, but I help H...  However, if you volunteer, you can sign up for a Sunday ride (not sure if it's just one route, or any Sunday ride) and the fundraising min is *only* $1k. ha.  ha.   I guess it might qualify for only if you put it against the 2-day min? 

Anyway, H is lucky to work for a family (his family) business that likes to make a lot of charitable contributions (for tax purposes as much as feel-good purposes).  A large portion of his fund raising comes from them.  We also put together a little 'help me' note, basically explaining the PMC, and where the dollars go.  Then we email it to people who we think might donate.  My parents end up sending it to a bunch of people they know, etc.  Lastly, I usually get pretty obnoxious on FB, and everytime I post something about the PMC I link it to his fundraising page.  When the ride gets closer, I wil do it more often, and I do end up actually asking people to donate if they can. 

I think the fact that over the past however many years, 100% of rider raised funds go staright to the DFCI really helps.  How can you not feel good about that, you know?

I feel like the more we talk about what he does with people (in person, fb, whatever way possible) the less actual 'fund-raising' we have to do.  In fact, we usually have people start to ask us around now if they can donate yet.  It's hardest that first year, but once people know it's something you do, we've found it to get a little less daunting each year.

 But again, he basically has a 'corporate sponser' who would help him out to make sure he hits the min.  I am terrified of not being able to raise the min, which is the main reason I volunteer   Well, that, and I can honestly I feel like I am just as much a part of the ride as the riders.

Wow, for some reason I can't shut up when it comes to the PMC. 

 Maybe volunteer** this year, and start to spread the word, and you can do the volunteer ride?

**with me, at the MMA, obviously