Soliciting Input - Veterans of Foreign Wars & CycloCross

[Mike Baldwin]

Are you a war veteran interested in CX? Are you a war veteran who has
raced CX past or present? Or maybe while stationed abroad, you took in
a CX race.

My name is Mike Baldwin and if you can answer any of the above
questions with a yes or even a maybe, I'd like to here from you.

I live in Eaton Rapids, Michigan just minutes from the VFW National
Home for Children. Some of you may have first hand knowledge of the
home and it's rich history in serving the families of veterans.

Next I'd like to state that I'm not affiliated with the home or the VFW
in any way.

I going to cut straight to the chase. I believe the VFW National Home
for Children would be a great venue for CycloCross racing. For those
not familiar with the home's campus and rural setting, it's like a
Norman Rockwell painting that has come to life. Paved streets lined
with 2-story brick houses, mature oaks, sugar maples and pine trees
everywhere, INCLUDING acres of rolling land. GoTo
www.vfwnationalhome.org

Of course I'm proposing a charitable benefit event. The home operates
solely on donations & contributions. They do not receive government
funding.

I'm simply seeking the input and support of other potentially like
minded folks. I'd appreciate your input and thoughts on this matter.

Please eMail me at [email protected] - I WILL NOT SHARE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS WITH ANYONE!

Sincerely and Best Regards Always

Mike Baldwin

 

[Kurgan Gringioni]

On Jan 5, 9:41 pm, [email protected] (Mike Baldwin) wrote:
> Are you a war veteran interested in CX? Are you a war veteran who has
> raced CX past or present? Or maybe while stationed abroad, you took in
> a CX race.
>
> My name is Mike Baldwin and if you can answer any of the above
> questions with a yes or even a maybe, I'd like to here from you.
>
> I live in Eaton Rapids, Michigan just minutes from the VFW National
> Home for Children. Some of you may have first hand knowledge of the
> home and it's rich history in serving the families of veterans.
>
> Next I'd like to state that I'm not affiliated with the home or the VFW
> in any way.
>
> I going to cut straight to the chase. I believe the VFW National Home
> for Children would be a great venue for CycloCross racing.


<snip>



Dumbass -


If you want to help out those in the military w/ some cyclocross,
surely there are some choice spots just outside of the Green Zone in
Baghdad that have a good combination of pavement, single track,
natural and man-made barriers. It'll be easy to market too - all sorts
of easy to process, ready made metaphors abound for various parts of
the course - Sniper Alley, Mine Field, Hamburger Hill - it could be an
event to remember.


you're welcome in advance,

K. Gringioni.

 

[[email protected]]

On Jan 6, 12:41 am, [email protected] (Mike Baldwin) wrote:

> I going to cut straight to the chase. I believe the VFW National Home
> for Children would be a great venue for CycloCross racing. For those
> not familiar with the home's campus and rural setting, it's like a
> Norman Rockwell painting that has come to life. Paved streets lined
> with 2-story brick houses, mature oaks, sugar maples and pine trees
> everywhere, INCLUDING acres of rolling land. GoTowww.vfwnationalhome.org
>

dumbass,

i will actually give you a sincere answer.

-if you haven't organized a race yourself find someone in your area
who does and use them to find out about how to go about it (dealing
with your gov. body, online reg, number of stakes and porta-potties to
order - whatever)

-make sure you have kids races. different age groups and school races
(for unlicensed kids) in between the usual category races. find out
what your insurance provider needs to make that possible. we typically
use some segment of the full circuit.

-get in touch with the person/people at the venue and see if they are
wiling to host your event, be prepared to show them photos/video of
'cross and be realistic about damage to turf etc. it will really help
if you have a sympathetic person on the inside to lobby for you.
hopefully this is a venue that has a mandate to serve the community.
presumably they want to see more awareness and visitors to their
venue, so you should market the event itself as a benefit to them.

-when the time comes make sure the word is out to the locals and the
racers so they bring out their kids. this will magnify te number of
people that turn up to the event. if your hosts depend on the public
for donations they should be excited about that.

-it will be harder to market the event as a charity for them unless
you can donate some of the entry fee (or perhaps sponsor dollars) to
the cause or perhaps donate proceeds from a concession stand. but how
much could that be $500 ? $2000 ?

if you come up with enough money they may be willing to put up with
you, but if you make it a community event and not just for a small
group of self absorbed 40 yr olds and their $2000 bikes they will want
to have you there.

 

[Bill C]

On Jan 6, 4:53 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> On Jan 6, 12:41 am, [email protected] (Mike Baldwin) wrote:
>
> >  I going to cut straight to the chase.  I believe the VFW National Home
> > for Children would be a great venue for CycloCross racing.  For those
> > not familiar with the home's campus and rural setting, it's like a
> > Norman Rockwell painting that has come to life.  Paved streets lined
> > with 2-story brick houses, mature oaks, sugar maples and pine trees
> > everywhere, INCLUDING acres of rolling land.  GoTowww.vfwnationalhome.org
>
> dumbass,
>
> i will actually give you a sincere answer.
>
> -if you haven't organized a race yourself find someone in your area
> who does and use them to find out about how to go about it (dealing
> with your gov. body, online reg, number of stakes and porta-potties to
> order - whatever)
>
> -make sure you have kids races. different age groups and school races
> (for unlicensed kids) in between the usual category races. find out
> what your insurance provider needs to make that possible. we typically
> use some segment of the full circuit.
>
> -get in touch with the person/people at the venue and see if they are
> wiling to host your event, be prepared to show them photos/video of
> 'cross and be realistic about damage to turf etc. it will really help
> if you have a sympathetic person on the inside to lobby for you.
> hopefully this is a venue that has a mandate to serve the community.
> presumably they want to see more awareness and visitors to their
> venue, so you should market the event itself as a benefit to them.
>
> -when the time comes make sure the word is out to the locals and the
> racers so they bring out their kids. this will magnify te number of
> people that turn up to the event. if your hosts depend on the public
> for donations they should be excited about that.
>
> -it will be harder to market the event as a charity for them unless
> you can donate some of the entry fee (or perhaps sponsor dollars) to
> the cause or perhaps donate proceeds from a concession stand. but how
> much could that be $500 ? $2000 ?
>
> if you come up with enough money they may be willing to put up with
> you, but if you make it a community event and not just for a small
> group of self absorbed 40 yr olds and their $2000 bikes they will want
> to have you there.

Great advice Amit.
Bill C

 

[jerry in vermont]

On Jan 6, 12:41 am, [email protected] (Mike Baldwin) wrote:
>  Are you a war veteran interested in CX?  Are you a war veteran who has
> raced CX past or present?  Or maybe while stationed abroad, you took in
> a CX race.
>
>  My name is Mike Baldwin and if you can answer any of the above
> questions with a yes or even a maybe, I'd like to here from you.
>
>  I live in Eaton Rapids, Michigan just minutes from the VFW National
> Home for Children.  Some of you may have first hand knowledge of the
> home and it's rich history in serving the families of veterans.
>
>  Next I'd like to state that I'm not affiliated with the home or the VFW
> in any way.
>
>  I going to cut straight to the chase.  I believe the VFW National Home
> for Children would be a great venue for CycloCross racing.  For those
> not familiar with the home's campus and rural setting, it's like a
> Norman Rockwell painting that has come to life.  Paved streets lined
> with 2-story brick houses, mature oaks, sugar maples and pine trees
> everywhere, INCLUDING acres of rolling land.  GoTowww.vfwnationalhome.org
>
> Of course I'm proposing a charitable benefit event.  The home operates
> solely on donations & contributions.  They do not receive government
> funding.
>
> I'm simply seeking the input and support of other potentially like
> minded folks.  I'd appreciate your input and thoughts on this matter.
>
> Please eMail me at [email protected] - I WILL NOT SHARE YOUR EMAIL
> ADDRESS WITH ANYONE!
>
> Sincerely and Best Regards Always
>
> Mike Baldwin

i fall into those categories, feel free to contact me.

i dont know jack about promoting races, but a guy named Jack Chapman
in New Hampshire does Suckerbrook Cross every year for charity and has
done a great job over the years. He gives proceeds to a particular
local cancer patient each year. I want to say he raised 6500 this
year, and its what I would call a "small" low key race.

head over to http://www.suckerbrookcross.com/ and you will get their
contact info. Tell Jack that Jerry Chabot suggested you contact him
about it.

Not sure how much help we can be this far away. I think step one is
getting a local crew together for boots on the ground.

Jerry