Riding your bike is as commonplace as flossing your teeth here in Portland, where I currently and temporarily reside through the end of the year. In fact, my good buddies Josh Hooten and Michelle Schwegmann (co-owners of Herbivore Clothing Company) were so mortified that I entered the City of Roses with Rose (our dog) in tow, as well as Mariann, but no bicycle (!), that they loaned me one of theirs. And it’s adorable, functional, and makes me feel like a true Portlander.
That’s because a true Portlander doesn’t leave the house without 2 wheels, and Josh Hooten knows this all too well. In addition to loaning me his spare wheels, Josh is about to join a heap of other muscle-legged activists in his 4th annual bike ride to raise money for animal sanctuaries. We’ve previously shared awe-inspiring stories with you about his bike ride extravaganzas. This year, the recipients of the funds will be Out to Pasture Sanctuary, Hope Animal Sanctuary, and Chimp Sanctuary Northwest. The funds that Hooten and others aspire to raise this year will be, they hope, to the tune of $20,000. Given the absolute dire necessity of the sanctuary movement, both for the welfare of sanctuary residents and the education of sanctuary visitors, it’s pretty clear that 20 grand can make some hay.
But this year’s 100-mile, one-day ride has a unique twist, and here’s where you come in. In addition to donating out of pocket to raise funds and awareness about the plight of animals, and the incredible strides being taken to save them and change the world (honestly, donate to this project, would you?), this year, the organizers are asking businesses to pledge to donate 10% of their sales to the fundraiser on Saturday, August 11. Therefore:
- If you have a businesses, please pledge to donate 10% of your sales (online and/or in person, depending upon your establishment) on August 11 to the Sanctuary Century!
- If you have a wallet, please shop from the ever-growing list of amazing businesses supporting the Sanctuary Century on 10% Fundraiser Day, i.e., August 11! Remember, this is both in-person or online, so distance is not a factor. (Actually, if you don’t have a wallet, you can buy a cute one from Herbivore on August 11, since they are among the participating businesses donating 10% to the Sanctuary Century.)
- Lastly, in order to drum up support and awareness, please also be sure to mark that you are “ATTENDING” the 10% Fundraiser Day (again, even if you are only virtually attending), and share it with your Facebook circles.
In order to sign your business up for Sanctuary Century 10% Fundraiser Day, all you have to do is post on the event page that you want to participate, and Hooten himself will add you to the list, post about how fabulous and generous you are, and then weep tears of joy because of all of the goodness still left in the world (or perhaps they’ll be tears of pain due to very achey legs — any massage therapists out there?).
This kind of bike ride fundraiser, paired with the support of businesses and patrons, is such a beautifully synchronistic form of advocacy and it can be carried out by anyone with the passion, and stamina, to take it on. I particularly love the online component, especially for those who are not near Portland (note: I no longer fall into that category!). I sincerely hope you will join me in supporting the efforts of Josh Hooten (who detailed his first bike ride fundraiser in the book 600 Miles to Goat) and the others who will be riding their bikes and exercising their ethics in this year’s Sanctuary Century. With so much work still yet to be done in order to change the world, let’s raise hell (and money).
