Save the date - November 20 - and help us to help Marty!

If you think about it, we're a lucky bunch. We have a little community here that we enjoy, we've made good friends and shared adventures. We worry about things like when our next ride will be, when we can afford that upgrade to a carbon fiber bike, or if we can manage to squeeze in an extra workout this week. We worry about other things too, bigger things - our jobs, our homes, and our kids ... but for one of our "family", one of those worries, the one about our kids ... well, it takes on a whole new meaning.


Everyone, meet Marty.

Beautiful, isn't he? Marty is the son of Pete and Kelly Tranes. Many of you know Pete from his time at Town Cycle. Pete has saved many of us from certain ruin or embarrassment! Maybe he managed to finagle a repair on your bike the day before a long planned trip. Maybe he hunted down a rare part for your "vintage" (Classic? Old?) bike. Maybe he took pity on you during a ride at Jungle Habitat, and slowed down just enough so you could catch your breath, or busted your chops enough to make you finally finish that climb without walking! All of these things are just regular, small deeds that we all appreciate. Life changing? Well, probably not. However, we have a chance to do something life changing for Pete, Kelly, and Marty ... 

Marty, the great kid in the picture above, has Cystic Fibrosis. For those of you unfamiliar with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). It clogs the lungs and pancreas with thick mucus, leading to life-threatening lung infections and preventing the body from properly breaking down and absorbing food. To give you some idea of what Marty and his family go through, please watch this video that his mom Kelly put together. To learn more about CF, please read this page at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's website.

As you can imagine, that's quite a burden on a small, beautiful boy and his family. All of Marty's expenses are not covered by insurance, and he will have special needs for the rest of his life. Here's where all of you come in! Individually, we might not be able to do much, but together, there is no doubt we can move mountains ...

We are planning a special fundraiser to establish a trust fund for Marty, and we need your help! On Saturday, November 20, 2010, at 7 p.m., we are holding a silent auction at the High Crest Lodge in West Milford. Drinks and snacks will be available, and there is no cover charge. We will need help in several different areas, and we hope we can count on your support!

1. First and foremost, we will need donations for our auction. We are open to almost anything! Maybe you are an artist, and you'd be willing to donate a piece of artwork, whether it be a painting, a piece of woodwork, jewelry, home decor, etc. Maybe you make great homemade pies, and would be willing to donate pies made and delivered just for the holidays! Maybe you are a photographer, and would be willing to donate a family portrait session. Maybe you are a landscaper, and would be willing to donate a fall leaf clean-up. Maybe your company would be willing to donate whatever goods, services, etc. that they sell. We really are looking for all kinds of donations, big or small, handmade or store bought, goods or services. Talk to us about anything - let's work something out! Donations will be due by November 12. 
2. We need help spreading the word about our night! Please tell your riding friends, your family, your neighbors - post about it on your blog, your Facebook page, Tweet about it, forward this email, or post this  flyer on a bulletin board at work or school! We need both attendees and donations, so shout it out to everyone! 
3. Team Town Cycle will spring for the drinks for the evening, but we would like to have appetizers and snacks donated by our friends. We're looking for appetizer type finger foods, nothing extravagant. Please let us know if you can bring some food for the evening!

As always, let us know if you have any questions by dropping us a line - info@teamtowncycle.com . We know times are tough for everyone right now, but we truly hope that with your generosity, we can all manage to pull together and help out a great little boy and his family.