Last reminder - Party 4 Marty is tomorrow!

First off, for those of you who are not local - we're famous! Much thanks to the West Milford Messenger for running a story about Marty - you can read it here!

Secondly - thanks to all of our volunteers and sponsors. The response we have had ... well, it's been nothing short of overwhelming! We're looking at over 170 donations for our auction - how awesome is that!! We are so excited for tomorrow night, and we hope you are too!

Thirdly, if you or your friends are coming, please let them know that while we can accept credit cards, our preferred method of payment is cash or checks, so we can avoid those pesky credit card fees! Every penny we can keep in Marty's Fund is one more penny that helps him out!

Finally - a last group of hints to whet your appetite!

• Bike parts and upgrades you can buy without feeling guilty - check!
• Had a long day and need a drink? Us too!
• Of course, you'll need some snacks to have with your drink ...
• Maybe you like to unwind by fishing ...
• Or hiking ...
• Or shopping! 

We really do have something for everyone, from homemade pottery to vacations, from snack and skin care baskets to bikes and bracelets. Big budget and small budget items - we've got it all! So grab your wallet or checkbook, and feel good about helping out a family in need while doing something fun! 

More Party for Marty hints!

We're getting closer - only 2 more days until our Party for Marty! We're putting the finishing touches on all of the great donations and can't wait to show all of you what we have! In the meantime, a few housekeeping items.

1. Although we will have the capability to take credit cards, our preference would be cash or checks, because of the fees associated with credit card use. We want every penny possible to go directly to Marty's Fund, not to some big corporation! We understand that may not be possible for everyone, but we appreciate any help you can give us in this area. 
2. Many of you have asked who to make out check donations to. All checks should be made out to "Team Town Cycle/Marty's Fund". If you are coming to the auction, you can bring checks with you - if not, they can be mailed to P.O. Box 557, West Milford, NJ 07480. 
3. We're going to have some great giveaways and door prizes, so plan your evening now!

Now - for today's auction hints ....

• Football fans - we have got you totally covered! Get an autograph for your favorite fan for the the holidays!
• Spruce up your house for the holidays with a new coat of paint!
• Already stressed about the holidays? We'll help you slow down.
• Looking forward to the spring already? How about a round of golf?
• Kids love bikes!
• Don't forget Fido!

One last set of hints tomorrow - stay tuned!!

Our Party for Marty PayPal "Donate" button is live!

News item of the day - we now have a PayPal donation button available! Check out the left sidebar on our blog at www.teamtowncycle.com for the link!

And now - time for your daily auction hints! 

• Have you backed up your computer lately? We can help!
• Got some New Years resolutions to stay in shape? We've got you covered!
• Did you crash one too many times with that old helmet? Check out what we have!
• Girl Scout cookies, anyone? Oh yea.
• Want to try skiing this winter? We can hook you up!

Definitely something for everyone! So be there or be square - Saturday, November 20th, 7 p.m., High Crest Lake Lodge, West Milford, NJ!

Countdown to our Party for Marty!

OK everyone - only 5 days until our Party for Marty! We've been pouring over all of the wonderful donations we've received, and we're gearing up for Saturday. Here's a sneak peak at just a few of our auction items! 

• If you like hockey - we've got something for you!
• Maybe you like football instead? We've got that too!
• Got kids? We've got you covered!
• Need a vacation? We can help!
• Rather stay at home and watch a movie? We can do that!
• Got a sweet tooth? We can fix you up!
• Winter is on the way - we can keep you warm!
• And we have a very, very special door prize - one that will knock your socks off!

We've got something for every budget and all kinds of interests - so bring your wallet, do some holiday shopping, or treat yourself! It all goes to a great cause! The auction opens at 7 p.m. We are working on being able to accept credit cards, so stay tuned for updates! For those who cannot attend, we can accept checks made out to "Team Town Cycle/Marty's Fund", and sent to P.O. Box 557, West Milford, NJ  07480. 

If you planning to attend, we could still use some food donations - finger foods, either appetizers or desserts. We have no oven for heating or re-heating, so please keep that in mind as you plan for your goodies! If you can bring something - please let us know - and accept our thanks in advance!

One last favor - tell everyone you know about Saturday night! Forward this to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. Put it on your Facebook page, tweet it, blog about it. Right now, all of you are our foot soldiers, helping us to spread the word about the Party for Marty! Let's shout it from the rooftops and make this night a real success! 

Gratefully yours -

Team Town Cycle

Party for Marty, and an update on the little man!

We've had such a great response to our request for donations for our Party for Marty - thank you so much! We're hoping to collect all of the donations by Friday, November 12 - let us know if that won't work for you, and we'll try to make other arrangements! Now we need a little more help - let everyone know about the party! Bring your friends, neighbors, co-workers - we have small items, big items, toy items, sport items, food items - something for everyone! Come do some holiday shopping and help out a great little boy and his family! 

Also, we wanted to let you know that Marty is currently having a tough time. He's in the hospital with pneumonia, and he'll probably be there about 10 days recovering, and, as Pete says, getting a CF tune-up. Marty is at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, New Jersey. Phone (973) 322-5000 or 1(888) SBHS-123. Please keep Marty, Kelly and Pete in your thoughts for the next week or so as Marty gets healthy for the holidays!

 

                   Marty being a good sport about the hospital!

As always, let us know if you have any questions - info@teamtowncycle.com. Thank you again for all your support!

Date reminders for November

Hi Everyone -

A couple of quick reminders - 

• Tomorrow night is the Race Across the Sky film premiere in our area. It covers the 2010 Leadville 100 in all its' glory - all reviews about it are fantastic! Check out the theaters that are showing it here . 
• Saturday, November 6th - we'll be doing course prep and, once we're done, a little pre-riding up at Hidden Valley. Join us from 12-4 p.m. and get a sneak peak at the course for our cyclocross race on Sunday!
• Sunday, November 7th - our 2nd annual cyclocross race at The Hidden Valley Club in Vernon, NJ! Besides being a great race unto itself, we are also the NJ State Cyclocross Championship race for 2010, so it's sure to be a great day! Cyclocross is a blast to watch, so even if you don't want to race, come out and watch! Don't forget the time change - "fall back" one hour on Saturday night!
• Friday, November 12th - our annual Team Town Cycle dinner! It's at the High Crest Lake Lodge in West Milford - food, drink, fun! If you haven't received an invite, and would like to join us, drop us a line and let us know - we'd love to have you!
• For our Campmor H2H racers, don't forget the get your tickets to the H2H Award dinner on November 14th. More info at BikeReg.com - registration closes Sunday night, November7th.
• Finally, our Party for Marty Silent Auction is on November 20th at the High Crest Lake Lodge in West Milford. We've collected some great stuff already, but can still use donation items. For more info, please read this, and tell your friends and family about it. Besides donations, we need people to join us on the 20th and bid on our auction items! Free admission, food and drink, and a way to shop for the holidays and help out a great family - a win/win for everyone!

Lots of great fun over the next few weeks - we hope you can join us! As always, drop us a line at info@teamtowncycle.com with any questions!

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.