A few Thank You's!

We're more than a day late on some "Thank You's", so please bear with us as we catch up!

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On June 7, we had a Party for Marty wine tasting event/fundraiser at the Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes - and it was a great evening! As usual, Laura and the staff at the Endless Vine put on a spectacular event, and the Friends of Marty came out in force! Between ticket sales, donations from the evening, and donations made by those of you who couldn't attend (special thanks to all of you!), we raised over $1,500 for Marty's fund! As always, we are floored by the generosity of friends and strangers alike, and are unbelievably grateful to everyone for their support of our buddy Marty and his parents Pete and Kelly!

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Our next set of thanks goes out to the women who attended our Trek WSD Women's Road Clinic/Bike Demo and bike ride on June 15 on Clinton Road. We had great weather, and a group of 27 women who attended - it was a fantastic evening!

To see more pictures of the evening, check out a few more photos here. Special thanks go out to Ross from Trek for both a great informative clinic, and some fun bikes to ride, to Jon Sherwood from Trek and our own Michael Hoek from Town Cycle for being our support crew, and to the 27 ladies who joined us for the evening - can't wait for our dirt demo day!  

Wine tasting tickets still available!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we still have tickets available for the wine tasting event fund raiser for our Party for Marty - June 7, at the Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes, NJ. Tickets are just $30 per person, and must be purchased in advance. Please help us make this fundraiser a success and join us for some wine tasting and a great evening out with friends, all while helping out our buddy Marty! 

Please help us spread the word about this event! Tell your friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Print out this flier with all the details and hang it up at work! Our friends at the Endless Vine always put on a wonderful event, and your $30 donation will go to a great cause - support of our buddy Marty, his mom and dad Kelly and Pete, and their ongoing fight against cystic fibrosis. 

Please contact Deb Wiley at (201) 314-5291, or email her at ddwiley@verizon.net for ticket info, or drop us a line at info@teamtowncycle.com. 

Hope to see you out there!

Party for Marty reminder, and a Judgement Day ride!

Don't forget, tickets are going fast for our wine tasting evening on June 7 as part of our Party for Marty events! Our friends at The Endless Vine have once again partnered with Team Town Cycle to put on another fantastic event to benefit our buddy Marty, and we'd love to have you all come out and join us! Information about the event can be found on the flier on our left side bar. Don't wait - all tickets are advance sales only! No sales on the night of the event. Come on out, have some fantastic wine with good friends, and help us help Marty!


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We've got the usual Friday night party on Clinton Road, the first KOM ride of the season on Sunday - what about Saturday, you say?


Well, some people say that May 21 is Judgement Day - if so, let's go out in style! The Bearscat 50 course map will be online by tomorrow, so let's take a lap and see what it's all about! Join us for a lap of the Bearscat 50 course at Waywayanda on Saturday, May 21. Meet us at the boat launch parking lot at 2 p.m., and we'll take a race paced lap around the course - no sightseeing for us! It'll be a good chance for you to preview the course, figure out your food and water strategies, etc. The weather has finally cleared - let's get out there and enjoy it - before the earth swallows us whole!

A new chance to Party for Marty!

TTC members Heather and Deb, and our friend Laura at the Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes have put together another fantastic evening of wine-tasting and fun while raising some money for Marty's Fund!

Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Place: The Endless Vine, Franklin Lakes, NJ

Time:  6:30-9:30 p.m.

Cost:  $30 per person

Now - here's the important parts. The event is limited to 40 party-goers, and already spots have gone! Also, your tickets must be purchased in advance - no sales will be available at the door. If you are interested in tickets, please contact Deb Wiley as soon as possible at ddwiley@verizon.net, or call her at (201)314-5291. 

We'll have a link on the left side bar for a flier with a little more info for the event, if you want to forward it to family and friends. Remember - only 40 spots are available, and tickets MUST be purchased in advance. Laura and the staff at Endless Vine always put together fabulous events, and surely this will be no exception! 

In advance, Team Town Cycle thanks you, Pete and Kelly thank you, and of course Mr. Marty thanks you, as always, for all of your generosity! Hopefully we see you all at the Endless Vine on Tuesday, June 7th! 

It's all about the kids!

The weather is looking sketchy for the weekend, so with the kids (and a lot of grown-ups!) off from work on Friday, we're going to do a Juniors in the Jungle kids pre-ride on Friday, April 22. We'll meet at the gate at Jungle Habitat at 3 p.m. Please note: the gate will NOT be opened for this ride, so be prepared to shepherd your junior up and down the hill! We'll break up into a few small groups and check out what's in store for our Juniors in the Jungle race next weekend! Even if you are not going to race next week, you are welcome to join us.


If you are available earlier in the day, we could use your help as we rake off some of the trails and check for any rogue face slappers on the race course! If you are interested and available, drop us a note at info@teamtowncycle.com, and we'll hook you up with our group.


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A quick note about one of our favorite kids, Marty. Next week, Marty will be traveling to Beth Israel Hospital to have a gastric feeding tube inserted. This will make it easier for him to get the nutrition he needs, but which his body has a hard time processing. Please keep Marty, Pete and Kelly in your thoughts next week. We'll update you on his progress soon! 


Speaking of Marty, we're working on another fundraiser for Marty's Fund! Mark this date on your calendar - June 7th, 6:30 p.m. We're going to be holding a wine tasting event to benefit Marty's Fund at the wonderful Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes. Laura and her amazing staff are ironing out the details, and we'll update you soon on the all the nitty gritty! 

Another awesome night for Marty!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Raise a Glass for Marty night on Wednesday! The music was great, the wine fantastic, and the company sublime! Everyone who attended was extraordinarily generous, and we were able to add over $1,400 to Marty's Fund! 

So many amazing people contributed to the success of the evening .... Special thanks to Pat Bianco and Mood Swing, as well as David Keyes for the wonderful music and their generosity. Thanks also to Deb Wiley and Heather Kahl for their help in organizing and telling Marty's story. And our most heartfelt thanks to Laura, her family, and the staff of Endless Vine for hosting such a wonderful evening. Every bit of money we raised will go toward helping Marty and his family as they battle his Cystic Fibrosis. We hope that the day will come soon when we won't have to work on beating the CF monster - but in the meantime, we're so very grateful for all the people who have Marty's back! 

Thank you again from all of us here at Team Town Cycle! 

Reminder - Raise a Glass for Marty is tomorrow!

Much thanks to Annie McBride at the Franklin Lakes Patch for the lovely article she wrote about Marty and our fundraiser at the Endless Vine. You can read it online here . 

And don't forget about tomorrow night at the Endless Vine - good music, good wine - and a chance to raise a few dollars for Marty's Fund! Info is here, or email us at info@teamtowncycle.com .  See you there!

Raise a glass for Marty!

We gave you a hint last week, but now we're ready to announce it - a night out to support Marty! Laura of the Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes has very generously offered to host an evening in honor of Marty. Join us as PAT BIANCO & MOOD SWING (Pete Levin, John Cariddi, Rich Crane) with DAVID J. KEYES play at the Endless Vine on Wednesday, March 16, at 8:30 p.m. Admission will be free, and in lieu of a tip jar, a donation jar will be set out for Marty's Fund. More info about the evening can be found here, and directions and info about the Endless Vine can be found here.

We're so unbelievably grateful to Laura and everyone at the Endless Vine for hosting this evening, to Pat Bianco and Mood Swing for playing for the evening, and to everyone else who has joined us along the way to help out Marty, Pete, and Kelly. We hope you can come out and join us for this fun mid-week break from the grind! Good music, good wine, good friends - for a good cause.... doesn't get any better than that, right? 

As always, please let us know if you have any questions - info@teamtowncycle.com. 

A reminder and a teaser!

Just popping in for a quick reminder - tomorrow night is the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Suffern, NY - more details here. 

Also - reserve the evening of March 16 on your social calendar. Why? Here are a few hints - wine, good music, and Marty! Stay tuned - details coming soon! 

Bowling for Marty Party!

We wanted to tell you about a fundraiser that one of Kelly Tranes' friends is holding for Marty. Danielle Scheurich, who is holding this fundraiser as a part of her senior year project, is having a Bowl for Marty Party on Feb 5th from 6pm-9pm at Pin Street Bowling Alley on Route 94 in Warwick NY (across from Shop Rite). Tickets cost $15 and entitle the buyer to 3 games, food, drinks, shoes and music! Danielle will also be selling some "Marty's Mega Fans" bracelets at the party as well. Proceeds will benefit both the Tranes family and the Great Strides Foundation. 

For more information, please contact Danielle directly at danielle4993@yahoo.com . We hope you can come out and support Danielle, Marty, and the Great Strides foundation, which does such great work on behalf of those afflicted with CF. 

And thanks Danielle!!!

Housekeeping

Howdy all -

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family! Have a few housekeeping items to catch up on, so here goes ...

• It's membership renewal time! Many of you renewed at the Team Town Cycle dinner last month - thank you! For those of you who didn't, please find our very short renewal form here. You can either return it to the P.O. Box, or drop it off at Town Cycle at your convenience. We'd like to wrap up renewals by the end of the year, if possible.
• One last, final, absolutely final final - no really, we mean it this time - FINAL call for TTC kit orders! We need your order forms in, and PAID IN FULL, by Saturday, December 4. As above, you can mail them to the P.O. Box or drop them off at Town Cycle. If you need an order form, let us know - we'll get one out to you. 
• A few lost and found items from our fabulous Party 4 Marty - all kids items. Pink fleece jacket size 2t from L.L. Bean, white vest full zipper size L with little pink palm tree on the front(Lilly Pulitzer), dark red jacket full zip from Tony Hawk size 10/12 Kohls. Let us know if any of these things belongs to you - we'll make arrangements to get them back to you. 
• Finally, and importantly - for those of you who are riding out in the woods - please remember both firearm deer hunting season and bear hunting season starts on December 6 and continues until December 11. Most state park properties are involved in these seasons, so please take that into consideration when you make your plans for riding next week! More information about hunting in NJ state parks can be found here. 

As always, any questions - drop us a line at info@teamtowncycle.com! 

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!

Reminder - our Party for Marty is November 20!!

Hey everyone - 

Just a quick reminder that we are still gathering donations for our auction to help out our little buddy Marty. Missed Marty's story? Read all about it here . 

A couple of items:

1. All of the donations need to be received by November 12 (and yes, you can bring them to our TTC dinner!). If you need help with that, drop us a line here, and we can definitely work with you. We need the items in advance so we can prepare the items, the bidding sheets, etc.
2. After some consideration, we are only accepting new items for donation. However, we did get a suggestion of having a flea market fundraiser in the spring, and it's something we're definitely thinking about. So hold onto those great gently used items and we'll see what we can pull off in the spring! 
3. We've had a bunch of great offers for food for the evening - whoohoo! We need an bit more of an accurate count of exactly what is being brought - even if it is not 100% specific, if you can narrow it down to "dessert item" or "veggies" or "dip" - that would be great. This way we won't wind up with 15 offers of brownies and one cheese plate .... although actually, that might not be so bad ... 
4. In addition to items for donation, we need people to come and buy our auction items on the 20th! Please spread the word to your friends, neighbors, etc. It cost nothing to come, we'll have drinks and snacks all evening, and it's for a great cause. Do a little holiday shopping while you are there, build up some good kharma points, and have a fun night all - what more could you ask?? 
5. For anyone who would like to donate directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, here is the link to Kelly's page on the CFF site. This year the CFF Great Strides Walk is on May 1, and Marty's Mega Fans team fundraising goal is $5000 for the 2011 walk. To donate, or join them on their walk, click on the link above and find out more! 

Everyone has been so kind and generous as we work to help Pete, Kelly and especially Marty - we are all so humbled and grateful for your support. Keep an eye out as we get closer to our date - we'll give you a sneak peek of some of the great donations we have already received!!

With gratitude -

Team Town Cycle

November dates to remember!

Before you run off to enjoy your weekend, a quick reminder on a few dates for everyone to remember - 

• November 7 - our very own Team Town Cycle cyclocross race at the Hidden Valley Club! We need volunteers and racers - so come on out! 
• November 12 - our annual Team Town Cycle dinner! Attendance is free for current (as in dues paying!) club members or anyone who joins that night. Once again we'll be at the High Crest Lodge in West Milford from 7-10 p.m. - hope you can join us!
• November 20 - our Party for Marty! Help us establish a trust fund for one of our own! Admission is free - we'll have drinks and snacks - and bring your wallet! More info can be found here!

So save these dates today - and as always, let us know if you have any questions! 

Have a great weekend! 

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.