Why World Bicycle Relief?

Click the image at right to make a donation or track our fundraising progress.

In a matter of minutes you could provide a young girl or boy with a reliable bicycle to get to school and home! And please, if you want to donate in memory or honor of someone you love/miss I would love to hear about it!

For every single mile that we successfully pedal I will be personally donating $1 to the World Bicycle Relief in memory of two amazing guys: My dad, Don J. Kauth and my dear friend, Billy Grey who passed away after courageously fighting a brain tumor for a year and half. He died just two months before my dad on July 13, 2001 just shy of his 13th birthday. Billy was the kind of kid that said things that made you think he may have lived another life at some point. Even though I was only just a couple years older, a kid myself, I remember always thinking he was more mature than most adults. Looking back, I think it was true. He had an amazing way about him that just made everyone love being near him; so easy to smile and so eager to learn and try new things. His whole life he lived as if he knew it was to be too short; he lived for the moment and for the people he truly loved. He is missed everyday by an incredible amount of people. It certainly hurts to think of what kind of things he’d be into by now. He surely would have done great things. His father and mother are both very active in raising funds to change the outcome for other kids in similar circumstances. Ken Grey, also an avid cyclist, holds annual bike races in our hometown of Saratoga Springs, NY to raise money for the National Brain Tumor Society which I will be participating in this year. I encourage you to check out their cause! I’ve provided a link to information about their mission and upcoming race at the bottom right hand side of this site, under “Blogroll”.

My goal is to raise a whopping $15,000 to sponsor an entire school in Africa in memory of Billy and my dad! If we met this goal, every kid in that school could get their own bicycle and two mechanics would be sponsored to travel there, set them up and teach basic bike maintenance to a handful of “elders” who would be named responsible for making sure the bikes remain in the hands of those chosen. We would be given an exact GPS location of the school, a photograph of all the kids with their new bikes and testimonials to how the bicycles will enhance their lives:) It is a lofty yet doable goal. We can do it! This is a cause I know Billy and Don would strongly support. My dad was my first bike riding pal: I started out in the back seat on his bike until he taught me how to ride and we’d ride in silence together taking in the beauty of our own small neighborhood. It was the bicycle he bought me that was the key to my independent mobility to get to his home when my parents split when I was just seven. I remember vividly as he excitedly showed me the small, safe trail I could ride through to get to his new house from mom’s “any time I ever wanted!” And that’s what I did. Every weekend. Thanks, Dad!

Billy was my first long distance biking pal. Billy, I will never forget those glorious early mornings on Plum Island when we would trek from our vacation home to the windy beaches 30 miles away! I remember how good we would feel after accomplishing such a feat, both of us so young yet so committed to keeping up with Ken, the pro. For you, Billy and for my dad who loved you too for the friendship you showed me and for the courage you demonstrated to everyone, we will raise $15,000 for kids who don’t get bikes as easily as we did. Because every kid deserves a bike, please help me meet this goal and donate what you can. Every little bit counts towards the end goal! Thank you so much!