2012 BikeMS NYC


BikeMS 2012 Dinner

Last year, the Night Ridah attended the BikeMS Recognition Dinner for Crash Safely in New York with Pete Hayes.

This year, I was able to make it, along with Crystal Bailey and David Sickorez.  They are not only cool neighbors, but regular volunteers with Crash Safely. Crystal also was a virtual rider this year on the team. She also got a new camera recently so happily snapped these photos while the rest of us acted as borderline-mature adults.

This year, the food was better than what the Ridah got:

David and the baby cheeseburger

Why yes, we can has cheezburger!

Amanda and the wiener

It’s just fun to say “beef wiener.”

 

We made it in after BoltBus bended time and space drove us from Boston to New York. We were hungry and happy to have random tiny foods make their way to us on platters.  We were some of the first people at the event, so we were able to pick out a prime spot for the festivities. I brought photos from the shows and spread them out all over the table, figuring that it would be Maybe Sump’MS central.  We were joined by friends from a few of the other bike teams and….

someone from the National board of trustees.  Gulp.  Fortunately, he just asked what the pictures had to do with MS, in a very friendly manner (meaning the he figured there was a story coming).  I was happy to tell him what the photos were, who the bands are and why they were chosen to do the shows. He was impressed with the amount of planning that went into the shows (not to mention Tad’s glitter and The Upper Crust’s outfits).  He got up to give the first speech of the night with a big smile on his face.

The second speaker was an ambassador from NOW (the National MS Society’s big research operation), who talked about the good that fundraising efforts like BikeMS do for research, especially regarding progressive forms of the disease, which still have no medication to stop the disease from getting worse. She has secondary progressive MS and spoke about her downhill slide, until starting a trial for what would come to be called Ampyra. It’s not a disease modifying medication, but it helped her with her major symptom- her inability to walk.  You’d never know it from watching her in the room that night.

Then, the moment were were all waiting for: the awards!

Maybe Sump'ms award

The Maybe Sump’ms were the #24 fundraising team. This includes the corporate teams (who generally out raise the friends and family teams by large margins). We’re determined to be higher up the ladder for 2013. Pete and I were in the top 100 for individual fundraisers.

Pete's award

Pete was #73 as an individual fundraiser.

Amanda's award

Nothing says “Can you tell I’m wearing three shirts?” quite like how I’m standing here.

 

Pete and I both earned the Golden Circle award as well.  That means we had one single donation that was $1,000.00 or more. In my case, that was Crash Safely’s ticket sales.

The Maybe Sump’ms will be registering for the 2013 BikeMS NYC ride soon.  You can join as a regular or virtual rider if you’d like! We’re also working hard on this year’s shows.  Wanna be involved with that?  Drop me a line/comment on this post!


BikeMS Awards Party, Round Two!

We’re getting ready for the BikeMS Awards Party in NYC at the end of the month! So many members of the Maybe Sump’ms went way above and beyond this time that the team is being honored again! This year, I’m bringing along photos from the shows to decorate our dinner table, as well as one of the posters.  No one said we were allowed to decorate, but no one said we weren’t either…

The Night Ridah won’t be able to come with me, so I’m trying to figure out who my guest will be with the plus one. Any Maybe Sump’ms teammates who didn’t get an invite, drop me a line and we’ll head out to the party together. I’ve already asked Maybe Sump’ms virtual rider/Crash Safely all-around all star Crystal Bailey to join the fun, along with her man David (who’s last name I will misspell, so I’m just not going to type it).


What a weekend!

[flagallery gid=3 name=Gallery]

 

Wow!
I’m still recovering from this weekend! Check out just a few of the photos Mick Murray took both nights! There are a TON more, and a bunch from other photographers as well!

Our silent auction for studio time ended on Sunday at 8pm and the winners have all been notified.  In case you’re wondering who to get friendly with really quickly, it’s:

Four hours at Woolly Mammoth Studio with Dave Minehan

Mike Oliver, ‘Hoods fan extraordinaire, won the Woolly time.

A Day in Studio B at Q Division with Ed Valauskas
AND
Two songs mastered at Peerless with Jeff Lipton

Well planned bidding earned Ken Rothman and his band studio time, not only at Q Division but at Peerless as well!

A Day at Zippah with Brian Charles

Frank D’Urso(aka FrankD from the Noise Board) clicked away with Zippah time!

 

Thanks to all of the bands, the Davis Square Theatre and all of the folks who donated raffle and silent auction items!
Thanks to all of the fans who came out, and to new friends met both nights!

MS doesn’t rest, so neither do we.  The ride is 10/21 and next year’s shows are already being planned.

The Upper Crust by Amy Fairchild

 


Meet the Maybe Sump’ms: Crystal

This is Crystal’s first time as a Maybe Sump’ms team member! If you were at Crash Safely last year, you may remember Crystal. She was manning the raffle/auction area and taking pictures both nights.  She’ll be at this year’s shows as well, now she’s a virtual rider.  She’s created the coolest way to get people interested in the shows and donating. Click on Max to be taken right to her page to donate to the Maybe Sump’ms!

max