A fantastic start to fundraising!

Hello, and welcome to my first 4K for Cancer blog post! 

I wasn’t expecting to start documenting this experience so soon but I also wasn’t expecting things to accelerate so quickly. After months of researching the 4K, drafting and redrafting my application responses, and making hypothetical packing lists I finally decided to go for it and apply. Honestly, I really just needed something exciting to look forward to! After applying I was able to do a phone interview with the 4K program coordinator, and just a few hours later I was invited to join the team. It’s been a week since I officially registered and I have been absolutely blown away by the outpouring of support I have received, both from donations and words of encouragement. I’ve crossed lots of goals off my fundraising schedule, but perhaps the most exciting one was crossing the $1500 mark just two days into fundraising- I’m now eligible to get my 4K bike! More on that on my FAQ page. 

Already having reached around 75% of my minimum goal is a huge relief- fundraising is one of my biggest concerns for the next few months, and to see such an incredible show of support from friends, family, and even a few people I’ve never met before is so encouraging. It’s saddening to realize that so many people have been affected by cancer to the extent that they are willing to donate, but it’s also heartwarming to see how much people are willing to give to help the cause. One of the 4K mottos is “Cycle. Inspire. Unite.”, and I’m certainly already feeling unity that I’m sure will be a prevailing theme for the next few months. 

Bringing me to another point: inspiration. I only even know about the 4K for Cancer because my boyfriend James’s sister, Mary, rode with Team Portland in 2013. She maintained a truly impressive blog documenting her entire trip and it was an invaluable resource to me in my research phase. So, after being largely inspired by Mary and her blog, my hope is that by documenting my experience I might inspire some future would-be-4Kers to experience it themselves! I also experience some pretty intense nostalgia from time to time, so it will be nice to have a diary of sorts to look back on once the ride is over. 

It might take some time for this page to be fully functional as I’m currently in the midst of a very chaotic semester (and giving wayyyy too much time to 4K things instead of school things… oops). Not to mention the ride is still seven months away! There will certainly be some slow weeks without much to report on, but in the meantime I’ll be sharing a FAQ page, some more about me, and updates on training and fundraising. 

Thank you all for the support. It truly means more to me than I can express in words. If you haven’t donated yet (or want to donate again 😉 ) you can do so here. You can also subscribe to new blog alerts by entering your email at the bottom of the page. As always, sharing my posts and fundraising page with friends and family is greatly appreciated! 

Much love,

Lauren