What are some good cycling fundraising ideas?
So i have been a huge supporter of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and recently my grandfather passed of cancer. I was hoping to raise money for livestrong, but i would prefer it is not some measly amount. I was wondering if anybody had good (original) ideas on how to raise money. I was hoping for something that is fun and that people would want to be involved with and something that has to do with cycling would be that much better because i truly love the sport and it fits with the charity. Any ideas would be appreciated so i could put something together. Thanks so much.
~Jess
Hi Jess:
I am a cyclist and have raised money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, too! I am also a cancer survivor, so thank you for all you are doing. I am sure your grandfather would be proud of your efforts.
Since you are a cyclist, and cyclists love to rally around this cause, you could:
Design a limited edition cycling jersey and sell it for a profit. You could use fun slogans like, “I dropped cancer”, “Racing cancer out of the pace line…” Just do a search for “cycling jersey” manufactures to find some resources. Some do smaller quantities. Have people pre-pay so you don’t have to lay out the cash. Obviously, you have to mark them up, so there is money to donate. You could get a cycling shop to sponsor the jerseys in exchange for their logo going on them.
Or, if you like to throw a party, you could rent (or get donated) a reception hall and throw a big event with donated food and wine. Or have all of your cycling friends bring a potluck item. Charge a donation to get in. Show a tape of one of Lance’s Tour de France wins to inspire everyone!
We love the Belgium classics, and throw a “Flanders Party” every year to watch Tour of Flanders. We serve typical Belgium food. You could do a french theme, and italian theme (during the Giro), etc. You get the picture. Just put out some authentic food and have people do BYOB. You know, cyclists don’t need a lot of reason to get together and talk about the morning training ride/race 
Finally, don’t under estimate using online fundraising. There are resources online that you can easily (in fact LIVESTRONG must have this) customize a webpage. Try to figure out how to make your fundraising request go viral, if you have some internet marketing skill or you tube skills? Remember, there is hardly a person who has not been impacted by cancer in some way. Just tell your story.
I just remembered one more idea — in fact, I am going to get this for my husband for Christmas. I found these artists who do caricatures of athletes on bikes. They also do running and swimming, in case any of your friends are triathletes. Maybe you could take orders for their “cycling caricatures” for a donation (again, would have to exceed the actual cost). I put the link below for you….
Good luck to you!
LIVESTRONG.
Annie
LIVESTRONG Indoor Cycling (BeYourOwnHero)