This, you'll never believe!!

        So I'm pretty proud of myself for convincing Bob Evans Managers, my Orthotist, my boss, my brother who only rode a Harley, and even my Pharmacist into riding, but you will never believe who else I managed to wrangle... Look down... Yep!! the Sylvania fire department!! 

    Well maybe not the whole  department (at least not yet...) but Greg Wilcox and Brad Mauk, my new BFFs are seriously interested in riding!  

     How in the world did that happen you ask?!?!  Well they happened to be in DMC Tech Group, where I work, doing their routine fire inspection, and my news video, "taking MS Head on", that was on TV the night before just happened to be recorded on my phone, and I was pretty proud of it.  Of course after some idle chit chat I was showing Brad the video:)  Brad told me he almost rode in The Bike To The Bay a few years ago, and that was all I needed to hear;)

     Before long Greg joined in the conversation and mentioned his aunt has MS, and now you have to know he was in! Here's the picture, and as you know, they don't pose if they don't mean it.

     The good news is, if one of us happens to be riding so fast that we're burning rubber we have some fire fighters on our team!

Thanks guys:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Thank you everyone that helped us with our second Bob Evans fundraiser!!

    Thank you so much for helping us with our second Bob Evans fundraiser!!  Of course I had to make my way over there for Breakfast, lunch and dinner once again.  I'm starting to think I may want to invest in Bob Evans stock:)

     Every little bit helps, so if you were able to make it over there Wednesday, know we really appreciate it.  And keep in mind we'll have another Bob Evans fundraiser on May 21st, so mark your calendars again and please help us out!!

     As I mentioned, my goal is to see my team raise 25,00.00 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Bike To The Bay, and I know with all the caring people in this community we can do it!!

Thank you so much!!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

*CHECK OUT THE NEWS VIDEO ON ABC NEWS:)

Curiosity may kill the cat but it also gets me potential riders:)

     

     I told you I didn't get all of my team members by my looks; and yes, I do my share of going after my target.  But  in this case it may have been a "look" that drummed up the interest of my next potential rider.

     I was at Bob Evans Restaurant on Monroe Street Saturday morning with my mom and friends, as I do every week, and it was a busy Saturday; places to go and people to see... so as I was scrambling out the door (and remember my mind wants to move faster than my crazy leg) another one of the managers Jeff Montreuil, whom I hadn't yet had a chance to corner, asked me what I did (you know, the limp...).  In a hurried fashion I said "Nerve damage, MS:)" and was going to keep moving.  But then I backed up and said "Hey...! ya know the fundraiser you guys are doing for the Bike To The Bay??"  He said " yes".  I said "Well that's me!! Ya wanna ride??"  And he too said he was totally interested!  He mentioned asking others to ride as well! 

    How I missed this prospect for so long is beyond me, but he's in my web now!  I and if he joins my team and brings others on board too, this could be awesome!! Lets hope it works out for Jeff:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

     

IF you're thinking about it, please sign up soon:)

     Well this Friday Joe Nugent will be interviewing me about The Bike To The Bay and then airing it on ABC news next Monday, and I would love nothing more than to be able to say we made our goal of fifty riders on Team Leapfrog:)  Even if we come close to our number it might get others to register and help us out.  

     So if you're just waiting for the right time to sign up this would be a great one!  Please help make this team impressive so we can live up to the idea that we're going on a leap of faith that we can make a huge difference to beat this disease:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

What about my pharmacist??

     By now you've probably realized there isn't anyone in my world I won't try to get on my team, but my pharmacist?!?!  Yep!!  It all started when I told my pharmacist, Jeff Naegele, from Rite Aid Pharmacy, to check out my blog and read my post about getting my flu shot.  This was where I got my shot and I thought he might get a kick out of reading it. 

     He said he's looking forward to checking it out.  Well the next time I was in I asked him if he saw the post and he admitted he hadn't gotten a chance.  Of course I gave him another one of my cards and told him he would really enjoy reading it.

     Low and behold, the next time I was in he said he finally went to my blog and checked it out.  He said he was glad I was persistent because he really liked it. Then he told me he has a friend with MS.  So we all know what happened next... Yep, I said "Hey!! Join my team!!"  And how do you turn down someone with such persistence?!?!  But some people say yes just to make me happy (or shut me up!),so I asked him to promise he would sign up and he promised he would that night.

     A couple days went by and I didn't see his name, so back in I went (remember, I don't give up on ANYTHING!)  He had a big smile and said "I know, I meant to but got busy; I promise I'll sign up tonight!".  I had to take a picture as proof and I told him to look for it on my blog, so there's no backing out.  He assured me he was serious, and he had a friend he planned on asking to join as well.

     He didn't let me down!  You can check out Team Leapfrog on the BTTB website and see his name on my team:)  Call it bullying if you want, but some people just need a friendly little nudge to take that leap of faith!! You don't think I got all these team members with my looks... ;)
Thanks Jeff!!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

Why not piggyback on one MS Society fundraiser for another!!

  

   The past few years I've walked in the Walk MS and raised money for MS research that way.  I had a lot of very generous people help me on my mission.

     Now that I'm riding in the Bike MS  "Bike To The Bay", I felt like I needed to focus on this event, so rather than ask all of my wonderful friends to help me twice this year, I wouldn't walk and focus on the Bike.

     However, when I was at a "Bike To The Bay" planning committee meeting, Alberta Hunt from the National MS Society asked if anyone could sit and man the Bike MS booth at the Walk.  Of course most of the eyes looked down because you know if you make eye contact then you will certainly be delegated.

     But you know me, I don't really care for that awkward silence so I said I would.  I asked Alberta what time I needed to be there and she said from 7:00 AM until I turned 65!  What did I get myself into!?  

     Then after a couple of days it occurred to me that I could dip into this pool for some more prospects for my team.  I figured it wouldn't be a conflict of interest because the Walk was already taking place so I wouldn't feel guilty pulling potential  prospects from the Walk.  They would either be psyched up from having just done the walk and want to get involved in the Bike MS, or ready to keel over, then ask me if I was crazy.



     I was sure to wear my cute "Team Leapfrog" shirt so if nothing else maybe I could promote our team that way. I wasn't getting my hopes up though; I mean, these people were probably already exhausted from doing the walk and the Bike MS was probably the furthest thing from their minds.

     Well I was wrong.  I couldn't believe how many people were interested in riding in the Bike To The Bay.  It did make sense though.  A lot of walkers were there because they had a loved one with MS or they themselves had it.

     At this point I decided to pull out my "MS card".  I have it, I may as well use it;)  Anyone who even glanced for a second at the Bike MS literature was now a candidate for my team.  The funny thing was, almost every person who stopped at the Bike booth was interested in riding.  And when I told them I have MS and that's why I started team leapfrog they immediately wanted to be on my team.

     I gave out quite a few of my Leapfrog cards and now I'll just wait to see how many new riders I get for my team. Fingers crossed that my team will be bigger than ever!  Remember, My goal is now 50, but that could change because we're already at 32.

      As always the turnout for the walk was overwhelming, and it was amazing to see how many people from our community wanted to help in this cause.

     I also ran into a couple of my team members which I hadn't met yet, as well as my friend and fellow blogger Nani, who also has MS and just recently completed the training to become the MS support group leader in this area!  Congrats Nani!

     The biggest reward I received from volunteering at the  Walk was seeing how many people truly wanted to help us in our fight to cure MS.  Now I'm even more excited to see the same enthusiasm  at the Bike To The Bay!!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

No one is exempt from my begging:)

     Just when I thought I had exhausted all of my resources there was another prospect for my team right under my nose.  Of course the only way I find these hidden treasures is through my idle chit-chat.

     After I was finished answering the phones at DMC I went down to the workout room to do my training on the bike.  Jason from Gem Energy Services happened to be in there Doing some repair work and of course I told him I was going to ride the stationary bike to train for the Bike To The Bay, and I also told him I have MS, as if he really cared...

BTW, look on the counter! What day is it?? It's huuump daaay:)

     Well to my surprise he said "oh really?!  My Aunt has MS", to which I replied "oh really!?!?  You realize now you just have to ride for her!!"  I'm sure you can guess what happened next... he was totally in!  Then he said he would also ask his wife and father to ride too.  Some people might think I tend to run off at the mouth, but see... how else am I gonna find these hidden treasures:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Another milestone!!!

   Can you believe we have over 30 riders (32 at last count) on our team already!?!?!  I can!!!  You guys are awesome!! When I started this journey I would have loved to shoot for 50, but even 25 actually seamed unimaginable. 

      Now that I blew past the 30 you just know I can't quit until I reach that 50 mark. I know my great friends won't let me down and I can see my goal of 50 riders in the horizon; we can do this!!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Sponsor number seven

   

   We had Six sponsors for our team shirts already and then Lori Coleman, one of our team members asked her boss who owns Mike's Southwest Grill and of course he said yes!!  Who wouldn't want to help us out:)  Mike knows this a great cause and I'm forever grateful for his generosity.

     Of course I had to get a picture with Lori and Bill, both team members, and of course I had to try the food while I was there as well!  I have to tell you, if you've never had grilled Tilopia tacos, they are out of this world!  They pair well with Margaritas, or so I've heard;) Check Mike's out!

Remember the fund raiser at Bob Evans today!!!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)



     

     

Another Bob Evans General Manager on my team... WHAT?!?!

   

  So I simply went into the Bob Evans on Central avenue to drop off a T-shirt flyer to add to the Bob Evans fundraiser flyer they already had, and to see if the General Manager might be available to join us at the news media event, but would you believe, the GM Matt Wienner said he wants to ride too?!?!  Not only does he want to ride but he plans to ask his wife and several others there as well.  How cool is this?!?!

     What I've discovered through all of this is there are a lot of people who would love to help out someway, but they just needed someone to invite them to do it.

     I told you our team would make it to 50 riders so I have some more work ahead of me, but don't you worry; My job's not done:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)
Don't forget to dine at Bob Evans this Wednesday, March 19th, and bring in a flyer or mention us and 15% of the sales will go to Team Leapfrog and Team Sitting Bull!!

I promised at least 25 riders...

     Well I did it!  I told you I would have at least 25 riders on my team and we just recently got our 25th official rider! Now we have over 25! Check out our team! The rest is gravy, but I'm not done yet!!

Watch me... maybe 50?!?!  Don't tempt me!!  Wish  me (or should I say us?) luck!!!!

  Please join us and help me prove we can do this!


Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

Time to kick some MS tail!

     Remember in a previous post I said I could pretend I'm a Ninja?  Well you and I both know that is one battle I would never win; I couldn't hurt a fly ( the fly might die laughing though).  

     However, now that I have my team under way and the wheels are turning I'm ready to do what I said I planned to do when I started this journey, and that was to try to lick MS.  

     The harder we try and the more money our team raises gets us that much closer to ending MS once and for all.

     So if you want to see me lose the goofy outfit,  please help me with my battle before I start scaring small animals or worse, I could be committed:) I guess I'm just a legend in my own mind...

Please join my team or sponsor us.  We can do this!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

What does a humble girl with MS look like??

          Remember a few posts ago I had a picture similar to this titled "what does MS look like"??  Well this a picture of someone who's very grateful for so many people wanting to help my team; whether its riding or sponsoring me.

     Way back in the summer I told the folks at the Local National MS Society that I meant business and I promised I could get at least 25 riders and probably more to ride on my newly formed team.  Someone suggested I have a team goal of 25,000.00 for the 25th anniversary.  I'll admit that is a very far fetched goal and It may seem impossible, but you should know me by now; nothing is impossible until I've exhausted every effort. Just watch me try:) We can do it!!

     When I was first talking about starting a team I asked a lot of my friends and family who assured me they would ride. I know this is a commitment and I really hoped they would be able to come through for me, but I also didn't blame them if they wanted to bail because sometimes I wonder what I got myself into, not even knowing what 35 miles looks like outside of a car.

     Well my friends didn't let me down, and so many of those who can't ride for a number of reasons, be it schedule or otherwise, graciously offered to sponsor me or buy a team shirt!  Look at how many riders I have now!!  and don't forget the awesome team committee and team sponsors:)

     So now you know what a humble girl with MS looks like:)  Thanks friends!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Please join our team or sponsor us!!
msohiobike.org

OR BUY A TEAM LEAPFROG SHIRT:)

Lets talk about these shirts!!

  

   I've said it over and over and I seriously mean it;  I have some really cool friends!  They never batted an eye when I showed them the team leapfrog shirts, the guys included.  I know they're a little crazy but in a very cute way:)

     And this isn't about looking cool, but doing something really cool for a really great cause.  You can imagine my surprise when non riders started inquiring about purchasing a shirt as well.

     So now our team is officially selling our team leapfrog shirts and even if you choose to use them to wash your car we would be so grateful if you would help us hit our seemingly impossible goal by purchasing one.

     If interested you can contact one of our team members or email me at kajfaszchristine@gmail.com with your size.  We're suggesting a donation of 20.00 but any additional donations are very much appreciated:)

  We're also still gladly welcoming more sponsors for our  shirts.  Please consider advertising your business and show your support!  Our goal is to have the back of our shirts covered!!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

msohiobike.org

Pink trend setter or retro

     Yes, I've always been obsessed with pink and my recent history gave me all the more reason to embrace the color as well.  For many years I've walked in the "Walk MS"  and  volunteered at the "Bike MS/ Bike-To-The-Bay".  As much of a passion as I have for this cause I have to except that the color that represents MS is orange.

     However, when I decided to actually ride in the Bike-To-The-Bay I just knew I had to make my team shirts pink, if not to stand out, then to give me strength.  So many of my friends supported me in my crazy request and never batted an eye, but a few questioned me as to why "pink" when the MS color is clearly orange... My only answer was "because I love pink" and that was good enough for me.

     Then I finally had a theory to back up my crazy rebellious decision.  For the past five or so years I've been meeting some friends for breakfast at Bob Evans on Saturday mornings and by now they were all quite aware of my obsession.  Just recently one of the ladies, Maryann, came in with a small box for me.  She said it was an antique.

     While she was helping a friend move they ran across something that made her think of me.  Inside the box was a scarf from the Walk MS dated 1992!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  Did the MS color used to be pink or was someone else a rebel just like me?

                     

    I did some research and couldn't find anything to support a theory, so I figured I would come up with one of my own.  I think the color started out as pink and over the years as people became more color blind they eventually called it orange (hey, it's my theory...).

      Of course I can't tell you for certain why it's orange now, but I can honestly say at one point someone besides me had a true love for pink!!  So pink shirts it is:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Please sponsor me or join my team:) msohiobike.org

    

Thank you awesome friends!

          I am so grateful for all of you who signed up to join my team already!  I knew I had a lot of awesome friends, and this just proves it!  I have faith that the rest of you will come through too:)

     I had mentioned that the first day registration was only ten dollars, then I was also informed that it was free for first time riders, which was really cool!  But the even better news is that I discovered new riders have free registration even after the first day.  Just go to the discount code and type in: NEWRIDER2014.

     Lucky for us, most of my team mates are new riders!  So if you haven't signed up yet, please do so soon and help me grow my team:)

     Of course with most of my team being first time riders (myself included), I'm confident that I will have riders on my team who have been through this before to show us the ropes.  We're counting on you!

The direct link to the Bike-To-The-Bay registration is:

msohiobike.org

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

My team is so much more than just riders

     When I started building my team for the bike to the bay I knew I wanted it to be epic, not only by the number of riders but the total impact made by all of those helping in other ways as well.

     The riders are only a part of this puzzle; there are many others who have already and will continue to help team leap frog make a huge impact this year.

     Of course you remember Michael Jackson, who insisted on getting my "rode tires" giving me more incentive to follow through on this ride, And then there's Robert Hannon, the ace of bicycle logistics and knowledge of riding in general. I know I'll be counting on his expertise. 

    Robert rode 150 miles last year and due to his MS taking it's toll on the ride, this year he plans to put his talents to better use and help make the ride safer for all the rest of the riders.  He also plans to hold a fundraiser at "The Black Kite Coffee shop" in the spring and I'm sure Michael will be his right hand man!  I know I plan to be there:)

     Karen Evans is also a very important member of team leap frog; her great knowledge in the creation of "Leapfrog4MS" has been a wonderful tool and as we get closer to the ride I plan to link it to other websites and promote my team like crazy.

     Of course Alison Wait created the cute little frogs, and what would my team be with out them:)

     As you probably know, this ride is by no means a race, but a funnel to give others a chance to help all of those affected by MS.  That being said, the whole purpose of the teams is to raise as much money and awareness as possible so we can conquer this disease once and for all.

                                                  
     Take a look again at "Team Leapfrog", under "riders" you will also see a list of "team supporters" which like the riders, keeps continuing to grow.  If you're not riding then please join us anyway, and help us make this year huge!!  We're counting on you:)

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)


     

Yes I did; I roped more riders!!

      Well, I did it again!  I was at my brother Doug's 50th birthday party and started talking about how Doug was riding in the Bike To The Bay, and before long I had his friend Rob Sheppard roped in to riding too.  Of course when I hear those words "I'm riding" I need to get proof so here it is!  No backing out now Rob:)

   

   I knew all along Doug's wife, my sister-in-law Billi was riding but I never had proof so once again, here it is! Done:)

       Then low and behold, one of Doug's best friends, Bill LeVally was there and his soon to be wife, Lori was now on board as well.  Bill has a boat and he plans to cover the hard part of showing up at Port Clinton with the beer:). Oh... And he's hopeful his boat club will sponsor our team;)

     As you can see it doesn't take much to get people involved and now I'm off to find my next victoms:)  Wish me luck!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

The holidays are over so it's time to get serious

     Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get down to business!  After all, it is the "2014 Bike-To-The-Bay" that we're talking about, and now it's 2014!

     I've been anxiously awaiting the time where I could officially start asking for help to make the 25th celebration huge, and this is the time!

     Time to start the begging:)  If you can ride, please ride with me and my team.  If you're not sure if you can ride, please try... I am!!  and if its not something that fits your schedule or ability then please sponsor my team so we can all work to wipe out this insidious disease for all of our friends and loved ones!

We can do this!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

My team list so far...

  

   Well I guess the pink team shirts haven't scared anyone off; I am so excited about all of the people I have committed so far!  Look up here at the "Team Leapfrog" page and click on it. You can see how many team members I have already.  

     The official Bike To The Bay registration is coming very soon and I'm very overwhelmed by all of the great people inspired to ride!  Please start thinking about it and help me grow this list:)

     With all of the amazing people in this world anxious to put an end to this disease, I know the list will be huge!  Just say the word and I'll add your name!  We can do this!!



Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)