I got an email blast from my neighborhood bike store yesterday, and in a moment of optimism or madness I signed up for an event they advertised: The 26th Annual Bop to the Top. Tired of taking part in horizontal races, I’ve chosen to partake in a vertical race up 37 floors of the One America building in downtown Indianapolis. No, I haven’t been training. No, I can’t remember the last time I was on a Stairmaster. But I’m still in fairly good shape and this sounds like a lark, so I paid my registration fee and now I have to show up.
The race is also a fundraiser for the Riley Children’s Hospital, Indiana’s first and only pediatric facility. My blog gets a lot of visitors, and it occurred to me that if every one of you just gave $1 we could raise over a thousand dollars for sick kids. If you want to sponsor me, visit my fundraising page. It’s too bad I didn’t hear about this event sooner or else I could have nagged you for money for at least a month :) I’ve set a fundraising goal of $500 and I want to see if we can reach that goal in just 3 days. I bet we can do it! Instead of putting change into a vending machine at 3 o’clock, why not donate it to help change someone’s life? It will surely be easier than climbing to the 37th floor like I’m going to do.
Thanks in advance for your donations!
ETA: I just had an idea, so I’m editing this entry. If you sponsor me on my race and you have a blog or web site, I will link to you in the post I write about the event. Hopefully that will motivate some of you to give! After you give, contact me with your name and link and I’ll include it in my post next week.
Vicky says
January 21, 2009 at 10:12 amGood luck!
Sounds fun (??) to do something a bit different – even though I’m cringing at the fact that they have a “big girl” category. (And cringing even more that I’m well over that weight…!)
PastaQueen says
January 21, 2009 at 10:15 am@Vicky – Yeah, I thought that was stupid too. If I weighed 165 pounds I would look awesome, not like a “big girl.” It also seems dumb because there are 3 categories for big guys but just one for big girls. Oh, well! I’ll just think of all the sick kids I’m helping and get over it.
Lisa says
January 21, 2009 at 10:16 amI’m really enjoying watching your donations go higher and higher!! I am trying to spread the word for you and RT on Twitter (lesslisa) and also posted on my site.
Good luck!
deanna says
January 21, 2009 at 10:34 amGreat idea, great cause, made my donation!!! And too funny about the links and the “Big Girl” categories; in the local 5ks and stuff they have “Athena’s” and “Cyldesdals” … yea so inspiring!!! Nevertheless, kick some serious ass!!!!!!
SarahD says
January 21, 2009 at 10:51 amI challenge all of the other lurkers…give a dollar (or more). Show you support for our Queena and needy kids!
Meg says
January 21, 2009 at 11:32 amWooo! I’m all in! Good luck! Donation made and email sent, I’m planning on making a post promoting this with a link back to you to get more people involved, that ok?
-Meg
Naantje says
January 21, 2009 at 12:00 pmI don’t own any creditcard and sending a check/money order alle the way over the ocean to the United States would probably cost my more than I could afford to donate. Still I think this is a very good cause you’re running for! Thirty-seven flights of stairs, that sounds … Well, totally frightning! Good luck, and get there safely!
(I have this thing with stairs… Either I bump my toes/legs or I slip and stuf. Be careful!)
Farrah says
January 21, 2009 at 12:26 pmGood Luck and have fun! :-)
Leslie says
January 21, 2009 at 1:19 pmGood luck! I think I’ve only commented once before, but hey, I’m all about good causes… I just donated and it looked like you’re almost at your goal already. That rocks!
Also, I’ve seen “big girl” categories in stuff before, but never actually called something like “Big Girl” or “Big Big Guy.” That’s rather silly of them.
Happy climbing!
Lisa says
January 21, 2009 at 1:28 pmLooks like you just might make your goal in ONE DAY!!! WOOT! That is so great!
Lisa says
January 21, 2009 at 1:43 pmLooks like you just might make your goal in ONE DAY!!! WOOT! That is so great!
Beth M. says
January 21, 2009 at 1:49 pmYou really are almost there in one day! I threw $5 in the pot too :-) I have family up in Indianapolis who I will pass the word onto!
PastaQueen says
January 21, 2009 at 2:18 pmWow, y’all, that was quick! We’ve already reached $500. Thank you SO much. I’ve reset the fundraising goal to $750 to give you something more to strive towards. I bet we can do it!
nicole says
January 21, 2009 at 2:31 pmSarahD, I accept your challange. Not much for commenting and/or joining in but had to make my contribution. It was only $2 but its something! Thanks PQ for doing this, blog posts like these always inspire (or guilt lol) me into taking action no matter how small it is.
victoria says
January 21, 2009 at 2:54 pmYou raised $500 in like, one morning. Did you know your website had so much power?
PastaQueen says
January 21, 2009 at 3:02 pm@victoria – Just think what I could do if I sold Girl Scout cookies :)
Marshmallow says
January 21, 2009 at 4:48 pmWoot, donated! Best of luck to you girl, you are a braver woman than I :-D
Emma says
January 21, 2009 at 7:06 pmHey, we did the CN Tower (147 stories) climb here in Toronto back in November, and will be doing it again in April. The worst bit was them not allowing us bring drinks with us. It was great, albeit not too much fun to be passed by some people 2 and 30 years older than me. Your race will be a blast!
Jenna says
January 21, 2009 at 7:23 pmYou rock!
workout mommy says
January 21, 2009 at 9:32 pmok, I threw my donation in there. Run (climb?) like the wind PQ! :)
Amy says
January 21, 2009 at 10:34 pmDang, now I’m thinking about doing it!
Amy says
January 21, 2009 at 11:48 pmGood luck to you. I’m certain I couldn’t make 37 flights — I have trouble managing the 3 flights to my office.
Perry says
January 22, 2009 at 7:46 amCan’t wait to hear the gory details….best of luck on a superb idea and adventure!
Levi says
January 22, 2009 at 11:01 amI always wanted to do a couple races like this in Boston and Chicago, but never got a chance. Have fun!
Lisa says
January 22, 2009 at 2:28 pmUnbelieveable!!! You have more than doubled your original goal!! WOOT!!!!
maggieapril says
January 23, 2009 at 9:52 amGreat idea – using your power for good and not evil. Wow, you’re moving in on $1200. Best of luck!!