Remembering a Wonderful Person

Today, Best Buddies employees are taking the day to remember and reflect on the inspiring life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Her dedication to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through the Special Olympics - and influence of the shaping and building of Best Buddies with her son, Best Buddies founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver - guides all of us on a daily basis as we try to make the world a better place. In her honor, we'd like to share a video dedicated to Mrs. Shriver that our friends at Plymouth Rock Studios haves put together.

Find more videos like this on Hollywood East TV


We will continue to celebrate all of Mrs. Shriver's incredible achievements as we get closer to the Audi Best Buddies Challenge Hearst Castle. For more information about this amazing woman, please visit: http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/.

Easy Paced "Get to Know Your Bike" Training Ride

Check it out! On Thursday, July 30th, join Ride Coaches Tim Schneider and Jeremiah Angel for a training ride geared toward the beginners. Folks who are simply interested in finding out some more information about basic bike handling, group ride etiquette, etc. are more than welcome to attend too!

We will be meeting at the Beach Chalet Restaurant on the corner of the Great Hwy and JFK Drive at 5:30 pm. Bike Basics talk will begin shortly there after followed by a 6:00pm ride out. Our route will be short (less than 10 miles) and our speed will be easy. This is a no-drop ride, meaning no one will be left behind! The ride will finish back at the Beach Chalet, so bring some money for tasty post ride beverages!

So grab your helmet and bike and bring your questions and join us!

If you have any questions or to RSVP, please email Tim at: timschneider@bestbuddies.org

See you there!

Happy Hour with the Best Buddies Ride Coaches

Join our Ride Coaches, Jeremiah Angel and Tim Schneider, for an informal gathering at Gordon Biersch Brewery in San Francisco or Palo Alto. These will be a casual social gatherings at the brewery for happy hour and a great chance to meet up with our staff and other riders. Don't forget to invite some of your friends along so that they can learn more about our ride and hopefully join you on the road to the Hearst Castle. We hope to see you there!

San Francisco - Wednesday, July 22
Location - Gordon Biersch Brewery in San Francisco (2 Harrison St. San Francisco, CA 94105)
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Palo Alto - Thursday, July 23
Location - Gordon Biersch Brewery in Palo Alto (640 Emerson St. Palo Alto, CA 94301)
Time: 5:00-7:00 pm

Fundraising Tip of the Week: Tour de France

With the biggest race in the cycling world well underway, the 21-stage, 96th Tour de France gives you a few, creative fundraising opportunities.
1. Throw a viewing party for your friends. Have each person donate a small amount ($20 or more) and then watch the pros as they pedal through their three-week journey around France. Be sure to keep an eye out for Hearst Castle alumni riders David Zabriskie and Ryder Hesjedal who will be racing the tour on Team Garmin-Slipstream!

2. Start a friendly pool with friends, family and co-workers, making bets on who will win the whole thing! To make sure this helps you raise funds, let your Ride Coach know your plans, and we can send you some loot for the winners. Everyone chips in $20, which will count as a donation towards your fundraising goal, and the winners will recieve Best Buddies jerseys, riding gloves, etc!

3. Organize a Tour-de-France spin-a-thon. Create a French music playlist to spin to, and take a 20-mile stretch from that day’s course to mimic. Basically, as you are spinning away, the pros are doing the same. Charge an entry fee and sell raffle tickets for people to bet on what the day’s best time will be. Donations go to you, winner wins a Best Buddies jersey.

Ride Coach Jeremiah Angel Recommends: "Overcoming"

Clips from the 2005 documentary, "Overcoming"

Before the 2009 edition of Tour de France starts on Saturday I'd like to recommend searching out a somewhat hard to find, but well worth the effort, 2005 documentary titled "Overcoming." The film is a profound and penetrating insight into the hermetically closed world of professional cycling. With former pro rider, Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis as the protagonist, the documentary follows him and his new Team CSC as they strive for the impossible: to become the world's best and win the 2004 Tour de France. Also notably featured in the documentary is Team CSC rider Bobby Julich, who participated in last year's Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle. The film is epic, beautifully shot and gives viewers a unique and personal account of what it's like to participate in the world's toughest sporting event, the Tour de France.

Pictures from Hyannis Port Now Online

We've just finished uploading pictures from our 2009 Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port event to our flickr account. Click here to view our photo set!

It's Registration Time!

Alright all of you fence-sitters...let this be one final final push for you to register for the 2009 Audi Best Buddies Challenge. Yes, there is still 2 and a half months until the ride...and yes, you will still be able to register after Tuesday, but the next 5 days are the last 5 days that anyone will be able to register at our lower, fundraising commitment level of $1,450!


Let me give you a few reasons to register:

1. 100% of your fundraising commitment will got directly back into Best Buddies programs and make a difference in so many people's lives. Best Buddies needs your support more than ever and every donation helps.

2. This is the only 5-star, Highway 1 century ride that will be jam packed with incredible views, a challenging and rewarding route, after-ride festivities that will blow your mind (hot showers, professional massage, gourmet Hearst Castle BBQ, Ciara Concert...I could keep going...), and the certainty that you are doing it all for a fantastic cause.

3. Last Sunday was my (Cate, the ride coach's) birthday...and having you register would be a fantastic belated bday gift! (In fact, let's get 23 new riders/runners/walkers before July in honor of the age I just turned...that would be AWESOME!)

4. What fantastic motivation for summer fitness than to have a big ride/run/walk to be committed to at the very end of the summer?!

After Tuesday, the lowest fundraising level will be $1,700...which is still not too shabby, but why not commit now to $1,450 and then surpass that goal! Click here to begin the registration process. Email hccoach@bestbuddies.org with any questions! Join us and challenge yourself to change lives!

Fundraising Tip of the Week: Host a BBQ

Looking for a good way to rally your friends, family and neighbors to support your fundraising efforts? Pick a nice warm weekend and host a BBQ fundraiser! You can cook hot dogs and hamburgers, serve corn, chips and other side dishes, and have people bring their own beverages. You can even ask your local grocery store to donated food or ask local businesses to donate raffle prizes (i.e. gift certificates to spas, the movies or restaurants). We suggest either selling tickets to your BBQ or making a solicitation for donations sometime during the event. Fundraising has never tasted so good! So go on, let the grilling begin and the donations are sure to come!

Speaking of Barbeques, Teams B4 and Team Chateau Julien invite you to attend their barbeques:

Team B4 is hosting their BBQ in Yorba Linda, CA on June 21 and Team Chateau Julien is hosting a series of BBQs on July 4, August 8 and 29. For more information on these events, click here.

This Weekend's Best Buddies Training Rides

Hello Bay Area Riders,

I know this is a little last minute, but I’d like to invite you all to two great training rides just scheduled for this weekend. The weather forecast is looking great for Saturday and Sunday and with under 100-days until our big ride to the Hearst Castle, now is the time to take advantage of your weekends and put some good training miles under your legs. So come on out and meet some of your fellow event participants for two fun and relaxed training rides.

Saturday’s Ride:
Location: Cyclepath Bicycles (337 B Main St, Pleasanton, CA 94566)
Time: 8:15 am
Distance: Choice of 43, 20 or 30-mile ride

Join Best Buddies as we team up with KCBS, Channel 5's, Roberta Gonzales and Cyclepath Bicycles in downtown Pleasanton for a great ride around the East Bay. Departing Cyclepath Bicycles at 8:15 am, the ride will be an easy paced 43 miles with several stops for regrouping and turn off points for shorter 20 or 30 mile loops. Cyclepath Bicycles is located at 337 B Main St. (Behind the Bank of America Building), Pleasanton, CA 94566. Following the ride will be a barbeque lunch back at Cyclepath Bicycles! Click here for a detailed route map.

Sunday’s Ride:
Location: Longs Drug Store (3420 Camino Tassajara, Danville, CA 94506)
Time: 9:00 am
Distance: 44 miles with an optional 25 mile Mt. Diablo extension.

Team PG&E would like to invite all riders to join in on their second team training ride of the year. Team Captain, Keith Reed, will lead a group on a mostly flat ride through Danville into Livermore Valley at a casual no drop pace. The ride will depart from Longs Drug Store in Danville at 9:00 am. Upon returning from the ride, those who wish to put in some additional miles can continue on for a 25 mile extended ride up Mt. Diablo (2,500 ft of climbing). Click here for a detailed route map.

If you have any questions regarding these rides, please call Jeremiah Angel at 415.379.4729.

Also, future training rides will be posted up on the Training Rides section of our website at least five days in advance. If you are interested in attending future rides, I would highly suggest visiting that section of our website before planning your weekend training. And lastly, if you or your team is interested in leading a weekend training ride please let me know and I’ll work with you to get information about your group ride on our website and in other communications with other Audi Best Buddies Challenge riders.


See you on the road,

Jeremiah Angel
Audi Best Buddies Challenge Coach

Fundraising Tip of the Week: 100 Days Until HC

Hi Everyone! It's been a little while since our last post. We had an extremely successful Hyannis Port Challenge and have been recovering for a week or so. We'll be sharing photos from the event as soon as they come back. Hearst Castle participants...if HC is anywhere near as awesome as HP was, you are in for an unforgettable day!

Now, down to fundraising business. Last Thursday, June 4, marked 100 days until the Hearst Castle ride. Friday, June 12, marks exactly 3 months until HC. Whatever way you want to look at it, September 12 is coming up quickly and before we know it, you'll be coasting down the PCH. In honor of 100 days until the event...err, 94 days...I wanted to share this special letter sample we've drafted for participants to share with donors. Send it out to 10 people, asking for $10, and you've got yourself a quick and easy $100! Happy Fundraising!

Dear (Your Friend’s Name),

100 days from now, I’ll proudly sport my bike shorts and Audi Best Buddies Challenge jersey, and cycle 100 miles from Carmel to San Simeon to support people with intellectual disbilities! And I need your support to get me there!

The Best Buddies Challenge is a one-of-a-kind five-star event, and it benefits a very important organization. Best Buddies is an international non-profit that supports people with intellectual disabilities by providing one-on-one friendships and integrated employment opportunities. In middle schools, high schools, colleges, and businesses across the country people are benefitting because of Best Buddies. Every single dollar that I raise will go directly to this great organization, so you can feel confident that 100% of your donations benefit people with intellectual disabilities! You can learn more about Best Buddies at www.bestbuddies.org.

Please consider making your tax deductible donation today. To kick-off the 100 –day count down to the Audi Best Buddies Challenge, I am committed to raising at least $100 this week- and with your help I know I can exceed that! As I cycle 100 miles along the coast of California, I’ll be thinking of you and your support, and when I cross the finish line on September 12, I’ll know that your donation made each and every mile happen. If you’d like to make a donation to me quickly and easily, visit hcchallenge.org then click on “sponsor participant,” and then search for me. You can also support my participation in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge Ride by sending me a check, written out to Best Buddies. I’ll be sure your donation gets to Best Buddies right away!

Thanks so much! And if you happen to be free 100 days from now, please come out and cheer me on! I’ll need it!

All my best,

Your Name Here