Happy Veterans Day!

Best Buddies is honored to have the support of our men and women in military service.

Get on your bikes and ride!

Hi gang!

Alright, this post goes out to all you ghosts, goblins, witches, pirates and ninjas! I really hope you had a great weekend and made some time to eat some sweet treats...I know I did! But don't worry, eating loads of candy is FINE when you are cycle-inclined!

On this first Monday of November, take a minute to notice the trees changing colors and the temperature dropping a few degrees (or more! Sorry East coasters!). There is something very special about this time of year, and in my opinion, there is no better way to observe this than by heading out on your bicycle and going for a ride!

Head out down a road you have never ridden before, or stick to your tried and true routes. Ask a friend to head out with you or look into tagging along with a local recreational riding club. If your like me, we are heading in to what I like to call, "over-eatin' season," so get out there now and make some room!

Also, if you find yourself up in the Bay Area and would enjoy a little time on the dirty dirt, head over to the Marin Headlands, just north of the Golden Gate for some hilly but beautiful fire roads and trails. Now is the time to see some incredible changes in the natural environment, and you may even see a coyote or two!

Ok friends, thanks for checking in!

Have good days,

Coach Tim

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.