Sam - Returning rider

"Instead of asking for a donation I asked for some help"

As a returning rider it can feel like a challenge to continually ask the same people for a donation. Instead of asking my friends and family for a donation I asked them to help me organise a trivia night at a local pub and make it fun.

I reached out to a few local businesses who all chipped in with prizes, my friends and family reached out to their networks to each bring teams to the night and other mates helped with the questions and organising.

We made it a dress up tropical-themed night, gave away prizes and generally made an excuse to catch up with mates. It was such a fun night and through the team entry fee, selling raffle tickets and some extra donations on the night I was able to exceed my fundraising goal in one night—and we had a lot of fun.

Nicole - First time rider

"I was hestitant at first but so happy I took the chance"

I was a little hesitant about joining the ride, while I was a reasonably experienced rider, I wasn’t a confident peloton rider and the fundraising goal worried me.  But after a chat with Krista and the Smiddy team they’d outlined a training and fundraising plan that would help me achieve my goals. The team welcomed me on the weekly River Loop group ride and were patient with me as I improved my peloton riding skills and confidence. I was supported and encouraged and before too long was comfortably riding in the group. 

The team helped me map out my fundraising plan and got it underway.  I was hesitant to ask at first, but once they showed me the correct way and I started, I found it wasn’t so scary and my friends actually wanted to help. It might feel a little daunting to start with, but once you take that leap of faith it becomes such a rewarding experience.

Chris - First time rider

"You've just got to ask and people will support you"

I was confident in my ability to complete the ride, but I’d never fundraised before and that concerned me the most. So, I chatted to some mates and businesses I worked with about the ride and immediately they wanted to help. Within a couple of days several businesses and friends had already pledged to donate and wanted to support such an important cause. I was able to sign up to the ride knowing I had my fundraising practically covered. 

I quickly learnt that people wanted to help any way they could—it was just a matter of taking the first step and asking.