Taking a page from a friend’s book, I thought I’d share a Top 10 list of why you should support one of my upcoming JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes events. I’ll be circling Lake Tahoe in September and have a lofty goal of raising $4,000. In late October, I’ll be pedaling around my home turf in Nashville and raising $2,000. That’s $6,000 for type 1 diabetes research. It’s my biggest fundraising goal to date, and I’m excited to contribute to research in such a fun and exhausting way. I hope you’ll join me in supporting JDRF, but in case you’re still on the fence here are a few excellent reasons to persuade you over the fence to the fun side.
You should donate to my JDRF ride…
- Because I have to wear Spandex. Not only do I have to wear Spandex on a bike, but it’s padded and my seat sits high which puts my derriere in plain view for the world to see. As if that’s not bad enough, I’m a single gal in a new city… Not the first impression I necessarily want to make.
- Because I have awkward tan lines. Please don’t make this oddball tan be in vain. The awkward tan lines are worth it if I can say they came with $6,000 in diabetes research donations. (And do I need to mention the single girl problem again?
- Sometimes, I have to turn down wine. Horrors of all horrors, but it’s true. Days before long rides, I have to willingly say no to wine because it affects my performance on the bike and because it contributes to dehydration in these ridiculous temperatures. It doesn’t matter how fabulous that Pub 5 rooftop bar downtown is, I still must say no. It’s such a hard life, y’all.
- Diabetes is expensive. This one is for real. Doctor’s appointments and prescriptions are outrageous even with insurance, and I’m forking over about $20 every week for cycling snacks, sugar-free electrolyte tabs and glucose tabs. If diabetes weren’t so expensive, I could just contribute the remaining balance myself. True story.
- JDRF doesn’t understand the word flat. I keep trying to get the national JDRF Ride office to select a course that’s flat, but they don’t seem to know what that word means. They keep planning rides with hills and mountains and windy lakes. It means I have to work more, so maybe we can fund raise more, too?
- It’s tax-deductible! Yep! It’s true. JDRF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, so you can write it off AND help me at the same time!
- Because this is the face everyone thinks of when I say I have diabetes. I mean, c’mon. Give me a break here.
- Because JDRF is a waaaaay better non-profit to support than The Critter Connection and the Naked Clown Society. (Those are real things, by the way. The first rescues abandoned rodents, and the second…well, I wouldn’t Google Naked Clown if I were you.)
- Because you like me. You really, really like me. And even if you don’t, chances are you like someone else with diabetes and the research will benefit them, too!
- And the top reason why you should donate to JDRF is… because diabetes needs to be cured. I make a lot of jokes, and I am lighthearted about this disease most of the time. But the truth is, it’s a disease that requires attention to detail every day of the year. There are no breaks or vacations. No time off for good behavior. It’s exhausting. Advanced technology (the APP) is around the corner. Your support encourages me, but more importantly, it funds research for me and millions of other people around the world. Millions. That’s a pretty big reason to support JDRF.
