Please consider helping your Bike Coalition get through the pandemic

[karlos]

Hey NCCC member

You should have received a few messages from the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC) during May, National Bike Month asking to donate to the organization as they always do during May. I'm just following up with a personal appeal to support SDCBC during this time as I know many other organizations are also asking for help to get through the pandemic.

With the Covid-19 pandemic the Coalition's revenue sources, primarily grants and events, have taken a major hit.  While the work continues to make cycling safe for all, 2 Coalition Staff had to be laid off and the remaining are now on reduced hours. Fortunately a government PPP injection will help pay remaining Staff salaries and cover office rent for 2 months. While cycling is actually currently experiencing a boom, there exists the opportunity to influence local government to implement infrastructure that will benefit cyclists indefinitely.  However, the Coalition is currently stretched thin, and their very existence depends on donations in a time of uncertainty.  I'm not going to sugarcoat this.  The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, the primary voice in San Diego County that advocates for all cyclists, now needs your help. In fact SDCBC as an organization and individual advocates are working hard at this very time to try to improve the safety of the new Cardiff S Beach Hwy 101 cycletrack, which some of you may know has resulted in 11 serious crashes in the first month of operation. It is important that SDCBC and all advocates can work with all the cities in the County to make cycling better for everyone and to get even more bicyclists out on the road.

In the past, NCCC has been generous in donating as a club, and continues to do so as a member of the SDCBC's Council of Clubs; NCCC Treasurer Ken Chin-Purcell is our rep on that Council.  Now, I am asking you to step up and support the sport that you love, and keep alive the organization that works solely to enhance its safety and education.  If you, yourself, are experiencing difficulties with this pandemic, please do not feel obligated, but if you are doing well financially through this, please consider a donation.  The goal for this drive is $15,000, and the Coalition Board, on which I serve, has personally pledged half of this.  The reality is that the need is far greater; that number was seen as an amount to assist other somewhat uncertain budget adjustments through the next several months, when hopefully normal life and funds return. You may have noticed in the most recent SDCBC mailer, that the campaign is 75% there, so it's on a roll with 3 days to go.  Please consider making a donation to close the gap, any little bit helps - you can click here.

For reference, if you want to know a little more about what SDCBC has done for you lately and continues to do, check out the attachment.

Thanks for reading this - Karl

[karlos]

FYI, SDCBC exceeded its Bike Month goal with ~$17,000 total donations, thanks to 125 supporters including several NCCC members.
Thanks! - Karl