Ride For Sight

On Saturday, June 9, I participated in the annual Ride For Sight. Due to several issues that I had with the ride, I sent an email off to the Ride For Sight executive on Sunday, June 10. Here is my email:

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I have personally been involved with the Ride For Sight for two years, and my parents were involved with it every year during my childhood. This ride is kind of a family tradition.

Last year, I started a team from Hanna, which was comprised of a group of riders who had never participated in the Ride for Sight. Last yeat was a success for us, as one of our riders was amongst the top fundraisers for the province. Though I was transfered out of Hanna last summer, one of the riders again got the Hanna Rife For Sight team together for another year. This year was another success for us as we again gained new Ride For Sight supporters, and raised over $6000.

That being said, I have to express some disappointment with some of the planning, etc of this year's event. Here are some of my problems:

(1) I did not receive any year bar or pin for this year's ride. I was told that there were "barely any" pins and year bars sent to Olds for this year's event. Why? This just doesn't make any sense. I am proud to display my Ride for Sight pin with year bars attached. I certainly hope that a year bar and pin will be mailed out to me, as that was what I was told at the ride. But this is something that could have, and should have, been avoided... it is also an unnecessary expense now incurred by the Ride For Sight committee in having to pay for the mailing of these year bars. A sufficient number of pins and year bars ought to have been made and appropriately available to this ride.

(2) The information that is available to the "money counters" MUST be more up to date, or have a computer on site. Members of our team had trouble with this last year. More funds were added on Friday and Saturday, yet these funds were not reflected in the "verified amounts" because the computer print-outs of the online raised funds were from Thursday. So does that mean that we should be turning away money from sponsors because credit won't be given to the riders when they attend? Come on! How difficult would it be to have a laptop with internet access available to the "money counters"? There really is no excuse for this... and it is frustrating for the riders who try to raise as much money as they can for this event. It is also frustrating to those who volunteer, as they don't have the information they need in order to do the job.

(3) I raised over $1600, and received a Ride For Sight fob watch for my efforts. Nice touch... I was pleased. Until I got home this morning and took a look at it. When I pressed the side button to pop open the watch, the Ride For Sight plate affixed to the front just popped right off. So I reattached it, closed the watch, and then opened it again... and again it literally flew forwards off the watch. I'm not sure if I managed to get a defective one, or if this is just junk. I would, in the meantime, appreciate it if a new watch was forwarded to me. I raised a decent amount of money, and believe that I "earned" a functioning item.

There were some real neat things about this year's ride as well. I liked the "goodie bags" that everyone was given... didn't get one of these last year, and there were some neat items in there. I also liked all the vendors that were inside the main venue this year... some real great items and great bargans; I believe this reflected quite positively on the Ride For Sight.

One suggestion that I would make is to have more motorcycle riding! Why not have a poker run? Or a scavenger hunt? Something to get people out and riding, should they wish to participate. Last week I participated in the Ride For Dad in Calgary (I didn't raise funds for this one, but rather just paid the registration fee). The setup was good, and there was LOTS of riding... which is the point of coming to a bike ride. Just something for you to consider... as I must admit that I was getting a little bored on Saturday just hanging around the main venue.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to hearing back from you regarding some of my issues.

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I resent this email on June 12. STILL HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING, which I have to say, REALLY PI*SES ME OFF!

What is with that?! There is no way that anyone can say that they couldn't find the time to at least respond with, "Thanks for your concerns and your support. We will email you within the next week to address these concerns." or something like that!

I think that it is completely UNPROFESSIONAL, especially considering that this is the biggest annual fundraiser for this group.

Let me say that I am unimpressed, and that I will not be busting my balls to raise money for this group next year... some other charity that actually WANTS my support will get my fundraising dollars in 2008.

I pass this along to you so that you can be aware of the Ride For Sight in your area, and for you consider raising money for another group until these guys get their act together. :soapbox:

Does the charity itself do good work? To be blunt, that is all I'd give a hoot about. Them giving out cheap trinkets may mean they are spending the real $$ on the cause. I don't know anything about the charity, myself.

As to their not getting back to you, I've seen that before with other events after the events are completed because the staff just bails for awhile. Did this myself, too, as it gets real hectic leading up to and during the event, and then ya just want to get away from it all and figure right after it ends is the best time.

I can understand your concerns, but I do suggest ya cut 'em some slack. You didn't do the ride for a pin or a watch, and we all know that.

Red Rider, I totally agree with where you are coming from. I DID raise the $$ for the charity. My problem with the "trinkets" is as follows: give the $$ to the charity and don't spend any money on CRAP if that is what you are going to give out. BUT, if you are trying to entice people to raise more money in order to receive a reward, then give them something that actually functions. Furthermore, with the year bar pins, I proudly display my annual support of the charity with the year bars. For the national organizers to not have sent anywhere near enough of these year bars is just plain dumb. And now, MORE MONEY has to be wasted in order to mail these pins out. In my opinion, that was really needless. According to local organizers, the Ride For Sight ALWAYS gets in excess of 500 bikes at the Alberta ride, yet the head organizers (at the National level) only sent 100 year bar pins. Again, just plain dumb.

As for the organizers chilling out at the end of the ride... not the case here. The Alberta portion of the ride happened last week, but the rides in other provinces occur throughout the summer, most of which have yet to begin. As such, these national-level organizers are still "at work" for the cause. As such, I believe that they are poorly representing the Ride For Sight cause by failing to respond to an email.

Yeah, the money goes to a good cause. And you're right, that is the point. But I don't agree that they deserve to be cut any slack. My opinion. Maybe I'm an ass*ole, but that's me.

I guess that my big problem is when I compare this ride to other charity rides that I have been associated with. The Ride For Dad (in support of prostate cancer research) was great... lots of packages for EVERYONE.

What I am saying is that, though I will continue to do some major fundraising for one ride a year (and just participate in the others), that ride will likely NOT be the Ride For Sight next year.

Forget the e-mail, just call 'em:

1-800-461-3331

Don't expect them there on a Sunday, though.

Nice! Did you look it up or are you part of the ride down there?

Cheers! Thanks!

Just looked it up. Am a fan of non-government charities, as they give a "hand up" more often than just a "hand out".

I guess its from "Bronco Billy"!

Please don't blow off a worthy cause because of poor leadership...not an endorsement of "Ride for Sight" in particular, but you and your family have been aiding what is likely a worthy cause for a looooonnnnng time. I guess because I have seen this before - poor management by volunteers because they are volunteers - that I have a soft spot for those that are trying to do good. Try not to be too P.O.'d at them for their failures...you could always volunteer to be part of the solution, if you've the time.

Be and ride free! Even if you are in Canada!

P.S. - Not a bad entry for a lamed drunk, eh? The "eh" is for you, Canuck! LOL! God I miss riding - a couple more weeks and back in the saddle!!!!!!!!!

Red Rider... dem is fighting words! And I like the "eh"... nice work... we'll make a normal person out of ya yet! hehehehehehe

I'll out of town for a bit... I'll let you know when I call them and hear something. Cheers!

Thanks for update. Don't know that I (or anyone else ) would want to be a normal Canadian roflmao: ). But yeah, tell us what they tell ya.

Have a safe trip ......... and be !

Sh*t dude, there's no such thing as a NORMAL Canadian! :devil:

Hey Peyts, friends of my daughters are being transferred to Canada for 2 years for his job, he works for Johnson & Johnson. I can't remember where exactly right now. I was just looking to get some feedback as to the area they were moving to. I'll post back when I can remember where.

That ought to be good, a family of Jersians moving to Canada. How do you thing they will be received??

Coming from Jersey to Canada?! Holy Sh*t! Are they gonna let them in here?!?! They will have fun up here... depending on where they are going, may not be a whole lot different than Jersey. They also can now start cheering for a decent hockey team! hehehehehehe

Yeah, let me know where they are going... big country, but I may be able to give you some feedback. Cheers!

Thanks Peyts! I'll let you know when I find out, appreciate it. Never been to Canada myself, well, sortof, if you consider fishing in Lake Ontario Canada....:roflmao: I think we went out of Port Jervis, NY. I don't remember, that was alot of years and alot of drugs ago!! :roflmao:

Ahhhh... no, that would NOT be considered a trip to Canada... depending on the drugs used, you were on a "trip" for sure, just not to Canada.

No worries, Voodoochild! Just let me know the location and hopefully I can give you some info about it. Cheers! :devil:

Hey Peyts, they are moving to Toronto, ON. I dunno. So, whats that area like?

(my fishing trips had alot of green in them. I stay away from the rough stuff, even back then! )

Toronto is arguably the biggest city in Canada... a big and busy city. Lots going on there... MLB team, NHL team, CFL team, theatre, tourist traps, Paramount Park (like a Disney-world kind of place), etc. They should have fun there, but definately a big city. Lots of traffic and city life crap. As for crime and such, depends on which part of the city they live/work. And not a very long commute until you are in Michigan... also a short commute to the northern part of New York state.

Cheers, bro!

So I FINALLY heard back from the Ride For Sight people... a MONTH after I emailed them. Here is the reply...

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Hi Larry,

With the thousands of emails we’ve received over the last month it has been difficult to reply to all of them. Certain emails, like yours, which were not immediately pressing were filed for until after the events across Canada had been completed. We still have two more events coming up, but I will forward your email to the new Chair of the Alberta Ride for Sight.

In regards to the year bars and year pins, we aren’t sure what happened with those as a more than sufficient number was ordered from our supplier and sent to the Alberta Ride for Sight. However anyone whose receipts we receive here that are marked with a “did not receive year bar” will have theirs mailed to them. In regards to the fob watch, we are in the process of inputting the registration receipts. Once I can check your fundraising total I will send a new one to you right away. Probably sometime near the beginning of August.

Thanks for the feedback,



Liam Kinnon
Ride for Sight Event Assistant
The Foundation Fighting Blindness
Tel: 416-360-4200 ext. 31
Fax: 416-360-0060
890 Yonge St., 12th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 3P4
http://www.rideforsight.org/
Ride for Sight... because you can!

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I know that some of you were interested to know how this turned out. I still believe that they could have originally replied with "We have your email and will respond as soon as we can. Thank you."

Further, they DID NOT send out enough year bars, and now have to waste money in order to mail more.

A better job could have, and should have, been done. This is hardly their first year at this ride...