My bicycle Greene and I are going for a little ride ... and along the way, we will be raising money to support the invaluable work of MSF / Doctors Without Borders.
I have had the incredible opportunity to work as a logistician with MSF in Ivory Coast, Niger, Haiti and Malawi and to see firsthand the great good work this organization does.
I expect to get back out in the field one day, but for the moment, a job on the wonderful Broadway production of Anything Goes is keeping me here in New York.
Being a part of MSF's fundraising team in the 5-Boro Bike Tour (a 40-mile pedal through, you guessed it, all five boroughs of New York City) is a perfect chance to continue helping MSF, even while staying close to home. Also, I expect it to be a blast!
I have set a goal of raising $1500 (secretly, I hope to raise more than that!). The Tour is Sunday, May 6th, and all donations must be received by May 5th.
*** Update / April 20th *** As of today, over 100 of you have donated a total of more than $9,000. Those are both pretty fantastic numbers. In fact, I think they're truly incredible numbers. Greene has new tires, I have a new helmet and on Sunday we had our first 40-mile day, mostly in Central Park. Then on Tuesday we went for our first 50-mile ride: up to Nyack (pause for sliders and a beer) and back. So thank you thank you thank you. And for those of you who like to wait till the last minute ... two more weeks to go!!!
*** Update / March 29th *** $5,000 come and gone. $6,000 come and gone! You all rock!!! As for me and my bicycle: Greene recently got a tune-up, and we've been out for some lovely pedals - along the Hudson, around Central Park, and over to New Jersey for a workout on the hills of the River Road. I can't wait for the Verrazano Bridge!
*** Update / February 20th *** Wow. I clearly totally underestimated your generosity. You have blown past my goal of $1500, donating more than twice that in just a few days. Am I allowed to move the goalpost? Can we make it $5,000? I bet we can!
By making a donation, you will be supporting the life-saving emergency medical work of Doctors Without Borders in more than 65 countries around the world.
Last year MSF medical teams treated tens of thousands of severely ill and malnourished men, women, and children displaced by conflict and drought in Somalia. In Ivory Coast, they performed emergency surgery on wounded people fleeing civil war. In Libya MSF teams entered the country quickly when fighting broke out and were able to deliver immediate emergency medical and surgical assistance to victims of the violence.
Thank you in advance for your support - and please forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too.
To see photos from my time in the field with MSF, please visit my website at http://www.wherethepavementends.com/workingwithmsf.htm
If you have any questions (or if you would like to donate, but prefer to do so via check), please email me at ewarmbrunn@nyc.rr.com or thepavementends@gmail.com.
Thanks again,
Erika (and Greene)