August 15, 2011
From "The Rider," official blog of Pelotonia - "Where did you ride this weekend?" By Steve Wartenberg
It's the final last weekend before Pelotonia and thousands of us took to the road. Where did you ride this weekend? I rode the Pelotonia course, from Columbus to Amanda, up Starner, to Logan and into Athens.
And I blame it all on the President of Mast Apparel, Rick Paul! (read more...)
Rick – our number-one fundraiser, at just over $100,000 – believes in truth in fundraising. So, when he realized his son, Jordan, was getting married in California during Pelotonia weekend, Rick decided to ride the 180-mile route the weekend before everyone else.
“I didn’t want to promise people I was going to do something and then not do it,” Rick said.
But there were a few problems…
“I didn’t know the route and it would have been hard to go by myself,” Rick said.
He recruited a little help from some of the New Albany riders he knew and rode with, starting with Jon Morgan.
“Rick’s a really good guy and I was glad to help him out,” Jon said. “I just love the communal aspect of cycling.”
Rick invited me to join the ride, and I jumped at the chance to ride Day One of the Pelotonia route.
About 20 of us gathered yesterday morning to ride – and took off at 7 a.m.
Little did I know that Jon and his pals are all-out hammerheads, an all-star cast comprised of the top male and female riders from the New Albany area, which is quickly becoming cycling central. These guys and gals can really fly. I knew I had my work cut out for me when I saw Riley Adams and Rich Lewis arrive. “Dude, you’re in trouble,” me legs said. “Remember what they did to us the last time we rode with them?”
I told my legs to keep quiet.
“Jon said they said they’d ride at my pace,” Rick said, which is about the same as my pace.
Off we went, and it was a little bit of déjà vu to ride the Pelotonia route along Olentangy River Road and then through downtown Columbus, and a little strange not to have thousands of people cheering us on. That’s this weekend!
We flew along at 20-plus miles per hour, a fast pace for me, but a bit on the slow side for most of this crew. I settled in near the back of the pack and did my best to draft and conserve my energy. I knew what awaited us: hills!
At Amanda, a couple of Rick’s Limited Brands friends set up a rest stop for us – and a couple of Jon’s buddies joined our group, which now numbered about 25. Everyone was indeed social and friendly, and the miles passed quickly – and fastly.
We hit Starner Road and I found myself at the back of the pack, handling the hills at a steady pace while the hammerheads in front raced up them at superhuman speeds. Jon and Marty Sedluk doubled back a few times over the next 20 miles to make sure we followed the route and didn’t get lost – and the rest of the pack stopped a few times to wait for us.
Bad news: Starner Road is just as steep as it was last year. Sorry. And it’s still deceptive. Just when you think you’re at the top, uh-oh, one more climb.
There was another rest stop for us in Logan, this one organized by Tez Reardon. It was perfect timing, as my bottles – and stomach – were on empty. Nutrition and hydration really are the keys to riding a century.
Rick, who is in his 60s, is an experienced and strong cyclist who just keeps going and going at a steady pace. He’s also one of the nicest and most social bikers I’ve ever met, and kept up a steady stream of conversation the whole way. He did make a few strange grunting sounds on the way up Starner, but never stopped peddling.
“This is a great opportunity to see the course and help Rick out,” said Jay Passias. “And I think this is in the spirit of Pelotonia.”
We finally got to the bike path outside Athens, and I knew there were only 12 or 13 flat miles to go. We hit the path as one big group, and started flying along at 22 to 25 miles per hour – and soon I was struggling to stay with the pack. As you may have guessed, after a few miles, I lost the back wheel of the last bike in the pack, and was dropped … and quickly lost sight of the pack.
I rode into Athens by myself, at a very fast (for me) 20 miles per hour. Overall, I averaged a little over 18 miles per hour.
A couple minutes later, Rick and a few others arrived, a big smile plastered across Rick’s face.
Several of us returned to Columbus (thanks for the ride Jay), while Rick and a small crew stayed overnight, and rode back to Slate Run this morning, completing the Pelotonia course and Rick’s promise to his donors.
“This story isn’t about me,” Rick said. “It’s about the community created by Pelotonia.”
August 11, 2011 RIDER STORY: From New Mexico to NYC What’s brighter, faster and more exciting than New York City? Well, finding a cure for cancer is. Nearly 90 of our Limited Brands associates in New York will be making a trip down from the Big Apple to ride in Pelotonia.
Traveling even more miles, will be two associates from Rio Rancho, N.M (yes, New Mexico) who will ride alongside nearly 30 of their colleagues from Kettering, Ohio.
Why are people traveling so far to go on a bike ride? It’s because cancer affects everyone – and bottom line, we need to find a cure. That’s why our associates are traveling more than 2,000 miles for one goal – end cancer.
August 3, 2011 FUNDRAISING: Caffeine & Vanilla Ice?
Each day for one week, the associates of Limited Brands lined up at the DC3 Starbucks to support the newest Pelotonia fundraiser, “Caffeinate for a Cause.”
Read more here ...
Ten of Starbucks’ most popular drinks at the Limited Brands’ Starbucks were designated to the different departments throughout the business. Each department was responsible for renaming the beverage and promoting its sale for one hour during the week. For every drink sold at “Caffeinate for a Cause,” $1 was donated to Pelotonia and then matched by the company.
It might have been all the caffeine or just true creative spirit that rang in nearly $10,000! From a carrot costume to Vanilla Ice look-alikes, “Caffeinate for a Cause” had it all.
Here is the complete list of the drinks of the week and the witty themes created by each team:
- Human Resources (Vegetable juice): “Temple of Health”
- Administration (Iced tea): “Ride ‘til it Hurts”
- Finance (Mocha): “Mo’ Money Mocha”
- Company Affairs (Brewed coffee): “One Cream, One Sugar, One Goal”
- Limited Brands Technology Services (Iced coffee): “Ice Ice Baby”
- Store Design & Construction (Latte): “The Pel-Latte-onia”
- International & La Senza (Americano): “AmericaNOOOOO!”
- Real Estate (Caramel macchiato): “Adrenalino”
Bragging rights go to Limited Brands Technology Services for raising the most money with their wickedly funny promotion of iced coffee using Vanilla Ice as inspiration.
July 29, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Pelotonia Pups!
What’s mini, green and barks for a great cause? The Pelotonia PINK dog!
Read more here ...
Victoria’s Secret PINK has taken fundraising to a whole other level by designing a $10 PINK (or green) dog – with all sales going directly to Pelotonia. The Limited Brands Foundation will match the sales dollar-for-dollar.
The iconic PINK Pelotonia dog will be for sale at the Limited Brands home office locations this week and will make its debut in Columbus stores (Easton, Tuttle and Polaris) on Aug. 1.
July 27, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Another Successful Bake Sale!
BBW has blown it out of the water when it comes to the selling of sweet treats!
Read about the event ...
The Baker Bike Sale, an endeavor of the BBW marketing department, resulted in $10,895 for Pelotonia. The sale included baked goods, t-shirt, and raffle tickets. When matched by the company, the Baker Bike Sale will have garnered over $20,000. Luciana Ramsey, a BBW associate, even donated the kitchen space of her family’s business to provide everyone with space to bake days before.
July 15, 2011 FUNDRAISING: Supermodels & Spinning
Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands Foundation raise more than $200,000 for Pelotonia in the Supermodel Cycle event.
Read about the Event ...
Victoria’s Secret and its Angels, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Lindsay Ellingson & Erin Heatherton cycled away at the first-ever Supermodel Cycle fundraiser held at SoulCycle in New York which brought in more than $100,000 for Pelotonia – a grassroots bike ride that raises money for cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (The James).
Four levels of tickets to cycle alongside a supermodel were available for purchase. Participants also had the opportunity to bid on exclusive items as they cycled, including a pair of Angel wings and photo ops with their favorite Victoria’s Secret Angel.
Every dollar raised at Supermodel Cycle will be matched by the Limited Brands Foundation which will bring the total donation to more than $200,000.
One hundred percent of the money raised for Pelotonia goes to The James, which is one of the nation’s leading cancer research facilities.
July 13, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Some Treasures & Lemonade On a sunny Saturday in June, the Mast Global peloton worked up a sweat while putting together a Pelotonia yard sale.
Complete with a lemonade stand, the Mast Global team set out some treasures for passer-bys to snag a bargain.
The team was able to collect a total of $300 (with the company match, that’s $600), all of which will go to the Mast Global Peloton.
July 11, 2011
RIDER STORY: International Impact
Everyone is hoping for a bright, sunny and mild weekend for this year’s Pelotonia ride. Andrew Knappet, a Limited Brands international associate, is hoping that the weather on Aug.19 in Dubai isn’t scorching.
Read Andrew's Story ...
Although Knappet cannot ride along his colleagues in Columbus, he’s going to be a virtual rider. And not just your ordinary virtual rider; Andrew is going to virtually ride – across Dubai.
His ride will cover 25 miles and will begin and end at the Atlantis Hotel located on the Palm Jumeirah. His route will pass the Burj Al Arab Hotel and then continue down the beach road onto Union House where the UAE Flag is located. Once he makes it there, he will do a U-turn and ride back to where he started.
“We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. My nan passed away as a result of cancer and so did my best friend’s mum,” said Knappet.
While thousands of peddlers make their way down the streets of Columbus, Knappet will be starting his bike journey in Dubai. And although Knappet will be seeing much different scenery, he is still riding for the same goal – to end cancer.
July 8, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Sweet Treats & Suds
Sweet treats and lots of suds … what’s better than that?
That’s exactly what the Bath & Body Works team was thinking when they put on a bake sale and car wash benefitting Pelotonia.
Read about the Event ...
The team went desk to desk asking associates if they wanted an afternoon snack. “People loved not having to leave their desks to go get a treat,” said Jennifer Whisler, one of the event coordinators.
On the suds side, the team asked for donations in return for a car bath. “We even offered a valet service included with their car wash,” said Whisler.
After satisfying some sweet cravings and washing a number of cars, the team was able to raise nearly $900, which will directly go to the Bath & Body Works Peloton and be match by Limited Brands – a sweet and soapy success.
July 6, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Rick Paul Challenge
Rick Paul, president of Mast Global, challenged all Mast Global associates to sign up for Pelotonia and offered a $100 donation to the individual Pelotonia accounts of those who took action!
To date, he has motivated more than 100 Mast Global associates to ride. People have been moved by Rick's generosity, leadership and enthusiasm --and their feedback shows it. Below are a few words of gratitude from associates Rick has inspired …
See the Inspirational Words ...
July 1, 2011
FUNDRAISING: Fun at Bath & Body Works
On June 22, nearly 20 Limited Brands associates and guests brought their checkbooks to the Jimmy V’s restaurant in Grandview for some Pelotonia fun.
Read About the Event ...
A silent auction hosted by the Bath & Body Works Peloton brought in a whopping $14,626! With the company match, that’s nearly $30,000 going directly to cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Center -- James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.
The Bath & Body Works Peloton auctioned off packages including design consultations, swimming lessons and catered Italian dinners.
After a bidding war of two very hungry and very determined people for a catered Italian dinner party – the donor couldn’t resist adding an additional offer … two catered Italian dinner parties for $5,000 each. Now that’s a lot of meatballs!
June 29, 2011
RIDER STORY: Just Ask Perhaps the most daunting part of participating in Pelotonia is not squishing into spandex and riding a bike for an extended period of time. It’s fundraising.
Fundraising isn’t stopping one Victoria’s Secret Direct associate, Jason Williams, who lost his mother to cancer in 2008.
Read Jason's Story ...
“All you have to do is ask,” said Williams.
After asking nearly 60 local businesses for donations, Williams organized a bowling tournament complete with a silent auction.
From knocking down pins to bidding, the bowling tournament raised more than $700 – which grand totals at more than $1,400 with the company match.
Williams is also gearing up for his annual family reunion where he is going to hit up his entire family for fundraising dollars.
“I have no shame in raising money for cancer research,” said Williams, “especially when every dollar I raise will be matched.”
In addition to the bowling tournament, silent auction and family reunion, Williams has made a Facebook event for Pelotonia donations.
Williams has already raised his $1,200 commitment and isn’t stopping there.
For fundraising tips to boost your Pelotonia contributions check this out.
June 27, 2011
INVOLVEMENT: James Visit As a part of the Limited Brands Associate Resource Group’s (ARG) commitment to building community awareness, some ARG members took a trip to check out what’s happening at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Center -- James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.
With Pelotonia right around the corner, the associates were able to see first-hand where the money from the upcoming bike ride will go – straight to cancer research at The James.
June 23, 2011
ALL IN WEEK: Participation Boost
From June 6 through June 10, Limited Brands associates went “all in” for
Pelotonia – a week dedicated to driving 100 percent participation in the fight against cancer. So how did we do? Check out the amazing results:
Read about All In Week ...
- We’re up to more than 700 participants in Pelotonia 2011! That’s more than a 90 percent increase from our last year total – and we’re only half-way there!
- Associates said “yes” 3,617 times to rounding up their purchases at the Limited Brands Café -- which totals to nearly $3,000 with the company match!
- 39 teams of three pedaled their hearts out in the Limited Brands Amazing Race and with a prize for ‘best costumes’ – creativity was coming out of the woodwork!
"Flat Tire Team" "Barbarian Biker Warriors (BBW)"
June 21, 2011
RIDER STORY: The James and I
On Oct. 29, 2008, Joanie was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Read Joanie's Story ...
This type of cancer attacks the body’s immune system and in Joanie’s case, her lymph tissue.
Two days later on Friday, Oct. 31, Joanie was at The James to learn about her course of treatment.
“My first question to my doctor was if I was going to die. She said no. So I told her to do whatever had to be done, and bring it on. Whatever horrible test or painful treatment, just do it,” Joanie said.
After multiple rounds of treatment, including chemotherapy, Joanie’s cancer had diminished. And by February of 2009, Joanie’s cancer had gone into remission.
“Cancer has changed my life and the lives of those close to me forever,” said Joanie.
The James was an instrumental part of Joanie’s journey. “I am here today and cancer free because of The James. I can never thank them enough or show enough appreciation for what they have done for me and my family,” said Joanie.
This year will be Joanie’s first time attending the Pelotonia survivor’s celebration.
After a long period of uneasiness, “I finally feel I can celebrate,” said Joanie.
June 16, 2011
RIDER STORY: The Importance of Cancer Research 
Kristin Scott, senior vice president of merchandising for Victoria’s Secret, is riding with more passion than ever in this year’s Pelotonia ride. She’s riding for her sister, Kari.
Read Kristin's story...
Kari was diagnosed last June with AML -- the most aggressive form of Leukemia.
Living in Australia with her husband and two children, who were five and eight at the time, Kari, 44, was given just a few weeks to live.
Kristin needed to get to Australia and fast. She took the next flight out of the states to spend time with her only sister.
After many more tests and a few rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer was progressing at a faster rate. That’s when Kristin consulted with outside resources, one of those being a doctor at The James.
A clinical trial of a drug, Clofarbine, was being offered in the United States. However, it hadn’t been tried on an adult before and was known to have extremely harsh reactions to the body.
It was Kari’s only option.
The doctors from the United States sent the trial drug, along with dosing instructions to the doctor in Australia.
After a brutal four-week dose of the drug, the cancer had minimized from 60 percent of Kari’s body to just 10 percent. The next hurdle was getting the cancer to stay away. In order for that to happen, Kari needed a bone marrow transplant.
Luckily, a perfect match registered to be a donor and a few days later was anonymously being a hero to an eager family.
Kari has now been in remission for five months and is receiving her new bone marrow favorably.
“Two things saved my sister’s life – cancer research and a selfless volunteer,” Kristin said.
Kristin will be pedaling faster and raising money harder than she ever has before because without cancer research, like the work at The James, her sister wouldn’t be here today.
June 14, 2011
PRETTY IN PINK: The 2011 Limited Brands Jersey
Check it out! The Rider, official blog of Pelotonia, recently featured this year's Limited Brands peloton jersey.
