What time is it? It's time for World Bicycle Relief (WBR)! If you're not familiar with my favorite non-profit charity organization, they provide rugged, purpose-built bicycles to those in need, making a huge impact on recipients' ability to travel to school, work, obtain food and water, and generally have a better life. Providing bicycles may seem like a simple mission, but it is simply powerful in providing a leg up for many around the world. Being a professional athlete certainly requires a lot of quot; me quot; time, and this event is one of my favorite ways to turn the tables and bring people together to give back to a very worthwhile cause. The Challenge ends at the end of the year - Dec. 31, 2017.

Throughout the months of November and December, 100% of all donations to WBR will be matched by anonymous donors, meaning whatever we raise this year will be doubled. Last year, we raised well over $75,000 for WBR. Our total for the past eight years is over $500,000, or over 3,400 bicycles! That's a LOT of bikes, and deserves one heck of a pat on the back for everyone that contributed. Our lofty goal for this year is to raise another $60,000 (408 bicycles)! To enter the challenge, you can donate online at the URL below. Link: http://fundraise.worldbicyclerelief.org/jordanrapp2017 You can also submit donations via traditional mail (make sure to make a note it is for the Rappstar Charity Challenge) at this address:
World Bicycle Relief
Attn: Development
1000 W Fulton Market
4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60607

Award drawing tickets will be assigned automatically from the donations, so please make sure to give us an email or phone number (or both) where we can reach you. 100% of your contributions are tax deductible and will be directed back to World Bicycle Relief. How does the Challenge work? Most of the basics remain the same as in previous years. You can donate ANY amount, but ONLY donations of $147 or more (the cost of one bicycle) will make you eligible to earn some of the great fundraising awards. For every multiple of $147 that you donate, you get another chance at an award. $294 earns you two chances, $441 earns you three, $588 earns you four, etc. This year we are again making a small tweak to honor those who have stepped up in a big way for us. This year, donations of 9 bikes ($1,323) or more will get an extra chance (so any donation of $1,323+ gets you one extra chance in honor of the 9th year of the fundraiser) for an award.

The first 100 donors have always gotten something special, and this year is no exception. Thanks to the generosity of my favorite indoor training platform (and my new employer), every one of the first 100 donors will receive a gift card good for THREE FREE MONTHS ON ZWIFT (you can re-gift it if for some reason you are crazy enough not to be a Zwifter). Anyone who donates $147 or more will receive one of these.

We will have more things up for grabs, but this year I've just been a bit behind getting this going thanks to try to do a good job in my new role. And, since, weirdly, the normal world doesn't seem to understand the idea of offseason. But I wanted to get this post up sooner (such as it is) than later, because people have been asking me if I'm doing it again. The answer is certainly yes. And I promise, just as every year, there will be some awesome things on tap.

Thanks everyone for your incredible support over the years and for your belief in The Power Of Bicycles!

Jordan