TLD an xrv event we must all rally behind

[Whealie]

I am posting in a personal capacity, not as a moderator.

On 20/21 June 2009 I am taking part in The Longest Day, an event organised by members of the xrv.org.uk forum.

This started as an event organised by the xrv.org.uk forum last year to raise money for MacMillan nurses who had helped Lord and Lady Vader's family in a time of need.

This year forum members decided that the charity would be the Make-Wish-Foundation, which had widespread support from xrv.org.uk forum members. I organised that link-up on behalf of the xrv.org.uk forum.

I am not signing a disclaimer (I didn't sign last year's so I am being consistent).

I am not taking sides in the furore that has developed but my view is that The Longest Day is an xrv.org.uk event, organised by the mutual efforts of many members. There is no owner, except a mutual ownership by all the members who take part.

The copyright of any images created remain with the creators of those images, including the logo created by Robster and photographs taken by all members - that is the law of the land. I am not signing away my copyright in any photos I take (I would be strung up by my union, the National Union of Journalists, were I to agree to such draconian terms). If I post images to the xrv.org.uk forum, all members are free to use them on the site and, not-for-profit, I am generally happy for them to be used elsewhere too.

I'd like to think this year's event will engender the same spirit of of togetherness that last year's event did. I'd like to think that next year this forum could organise another, similar event - with the main purpose being to raise money for charity and the sub-text being to get a great bunch of people together as a community.

Thanks to everyone (for there were lots of them) for their part in organising this year's events and for raising money. Please continue to give generously.

The Longest day this year is for the children with life-threatening illnesses that Make-a-Wish support. It is for nothing more and nothing less.

I hope all the riders and supporters can rally round that idea.

[sean]

Whealie, well said - I couldnt have put it better myself.

[alpslapper]

I am posting in a personal capacity, not as a moderator.

On 20/21 June 2009 I am taking part in The Longest Day, an event organised by members of the xrv.org.uk forum.

This started as an event organised by the xrv.org.uk forum last year to raise money for MacMillan nurses who had helped Lord and Lady Vader's family in a time of need.

This year forum members decided that the charity would be the Make-Wish-Foundation, which had widespread support from xrv.org.uk forum members. I organised that link-up on behalf of the xrv.org.uk forum.

I am not signing a disclaimer (I didn't sign last year's so I am being consistent).

I am not taking sides in the furore that has developed but my view is that The Longest Day is an xrv.org.uk event, organised by the mutual efforts of many members. There is no owner, except a mutual ownership by all the members who take part.

The copyright of any images created remain with the creators of those images, including the logo created by Robster and photographs taken by all members - that is the law of the land. I am not signing away my copyright in any photos I take (I would be strung up by my union, the National Union of Journalists, were I to agree to such draconian terms). If I post images to the xrv.org.uk forum, all members are free to use them on the site and, not-for-profit, I am generally happy for them to be used elsewhere too.

I'd like to think this year's event will engender the same spirit of of togetherness that last year's event did. I'd like to think that next year this forum could organise another, similar event - with the main purpose being to raise money for charity and the sub-text being to get a great bunch of people together as a community.

Thanks to everyone (for there were lots of them) for their part in organising this year's events and for raising money. Please continue to give generously.

The Longest day this year is for the terminally ill children that Make-a-Wish support. It is for nothing more and nothing less.

I hope all the riders and supporters can rally round that idea.

Whealie, since you've only got a major Insurance broker as a backer, and have so far raised a rather paltry sum of about £3,500 on your own, I think you have a plucking cheek gobbing off here

I vowed I would not get involved in any board discussions on the current state of play until this years ride was over. I am chewing through my tongue as I write: However, I will simply cut and paste a quote from your post above:

''The Longest Day is an xrv.org.uk event, organised by the mutual efforts of many members. There is no owner, except a mutual ownership by all the members who take part.''

Amen.

We are raising money for terminally ill children, to make what is in effect their dying wish come true.

Please God, we will all be met by our families after the ride, we will go back to work, we will continue to cuddle our kids, take them horseriding, swimming, boxing, correct their homework, teach them new things and watch them marvel at the wonder of a badger in the wild, or a spiders web, and every night we will tuck them up in bed, and with a kiss on the forehead they will be blanketed in a love that has no bounds.

Many familes won't. They are going to bury their child. In the cold, hard, earth. They will never write this years letter to Santa.

Every penny raised will go towards making a wish come true for these special children and their families. It matters not if it's 2 quid, or 5 grand. It all goes to putting a smile on a childs face when they are facing unimaginable fear, and leaving a family with a memory they will cherish forever.

Let's not lose sight of that eh?

[digitalcaptive]

My view has always been that although I am not taking part this year, My support has always been from the point of view that this event is an XRV event in support of wishes for kids, And I would hope that next year I would be in more of a financial position to actually take part in whatever XRV forum members organised in support of the next good cause ................No matter what is was called

Well said Tom and Chris

[blue skies]

Please God, we will all be met by our families after the ride, we will go back to work, we will continue to cuddle our kids, take them horseriding, swimming, boxing, correct their homework, teach them new things and watch them marvel at the wonder of a badger in the wild, or a spiders web, and every night we will tuck them up in bed, and with a kiss on the forehead they will be blanketed in a love that has no bounds.

Many familes won't. They are going to bury their child. In the cold, hard, earth. They will never write this years letter to Santa.

...jez these words brought a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat. When put like this it really does bring home what it's all about.

[Paul-S]

XRV event

[Whealie]

Please God, we will all be met by our families after the ride, we will go back to work, we will continue to cuddle our kids, take them horseriding, swimming, boxing, correct their homework, teach them new things and watch them marvel at the wonder of a badger in the wild, or a spiders web, and every night we will tuck them up in bed, and with a kiss on the forehead they will be blanketed in a love that has no bounds.

Many familes won't. They are going to bury their child. In the cold, hard, earth. They will never write this years letter to Santa.

Every penny raised will go towards making a wish come true for these special children and their families. It matters not if it's 2 quid, or 5 grand. It all goes to putting a smile on a childs face when they are facing unimaginable fear, and leaving a family with a memory they will cherish forever.

Let's not lose sight of that eh?

That's the point of it. Well said Tom.

Let's put everything else behind us and now focus on raising as much money as possible.

If everyone redoubles their efforts we can easily beat last year's £15,000 raised.

[pdsquire]

I wasn't aware that there was any doubt about this, but I for one would be bitterly disappointed if I thought forum members might be falling out over TLD. I hope they are not, but just incase, I'll add my ha'porth.

I think the running total of donations is about £9,000 of which about £6,500 has been raised by four people. I'm not sure that really matters: some people are better at fund raising than others; some are busier than others; some have contacts with more cash to splash. What's important is we don't lose sight of the fact that this is an attempt to raise money by doing an event rather than doing an event and raising something for charity on the side.

I'll be corrected but I doubt the cost per bike is less than £300. If all each rider did was to raise as much as he or she is spending we would have £14,400 i.e. £20,000 if you add in the efforts of the four mentioned above. If I've got the figures right, excluding the big numbers all we've so far raised is £56 each.

Please, please people. We're talking about dying kids here. It's a situation anyone of us could be in: a child in pain, a family in despair, nothing to look forward to, a feeling that all the money has to go to care for the child. Then along comes Make-A-Wish and there is a moment of brightness that will be remembered by those left behind forever. How can that not be worth getting a bit of your mates' beer money for?

I've probably said enough but as PanRider keeps pointing out, it's not your money you're being asked to spend: it's a fiver here, a few quid there. I ask no less than five people a week: it usually doesn't work, but it's got to be worth trying.

Please lads and lasses, lets pull behind this. There are other rides and other years but don't lose sight of the fact that we've got an opportunity here to do a really wonderful thing.

It really isn't too late to more than double what we've raised.

Philip

[Tony Varadero]

I am with the ride, for the ride and looking forward to the ride, the fun it is going to be and the good that will come from our soar rear ends for the MAWF
The rest I think should be left behind us.....

[digitalcaptive]

Right so in light of all that's been said, I'm aware that apart from a donation I have done nothing towards this event....So as I am intending to be at the Ace to greet you all is there some tools available for me to help do a bit of money collecting while I'm down there (tins to shake, flags to wave, some weird furry character costume to wear, or maybe a cattle prod to stun people long enough for me to empty their wallet?)