How to Plan a Bike Ride Fundraiser

Select a date for the event based on other athletic events in the area or fundraisers that may take away from your core audience. Choose a rain date if the target audience is diverse in cycling experience or geared toward families and children. However, if the charity ride will be geared toward experienced riders or mountain bikers, weather should not deter them from riding.
Form a steering committee that includes at least an event coordinator and volunteer coordinator who have experience organizing a cycling event and/or participating as a rider in similar events. They will help you avoid overlooking details that are important to cyclists and bike rides.
Establish a budget, expenses and target fundraising goal.
Select a location and a back-up location (ideally four to six months in advance.) You'll need enough time to get permissions, submit necessary permits and coordinate municipalities to lock down the details of the event. Keep the back-up location in mind, and be ready to move fast if your first choice is denied.
Choose the bike route. For a mountain bike event, match trail difficulty with the experience levels of the riders. You may want to select one route and have more advanced riders complete multiple routes. Mark trails clearly with arrows and warning markers that cannot be confused with existing trail markers.For a road bike ride, come up with a set of distance options for riders. Typically, a set of 10-, 25-, 50-mile routes will satisfy most charity cyclists. If you feel adventurous, include a 75- or 100-mile route. Use the longest route as the 'base' for all other distances; for the shorter distances, figure out turnaround points. Develop a turn-by-turn cue-sheet.
Establish rest areas every 10 miles for a road bike event and every 3 miles for a mountain bike event. For each rest area, arrange for a set of volunteers (preferably one that has some form of medical experience), water, food, first aid, a safe place for riders to set their bikes and a means for riders to go to the bathroom.
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How to Host Japanese Foreign Exchange Students

Assume the student speaks imperfect English and adjust your expectations accordingly. While all Japanese exchange students will speak some English, it is highly unlikely they will speak English at anywhere near a native ability, and they will probably have trouble understanding native speakers in a social setting.
Speak clearly and avoid idioms. Japanese speakers are keyed to certain distinct sounds, and similar-sounding words, unclear words, or words spoken in a dialect can be difficult for them to discern. Of course, don't speak slowly in a loud voice as this would be condescending and rude. The student will want to learn idioms, but take it slow.
Write things down. Your exchange student may not be able to understand everything you say, but he will more than likely be able to read what you write.
Show, don't tell, when familiarizing the student with the house. To avoid unfortunate or embarrassing misunderstandings, show the student while you explain things. Japanese students have studied a lot of English for travel, school and business. Unfortunately, they study very little about common household tasks such as 'hang the laundry,' 'turn down the TV,' or even 'lock the door.'
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