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Did you have a good time at the race?
Do you want to thank the many volunteers who helped out? Or do you just want to do your heart some good? Nothing says "thank you" like a financial gift, and the projects supported by the Spartan West Rotary Club (like the Spartanburg Children's Shelter and the Rotary International's campaign for polio eradication worldwide) would be grateful for your additional donation. Thank you for being a part of our primary fundraising event of the year-- the Stump Jump Race!
~ Stump Jump Director
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To donate by PAYPAL, click the PAYPAL PAYMENTS button below. You will be directed to a secure PAYPAL page which is largely prefilled with our payment information. Once you log-in, you just need to enter the amount you wish to donate. The "Pay to:" line will read "Spartan West Rotary".
Here's the address if you're mailing your donation.
Send your check or money order (payable to Spartan West Rotary Club) to:
Spartan West Rotary Club
StumpJump Extra
PO Box 160207
Spartanburg, SC
29316
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Recovering from Life's "Endos"
By: Michelle Wais and Gordon Bell, Spartan West Rotarians
Imagine riding a trail you've mastered hundreds of times before. You attack, as your legs burn with lactic acid, but you grin to yourself knowing at the top you will be rewarded with a downhill single track run. Yours is an understanding enjoyed only by those who've challenged the same trail, who've endured the grueling effort of your sport-the effort that allows you to experience an unrefined thrill.
With one last hard drive of your legs you gaze up to enjoy your reward. Suddenly, the handlebars and front wheel have been stolen from you. Your eyes catch sight of the familiar face of the trail, but it is not the face you recognize. It has changed, and it's attacking you with an unexpected assault, a rockslide, broken limbs and half the trail has slid down the mountain. You react, but your bike isn't responding; the chain has come off, and you have blown a tire. Fear and shock take over as you realize the impending danger, the treacherous jagged rock bottom below, the unknown ... If you make it through, will you ever be able get on a bike again? How long before someone comes to help?
Now imagine a child facing a rocky uphill battle everyday, but at the top is not a pristine view or the rush of silky smooth single track. Instead, he's been taken away from everything familiar to him to a temporary home with only a few belongings quickly thrown into a trash bag. The immediate danger of abuse is gone, but not the unknown. Will he be able to get back up again?
Children like this have an opportunity to start the road to recovery and to gain courage to climb back up again thanks to Spartan West Rotary Club and the Spartanburg Children Shelter. The shelter is a facility that temporarily houses children who are removed from their home because of abuse or neglect. How does this relate to you as a mountain biker? When you participate in Stump Jump 2008, you will be helping these children.
As a chapter of Rotary, an international organization formed in 1917 to give business people a way to serve their community, Spartan West Rotary Club needed to find the right fundraising event. In 1998, Stump Jump was born, a National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) event. The club lost money the first year and had more volunteers than the 67 riders. Event Coordinator Jenneane Froman recalls, "We quickly saw the potential and embarked on a five year plan to grow the race and its proceeds. The second year we turned a profit, and by year three we had become the South Carolina State Championship race and were part of the Cane Creek (now the Southern Classic) series."
As word spread, the race grew in 2001 to 336 riders, including internationals ranging in age from five to 58. It was part of the Nabisco Fig Newton Yellow Jersey program, included the first ever team championship race and had over 100 business sponsors. Major sponsors included Pepsi, BMW, Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation, Five Star Foods and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. This year Stump Jump will be part or the American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC).
Stump Jump is very "rider friendly." Rider Greg Hinson identifies, "It provides more for the riders than any other race, across the board including free food and drink, close parking, organized event staff, free camping, bike wash station, emergency equipment, awards and an opportunity to help children in need. The course gives riders a chance to test their endurance. In no other race do you have to turn as many miles. There is no forgiveness to make up time with most of the course being technical single track mixed with long endurance sections of course."
Spartanburg's location, within two hours of so many other popular riding trails such as the Blue Ridge parkway, Bent Creek Access Area (part of North Carolina Arboretum), Isaqueena Trails (Clemson University Experimental Forest) and Pisgah National Forest, attracts the best of local riders.
Last year's proceeds exceeded $20,000 allowing Spartan West Rotary Club to help the Spartanburg Children Shelter with general repairs, maintenance, kitchen and playground equipment, Christmas gifts and the Suitcase Project that supplies every child a new piece of luggage. Children Shelter Executive Director Sylvia Stahley explains, "Neglected and abused children already feel like 'trash'. They are even more humiliated when they have to put their worldly belongings in a large trash bag. Thanks to the Luggage Project, they can carry their belongings with pride."
It has been said that a hundred years from now it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in ... but the world may be better, because you were in the life of a child. Help a child pick himself up from doing an "endo" in life and get back up to ride again.
Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 18, 2008. For additional information and registration go to www.stumpjump.org or contact Jenneane Froman at 864-599-9019, jenneane@charter.net.
Cycling for a Good Cause at Eleventh Annual Stump Jump
The Spartan West Rotary Club is sponsoring the eleventh annual Stump Jump, South Carolina's state mountain biking championship race on Sunday, May 18, 2008.
The Stump Jump is race five of the Southern Classic Series of races, held throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
The results of the race will count toward USA Cycling - Mountain (USAC-MTN) rankings.
Spartan West Rotary event director Jenneane Froman said she expects 600+ cyclists to compete in the event. Although the event is a chance for professional racers to gather points for the Southern Classic Series Championship, anyone can take part in the race, Froman said.
Froman said it will take beginning cyclists about 50 minutes to complete the nine-mile course. Professional cyclists will take about 30 minutes, she said, but they ride the course four times to complete the race.
The course is described as having steep climbs, but also some flat, curvy terrain, crossing creek beds and bridges.
Since 1998, Stump Jump has been the major fundraising event for the Spartan West Rotary Club. Proceeds from this year's race will support the Spartanburg Children Shelter, a temporary home for all children removed from their home for domestic violence, abuse or neglect. Spartan West Rotary also awards scholarships to Dorman High School seniors each year. We contribute to Rotary International's humanitarian efforts around the world such as Polio Plus, our goal being to eradicate polio world-wide.
Spectators are admitted to the race for free.
The Spartan West Rotary Club began hosting the event in 1998 because South Carolina needed more bike races, Froman said.
"There are a lot of competitive mountain bikers in South Carolina, but there were virtually no South Carolina races," she said.
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©2008 SPARTAN WEST ROTARY CLUB, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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