Fight Cancer, Win a TarpTent

A couple of weeks ago, I joined up with Team Fatty to help fight cancer. I didn't really push things but a few great folks (thanks so much Beth, Donna and Peter!) pledged a few bucks. And thanks to Elden's evangelizing efforts, a bunch of other folks also signed up with Team Fatty to help raise money as well. One of those people, Jill Homer, managed to raise about three grand in the first week! In Jill's words, "Wow!"

Now admittedly Jill takes better pictures than I do, she writes better than I do and she's obviously better looking, but dang she's also one heck of a fund raiser. Ooh and she had a gimmick. She raffled off a camera.

Jill is one of my role models, so I'm taking a page from her play book and I'm raffling off my TarpTent. This is an awesome tent. Henry Shires basically gave me this tent for my 2005 single-speed ride of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Race. The tent was great, and even though I managed to lose the tent in Colorado, Trish Stevens found it and returned it to me. The tent is a prototype version of a Virga, very light with a sewn-in floor and full bug netting. The later versions of this tent have more head-room but if you're under six feet and looking for a solo tent, this is an awesome bit of ultralight gear. I'm only getting rid of the tent for these reasons:

• The tent is too small for when I go camping with my beautiful wife.
• The tent is actually a bit too luxurious for my ultra-minimal adventures. On those adventures, I take an even more minimal bivy.
• Henry gifted me with the tent and I feel I should pass that good Karma on to somebody else.
• It's something of value I can use to help raise money for a great cause.

So here's the deal. Between now and Christmas for every $5 you pledge on my Team Fatty Page here, you'll get a virtual ticket into the TarpTent raffle. So if you pledge $5, you get one chance and if you pledge $50 you get ten chances. On Christmas day, I'll draw a ticket and contact the winner. Now the Livestrong software doesn't send me your email, so if you want to be entered into the contest send an email to me (kentsbike at gmail dot com) so I have your email address. If you just want to pledge and don't care about the tent, that's cool but I want the tent to go to somebody who will use and enjoy it. And Beth, Donna and Peter, I'll put you early birds into the drawing as well if you want.

OK, that's it so far. Go here, pledge and cross your fingers. Your money goes to a great cause and you get a chance to win a great tent.

Thanks and good luck,

Kent