Gkam84 needs a trike to ride and help him deal with early Parkinson's - he's 28 FFS

Thanks for your reply Sam.

I have tried upright trikes, both a modified one with two wheel's at the back and a custom built on for a disabled person who lives quite close with two wheel's at the front.

While that solves the balance issue's somewhat. Because of my body positioning, my leg still goes like the clappers. After trying a recumbent, not only did it solve my balance, it also stopped the left side of my body from shaking to the extent where I cannot cycling.

I was still cycling in the safety of my house on a trainer and balanced between a bed and a wall for any off's I might have, but because the tremors in my leg, that has had to stop aswell.

The tremors have been slowed and as less frequent because of medication now, but its still something I have to live with.

Thank you for your input though

Its been truly astounding if i'm honest notfastenough, the response to help me out. 22% there in less than four days now including my own savings.

Going to list the bike's I have for sale here again later, but this time as component parts and see if there are people who just want a bit or two and then what's left will get put on ebay. That might bring me a bit more to put towards the goal.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get so much help so soon. It just shows that there are good people in the world and most of them are cyclist

Day 4 down, just updated my page, bit of negativity today, but nothing overly bad. sitting at 25% now, mental, I am over the moon at the progress and can't thank you all enough. Although I am working on something special for each and every donor.

Its nothing exciting I'm afraid, I'm thinking a hand written letter or something, just to say thank you personally and not digitally. Now to work on my hand writing

Cool stuff, forget the negative bits, full steam ahead and all that. I've been trying to think of other things which could raise something. I'm cultivating a moustache for Movember, but that's cancer charities. I've committed to some big group walk thing, but it's a. months away, and b. for oxfam. No-one's going to sponsor me for a bike ride since they know I'd ride regardless.

If only one of those pro's would send you a signed jersey to auction!

I did think about that, but I don't have the foggiest of how to go about it. After seeing a tweet that Laura Trott's jersey sold for charity over a grand.....But if it was her, I'd be to tempted to sleep with it on my pillow.

But if anyone knows how to go about approaching any pro's regarding a signed item of some sort, fire me a message on here and I'll see if I can't charm them

Just posted an update and tweeted this at a few people. Will hit some pro's up later. But off for my weekly check up with the Dr

Could you maybe take a look at my latest update and point me in the right direction if you know anyone? http://www.gofundme.com/Gkam84

just watched the vid - it's cool, I'd love to ride that little route, then stop for a snack by the river! Looks great.

I figured that the 'negativity' would be something like what you said, but you only need to read replies to high-profile tweeters or comments on news stories to see that there are too many evolutionary throwbacks that shouldn't be allowed near an internet connection. Sod em.

I'm not lucky enough to know any pro's though! I'd love a framed/signed rainbow jersey one day, but god knows what that might cost...

Well i'll see if I can get anything from a pro, but know it will be hard as its not for a charity, just for a cause. I am going to tweet it out there and see. Maybe I will try some of the paralympic cyclist's. Jody Cundy and other's retweeted me. So that might be an option.

Then hold a silent/online auction for Road.cc members, their friend and family, as I'd rather someone who would like it, over some random on ebay.

Well today's twitter spamming went something like this

Quote:

Do you think your team might be able to help my appeal with a donate of something for auction? http://www.gofundme.com/Gkam84

Within minute's I've already had replies and direct messages from BMC and Orica Greenedge asking me to email their office's.

Fingers crossed now. Just have to write out a nice email to them

Col Coldeportes are on board and are willing to donate something

Just donated to gkam, got to help the lad. Shite news what has happened and hope he gets the trike.

Mike, WOW thank you so much for your donation and also, welcomeish to the site with your fourth post

Some really nice roads out Rothie way, I used to go out that way via Daviot, out to Rothie and back to Aberdeen via Meldrum.

Well guys, just thinking about bed again.

There really are some special people in this world. 5 days and sitting just over 28% of the goal.

Suggestion's would be welcome, if I was to get any item's donated, how should I sell them? So obviously there is here but not an auction, so would have to set a price. I don't like that idea because I might want to much or whatever.

There is ebay, but that opens it up to all the world, when I'd really like it to go to cyclists for here.

If I got a few things, I thought about putting together a wee website and having some sort of silent auction style bidding process.

The final one would be a raffle, every £5 that's donated gets you a ticket. So if you donated £10, you would get two tickets and so on. If I get a few item's. That might be a good idea, chuck you all in a bucket and film the drawing?

Thoughts on this?

Cheers for today

Well if you wanted a silent auction, you could just invite private messages with the bids in. Post a copy of the winning bid.

However, personally I think I like the raffle idea. I think it would also possibly raise more, since I don't have enough (a few hundred £ for an average pro's jersey? Even more?) to spare on a winning bid, but I'd drop £20 on a few tickets. Recession/christmas and all that, I reckon I wouldn't be the only one.

Yeah I thought that might get people's interest more and be able to keep it as something for those who donate.

Only other team I've had a reply from, Endura Racing, asked me to email someone and I got an out of office reply

FIRST team that's going to send me something......

BMC Racing

Just been getting email addresses for others who didn't reply to my tweet and will fire them off

If anyone has a spare moment, could they help me to track down some email address's

I am currently looking for

Euskaltel
FDJ
Liquigas/Cannondale
Lotto - Belisol
Omega Pharma
Rabobank
Saxo Bank
Sky
Vacansoleil

Going to their website's hasn't helped, they have a generic form to fill in, but some only allow 200 characters.

Off to start on the Continental teams. I might need to work on a strategy to have an auction, but also raffle some via the funding set up??

We've got a signed ben swift bottle from the tour of norway. you can have that

plus a bunch of other stuff, no doubt. we'll do a trawl.

Cheers Dave that would be fantastic,

I'll just have to work out what to do, because I don't know how to structure an auction, raffle or whatever It may be. Dependant on the volume of things I receive. I'll have to think it through.

Just got an amazing email back from Team Colombia Coldeportes

Quote:

Dear Keith,

my name is David Evangelista, Press Officer of Team Colombia. I am also the one who replied to your tweet.
I am very impressed by your story, and I will be happy to check what we can do to give a contribution to your auction. Do consider that all of our riders are in Colombia at the moment, but I will ask whether there is any piece of apparel that we can send you. I would rather have sent you something autographed, but I will have the guys on hand in January only.
Look out for an update for us in some days!

Hang in there! I am sure you will collect a lot of support from the cycling world!

Kind regards

David Evangelista
Press Officer

Gkam - I wish you all the best with your efforts. At the moment I have a bike for sale and shall make a contribution after that. (I can't help straight away because I have computer/ internet issues.)

I tend to lurk on this site more than I write but can I just say thanks for all the posts you write as I do find a lot of them useful!

Thank you Comrade.

Glad you came out of lurk mode and that you like some of my posts. I try to be as useful as possible

36% raised by 45 people in 7 days. This is just stunned me to the core. I always had faith that people might be willing to help me a little. But this much, in 7 days has really moved me.

When I started out with this effort. I really just put the site up, into my signature and sent out a couple of tweets. Since alotronic began this thread. The tips, suggestions and donation's have been amazing.

Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart. Today I will be hitting twitter again to get through the list I have left to tweet about maybe donating an item to my intended auction. Still working out how to do it, but its coming along and keeping some items back to raffle

Hope people have a nice Sunday and get out for a ride or a swim down the high street in some cases. Stay safe though

Might have a nice collectors item for the auction

A jersey from James McCallum of Rapha Condor Sharp

Ok so far for donation items I have

BMC Racing Team
Team Colombia Coldeportes
Endura Racing
James McCallum (Rapha Condor Sharp)
Yanto Barker (Uk Youth)
Hayden Roulston (RSNT)

Do you have any contacts that might be willing to get involved? Now is the time to call in favours and twist arm's

I'm off to email major retailers, without hoping to much as I know they don't often do charitable donation's, unless its for a charity they are involved with

That's a great list. Before you go calling in any more favours, I'd see how much that lot raises first!

GKam, see today's Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2238450/Cycling-improve-connec...

Thanks for that link Steven, that just kinda confirms to everyone exactly why I am trying to get back cycling.

Unfortunately my balance is the worst part, followed by my shakes, that's why I have to go recumbent and trike rather than upright.

The only part I didn't like reading, but already knew was this

"As the disease progresses, speech and balance can be affected and some sufferers become wheelchair-bound."

That really scares the living shit out of me.

Another update, got knocked back from Oakley and Rapha

The email's are coming thick and fast this morning. But this has to be the best I've received yet though out my appeal

Quote:

Dear Keith,

our Team Colombia will be happy to help you by sending one of our 2012 kits for your auction (the 2013 ones are not available yet!).
Please provide us the contact address to ship it, and we will send it at the earliest convenience.

Hope that will help to get you back on saddle. Please do not forget to send us some pictures with your new trike!

I also hope you will have the chance to join us some time during the next season, and meet the team: there are some great people in it, I am sure you would enjoy it.

And again: hang in there!

Kind regards,

David Evangelista
Press Officer

Wow, now that has the potential to be very cool indeed!

Whoever ends up with the Colombia kit - you'll either need to frame it, or be able to climb like spiderman!