Let the fun begin !!!

MS(ucks)!

It's that time of year again! Time for me to dust off my riding legs and mount up for my fifth MS150. In years past, I prepare for this adventure to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”) that affects millions of people worldwide, including my wonderful mom Valorie Noe. She's been a rock throughout my life and this is the best way I know how to help find a cure for a frustrating and disabling disease.

Well, my passion for fundraising and first-hand knowledge of this frustrating and relentless disease grew ten fold over the past ten months. Approximately five days after last year’s ride, my wife Andrea was diagnosed with MS. Man, life is full of surprises and this was a blindside if I’ve ever seen one.

The road leading up to the diagnosis was a rocky one. Shortly after giving birth to our second son Carson, Andrea began having trouble walking, specifically issues with her left leg dragging when she got tired or too hot. After months of numerous MRIs, tests, physical therapy and doctor’s visits, we were almost relieved to have a name for her symptoms.

We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary and thanks to the drugs and wonderful doctors, Andrea is doing much better. For the most part, her symptoms do not stop her from being an incredible mother to our two wild-and-crazy boys, amazing wife to a well-intentioned husband, wonderful teacher to her pre-schoolers, and thoughtful friend to her tight-nit circle of girlfriends. She is a rock and source of inspiration to all of the above and many more but especially to me.

So that brings us to how we can make a different together. The MS150 – a two day, 150 mile bike ride – raises awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis research. As I've expressed before, it's an incredible event that's filled with hills, thrills and great times. As always, I'm riding with the Feisty Devils, the largest friends and family team in the nation. Lead by some of the most amazing and inspiring leaders I know, we have raised over $1,000,000 and counting for MS research. But we need your help in continuing the fight against MS by supporting events like the MS150 which funds newer & better drugs.

So here are three easy ways to donate:

1. Donate online via the MS Society's secure website. Go to http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mattnoe ) to donate using any credit or debit card directly to my fundraising efforts.

2. Make a check for any amount to the "MS Society" and send it to my home address:
Matt & Andrea Noe
11817 Vienna Apple Rd.
Keller, TX 76248

3. Save a stamp and find me. I can be found at imc2 M-F, Grapevine Church of Christ most Sunday's and Wednesday's (barring the sick kiddo, of course), or at the above home address at all times in between. Feel free to call me (817-239-9355 cell) to schedule an in-person pick up because if that's what it takes, I'll be there.

That being said, I appreciate your past participation and hope that you can find it in your charitable plans to support my ride/efforts in 2009.

If you want to keep up with my Road to the MS150, please free to check out any of the sources below for updates on my fundraising efforts, photos & videos, daily happenings, or just a quick thought of the day.

• Join our Facebook group (http://tinyurl.com/cjclyb)
• Follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/busternoe )
• Email me (noewonder@gmail.com)
  
  Thank you for your time and participation.
  
  Here's to riding & raising $$$'s like hell,
  Matt "Buster" Noe

Coming Soon | Updates galore

Sorry for the silence over the past year. I've been extremely busy but that's no excuse. Considering the crazy year I've had since last year's ride, I'm incredibly motivated to take what I've learned about digital marketing and social media and marry that with my passion for this great cause.

Stay tuned for updates to this page and more. Here's a bit of what you can expect in the coming days, weeks and months:

• A dedicated Facebook group to tap into my network to help meet my fundraising & awareness goals. If you're on Facebook, please join the cause (http://tinyurl.com/cjclyb)
  
• Twitter updates with info on the daily regiment & updates around my preparation for the 2009 ride in May. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/busternoe)
• Daily updates to this blog with thoughts of the day, pics, fundraising updates, etc to keep you coming back for more.
• And much more...

Until then, take care and please support me in this years ride if at all possible. Visit http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mattnoe to submit your donation or mail it directly to me at my home address below. Please make your checks payable to "National MS Society."

Matt & Andrea Noe
11817 Vienna Apple Rd
Keller, TX 76248

some pics from the 2007 MS150

Accepting my Returning Rider of the Year award and telling my reasons for riding.


Me and my better half at the Feisty Devils team dinner the night before the ride.


With the family at the start line. My mom is signing one of the Pedal Partner bandanas.



There is no better feeling than completing this ride. This year's was rough but well worth it!

Fundraising Update

Thanks to all of you, I've exceeded my fundraising goals for 2007!!!! I am so moved by the overwhelming response from our friends and family. You rock. From my family to you, THANK YOU!

GRAND TOTAL = $2880

Another GREAT year!!!

Well, the 2007 MS150 is now behind me and I can say that I'm torn between feeling glad that I'm not still on the bike and a little sad that it's all over with.

The second day of riding (Sunday) was even more challenging than the first. You can only imagine how difficult it is to hop on the seat for another 75 mile day. On top of that it was hilly and windy to boot! It was a great challenge and I'm glad to have finished another year. If this thing wasn't challenging it wouldn't be right. MS offers no guarantees of consecutive "good" days nor does it promise to be easy to deal with. I don't pretend to empathize with my mom or others like her b/c in the end I recover and go back to life as I know it.

In addition to my own fundraising efforts, I also worked with our "Culture Club" here at imc2, a panel of individuals charged with keeping the culture here at imc2 fun and lively. We hosted several very successful fundraising events. We definitely put the FUN in fundraiser! One event we hosted was a Cinco de Mayo party where for a minimum donation of $20 you got all-you-can-eat fajitas and bottomless margaritas y cervesas plus 10 raffle tickets for great prizes. We raised approx. $2000 to donate to the MS Society which was a major accomplishment for our first time out!

We had a great time and actual won some awards for our efforts. At the team dinner Friday night, our Culture Club MS150 team won two awards. We won an award for "Most Creative Fundraiser 2007" for our Cinco de Mayo party and our smaller fundraising events. We also won "The Heart of the Team 2007" award for representing the passion and drive associated with the Feisty Devils. Not to toot my own horn but I was flattered and honored to win "Returning Team Member of the Year 2007." I was surprised and very proud to receive this award because I only do what I do because I'm so enthusiastic and passionate about the cause. In receiving this award, it confirms that I'm doing the things that bring awareness to devastating effects of MS and hopefully change the lives of current and future MS patients.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I invite anyone to join us for next year's ride. There are so many people that set personal goals for the ride. One new teammate set out to make it to lunch both days, approx. 45 miles each day, and ended up making it to a rest stop or two further! That's awesome and is completely inline with the spirit of the ride. If you watch the video linked in an earlier post, you'll see riders of all ages, shapes, sizes, and skill levels. The one common factor is that they put themselves out there and challenge themselves physically and mentally. It's a touching and humbling experience everytime I participate and I can't encourage you enough to try it yourself. Whether you do an MS Walk, MS150 or any challenging charitable event, you'll be forever changed and blessed.

Until next year,
Thank You and take care!

Notes from the road...

Well, one day and 78 miles down, one day and 75+ to go! As if the MS150 isn't hard enough, it rained right in our faces the last half of the day. Good times! I can say that I'm 100% sure I've been off my bike for about 3 yrs. Holy crap, I'm so sore and it took me too long to finish today. Granted, we were waiting on a straggling friend of a friend but that only explains an hour or so.

Regardless, it was a good time for a great cause and I can only hope that the weather improves tomorrow. I'll make sure to give an update after tomorrow's ride including a summary of the entire weekend.

Thanks again for all your support. FYI - I received another $275 donations while I was riding and for that I'm so thankful.

GRAND TOTAL = $2425

Ask and ye shall receive

I tried a little different tactic this year in my fundraising. Rather than flat out asking for donations, I tried to ask people to check out this blog hoping they would visit and then donate. Well, we're all busy and this world is cluttered with so much info it makes our brain's hurt. So after a slower fundraising start than in years past, I went ahead and asked for everyone's help. I sent out an email to my friends and family last night and the response has been incredible! In less than 12 hours I've received over $500 bringing the grand total to.....

$2120

Thank you to all who have donated. This is a very special event benefiting a cause near and dear to my heart. It means the world to me that you've added the MS Society to your generous charitable plans for 2007-08. Please let me know if I can ever help you in any way.