What is this "envirobuggy madness" ...

Envirobuggy madness (n): 1. a way to let the world know what you stand for 2. a way to raise money for a great cause that you get to choose 3. a seriously cool bonding experience for me and my son 4. one of the best "jobs" I could think of at 1:30 a.m.

Background
For the past 9 months, the "envirobuggy" has been the primary mode of transportation for me and my almost-4-year-old son. It's my yellow mountain bike and his red and silver buggy. That's how he gets to school, how I got to the "day job," and how we run our errands.

At times, it's been tough - I live in a hilly, windy, rainy town - but it's been worth it. Not only do I get to feel like a celebrity, smiling and waving as best I can to supportive strangers and friends alike as I struggle against what only feels like gale-force winds when you're on a bike, but I've made exercise a regular part of my day and set a great example for my son and his friends. Yup, there's a gaggle of pre-schoolers and elementary students asking for buggies of their own and saying that's how they're going to get their children around when they have them (what foresight!).

Since I got to feeling like a celebrity (see, look, I was in the paper) I decided to do what every celebrity worth her salt should: raise money for and awareness about important things. And thus the idea for the 137-mile "Envirobuggy Madness" tour was born.

Here's how it works:
Check out the 37 things that I think make life sweet and will help keep this planet together in a healthy way. Then let others know about the green and holistic things you think are fabulous by becoming a "revolution" sponsor. What do I mean by "revolution sponsor"?

Well, there are 108,504 revolutions of my bike's wheels in 137 miles. I did the math. You get to sponsor as many of these revolutions as you like with your financial support. By sponsoring a revolution and spreading the word about things you feel are green, holistic, and fabulous - which others may not know about - you contribute to the greater revolution going on around us. Isn't it wonderful how being green, healthy, and holistic is going mainstream? That's a revolution I've been waiting for a long time.

I'll be promoting "Envirobuggy Madness," and the sponsor causes, in person as I bike around the Big Island (for that personal touch), online (you got to this site, surely hundreds of thousands of others will, too) and through conventional media.

Let the world know what you stand for! Sponsor a revolution! And if that's your very own green or holistic business - perfect!

How to Sponsor a Revolution:
After you decide the cause you'd like people to be aware of, use PayPal or snail mail (see sidebar) to sponsor your revolutions (they are $1 each, but the minimum sponsorship is 10, please). Then voila! Your cause and your name, if you so desire, will appear on the sponsors' page. Check out my 37 "sweet things" for information and inspiration. And don't forget to vote on which organization you'd like to receive 25% of the proceeds raised by this campaign.

This is part of my dream "job" - combining my love of biking, spending time with my son on great adventures and learning experiences, and raising awareness about things I feel make the world a more wonderful place - so I am drawing a "salary." Come on, I'm a single mom with no trust fund in sight. We've got to eat.

The ride is scheduled to start July 2 and, if I get sponsors for all 108,504 revolutions, should take about 1-1/2 weeks. I'll be blogging from the road about the trip and my 37 sweet things, and adding (hopefully!) to the sponsors' page. Please check back in!

Namaste,
Karen