Just when we thought this year couldn’t get any stranger, it did. But let’s not think about what may have been or what we missed, let’s focus on what is yet to come; an amazing ride in beautiful Lake Tahoe in June of 2021 and another opportunity for the team to raise $100,000 and fund a research portfolio. This is also a time to really appreciate the present – I’m feeling so lucky to have my wife, my family, my greyhounds, friends, my career and a group of amazing people to ride with every week! Thanks for signing up with Team Survivor to Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

TA-HOE NO-GO

After waiting months for a decision about the fate of our Lake Tahoe event, what we all had suspected happened in July when the event was cancelled. LLS has remained laser-focused on putting blood cancer patients and families first, no matter the circumstances. LLS took proactive action to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), and made the decision to no longer hold the Fall 2020 Team In Training portfolio events or host any in-person event weekend activities for the remainder of the calendar year. Everyone received an email last month detailing options to transfer to Lake Tahoe in 2021 or other events. We already have 11 people signed up for Team Survivor 2021! Please let me know if you have questions or if you need additional info. I hope you will all transfer to Tahoe 2021 and help make it the best year ever!

NEW LLS Operating Model

Due to the economic impact from COVID-19, and in order to ensure their viability for years to come, LLS has restructured to a new business model. There has been a significant reduction in the national work force that impacted Executive Director Beth Muehlethaler, Campaign Manager Laura Kodack, and several others in the local office. We thank Beth and Laura for their tremendous contributions to the cause and for their support of Team Survivor! The current 56 chapters at LLS will be consolidated into 27 regions and we are now part of the Mountain Region based in Utah. More to come on these changes. This has no impact on Team Survivor – we will continue to ride and raise money for the cause regardless of LLS structure.

TEAM SURVIVOR

TAHOE 2021

Now that we know that all events have been cancelled for the year, it’s once again time to start rebuilding for 2021. If you were signed up for 2020, please transfer to Team Survivor 2021 so we can hit the ground running! Here’s the link to transfer your registration and donations to AMBBR 2021! https://na.eventscloud.com/website/15456/event-change-form/ As of August 1st, here are the 11 Team Survivor teammates that are signed up and ready to go to Lake Tahoe in 2021!

John Reumann
Meli Reumann
Khem Suthiwan
Albert Van Tine
Stephanie Grover
Randy Hunt
Laurie Steward
Derek Blash
Cara Hope
Lisa Schwab
Rance McDougald

FUNDRAISING – $43,728

What a roller coaster this year has been! Team Survivor was on pace to hit $100,000 and then COVID-19 happened, and then half the team dropped, and then the remaining team had a successful fundraiser and got momentum back and then the event was cancelled. Now we turn our focus to 2021. The teammates who have transferred so far have raised $43,728! It’s a great start and we have lots of time to fundraise and recruit before June of 2021! If you’re not on the list above, you haven’t transferred yet!

Team Survivor Fantasy Football League

Are you ready for some football? Believe it or not, the NFL season starts next month on September 10th. We will be having the Team Survivor league draft on Tuesday, September 1st at 6:00 pm MST. We won’t be able to meet in person this year so we’ll draft online! For your $100 entry fee you have a chance at fame, fortune and fabulous prizes! If you are in, please send your $100 entry to my PayPal account, johnreumann@msn.com. The first 12 to pay are in!

Team Survivor – July Rides

Yet another month of memorable and challenging rides for the team. Thanks to everyone who joined in July and made this such a great year of riding!

July 4th – Major Taylor Mural

American bicycle racer Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor (1878-1932) was the word’s first black sports superstar. He was world cycling champion in 1899, American sprint champion in 1900, and set numerous track cycling records. Nicknamed “Major” in his youth in Indianapolis and later known as “the Worcester Whirlwind” after his adopted hometown in Massachusetts, he was the second African-American world champion in any sport (after Canadian-born bantamweight boxer George Dixon of Boston won his title in 1891). In the Jim Crow era of strict racial segregation, Taylor had to fight prejudice just to get on the starting line. He faced closed doors and open hostility with remarkable dignity. In his retirement he wrote his autobiography, “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.” It was great to ride in honor of Major, especially considering the current struggles with racial injustice in our country.

The Triple Bypass Series

Sadly, the Triple Bypass was cancelled this year but the team decided to divide up the Triple into three Saturdays and do all the climbs – Vail, Squaw and Loveland. It sure is easier to ride them one at a time than all in one day!