Atayne 360 - July 2010

It's our birthday too, yeah!  That's right, on July 10, 2010; Atayne LLC officially turned 3 years old.  The last 3 years have proven to be an interesting journey and we have enjoyed every step, hop, skip, and jump of it.

Our moms have always told us it is better to give than receive.  So, instead of expecting all sorts of fun presents from our friends, we are going to give a few presents of our own.  When you use the code hbd2010 between now and August 7^th, you will receive free shipping and we will donate 10% of the total sale to Kennedy's Cord Foundation.

Why 10% and why August 7^th?  That is the day that our good friend Kennedy turns 10!  For the newer readers of Atayne 360, Kennedy was diagnosed with spinal cord cancer just after her 2^nd birthday.  Despite the cancer, Kennedy has consistently been a happy, social, and active child.  If it weren't for the braces on her legs and limp hand, no one would ever imagine that she has been battling cancer for 8 of the 10 years of her life.

To get to know Kennedy a little better, check out her video.  We hope you will join us to support Kennedy in her fight.

Speaking of the magic number 10, it's time to start planning for 10/10/10.  The masterminds at 350.org* have dreamed up their next global action on climate change with their 10/10 Work Parties.  This year on 10/10/10, 350.org is organizing a Global Work Party to send a message to political leaders around the world: "We're ready to get to work addressing climate change.  Are you?"  All are invited to join.  You can create your own event or join something already happening. 

We want to encourage members of the Atayne community to set-up their own event.  Create an event with Atayne in the title and send a picture from your event to adventure@atayne.com.  We will reward your efforts by sending you a $50 gift certificate.  Need some ideas?  Consider organizing a trash run or a guerrilla gardening hike.

On August 15^th we are working with the Tri For a Cure to "manage" all the waste from their event.  Our goal is to prevent as much waste as possible from going into landfills through recycling and composting and to leave the course cleaner than the event found it.  We are now recruiting volunteers to help out with the effort.  If you are interested in joining us the afternoon of the 15^th in South Portland, Maine send an email to events@atayne.com.  We will follow-up with all the details.

All volunteers will receive an Atayne performance top to wear at the event (and treasure afterwards) and will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Atayne gift certificate.  It's the proverbial win-win.  Do something good for the environment and yourself.

75 Days, 2,000 Miles, and 5 Million Steps

A couple years ago we introduced you to our crazy friend Tommy Neeson who was running unsupported from Bangor, ME to Miami, FL to raise money and awareness for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  We recently came across another crazy cat that did something similar.  Meet Terry Hitchcock.

In 1996, Terry ran 75 consecutive days to cover the 2,000 miles from St. Paul, MN to Atlanta, GA.  That is over a marathon a day.  We know greater feats of endurance have been accomplished, but here is the thing: Terry was 57 years old, and he was not a runner.  You would probably have mistaken him more for Santa Claus.

So why did he do it?  Twelve years before, Terry and his three kids lost their wife/mother to breast cancer.  Left as a single parent with three young children, Terry realized the tremendous emotional and financial hardships that single parent families often face.  He decided to run to bring awareness to the extraordinary obstacles that the 23 million kids in single parent homes face. 

The story of Terry is being told for all to see in the documentary, My Run.  Whether you are an accomplished runner or professional couch potato, we think the movie trailer alone will encourage you to take a few steps for something bigger than yourself.  It might even inspire you to follow the 5 millions footsteps of Terry.

Chances are you have heard and seen a lot about the Gulf oil spill over the last few months.  From the environmental destruction to the livelihoods destroyed, it is a very sad situation.  It has made us at Camp Atayne begin to ponder the potential health effects to humans that could come from this massive oil spill.  We decided to see what Kelsey, our Scientist in Residence, would say.  Check out the latest Science Made Simple to see her answer.

Congratulations to Paige T, the randomly selected winner of the Atayne + DORNBOX Custom Bike Giveaway Contest.  We liked Paige's picture so much, we decided to feature it in this month's Atayne at Play.  Check out Paige getting some air just before completing her first 100-miler.  Rumor has it she couldn't jump so high after the race.

We are already starting to think about our next big giveaway.  Have any good ideas for a contest or prize?  Send an email to adventure@atayne.com.

Congratulations to June's winner, Beth O, who knew that our new Men's and Women's Grind Cycling Jersey is cut & sewn in Massachusetts from fabric knitted in North Carolina.

Now for July's question.  Other than our website, where is the best place to get Atayne gear if you live in the Nation's Capital?

Remember, all answers can be found on our website, blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or past issues of our newsletter.

To join in the fun, email your answer to adventure@atayne.com.  To be entered into the drawing for the $25 gift certificate, your answer must be received by Saturday, July 31^st.