When we first moved to Boroughbridge, the Lower Ure News functioned like our gateway into the community life of our new town. With it's finger on the pulse of local activities, I literally planned my calendar each month with the Lower Ure News in hand.

Now two and a half years later, this free local paper (which is hand-delivered by volunteers to over 2,200 homes every month) is in danger of being lost.

I'm wanting to raise a bit of money to help get the paper through this financial year and to encourage the volunteers to keep going. If together we can keep the Lower Ure News in print, I've volunteered to help by providing a page of content each month. So, if you want to hear tales of an American living in North Yorkshire, please contribute!

Non-UK friends, don't let the £ sign scare you. You can still donate! Presently, £10 is the equivalent of about $13. Your contribution would be a great personal encouragement for what I'm about to attempt . . .

What I'm attempting for this fundraiser is unquestionably the biggest athletic feat of my life -- a 170 mile cycle ride called "The Way of the Roses" which goes coast to coast. Over three days, I will cycle with seven men from Boroughbridge across Lancashire, over the top of the Pennines, and across the Vale of York to the North Yorkshire coast.

I'll be taking photos, giving updates, and doing shout-outs to supporters along the way. Include your name in the donation and I'll post a picture, photosphere, or video dedicated to you as "your stretch" of the journey.

Thanks for your support and generosity towards a great local cause!