Frequently Asked Questions

1. About the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride 
2. Riders and Ride Teams 
3. Letter-Writing Campaigns  
4. Ride Donations 
5. Ride Prizes 
6. Ride SMART 
7. About “My Ride Center” 
8. Online Transactions 
9. What if I don't have a bike? OR:
What should I do about my kid?

Download the Official Rider Packet

1. About the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride
The ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride is one of  ALS Evergreen chapter's annual fundraising events.  Each year, ALS patients, family, friends and corporate leaders join together to raise funds in support of The ALS Association’s cutting-edge research and community-based patient services programs. 

Based at Mount Vernon High School, this weekend-long event is full of camaradarie, beautiful scenery, challenges, inspiration and fun! You'll be full supported with bike maintenance and snacks as you pedal the 42-mile loop each day (10 mile extra loops available). Your entry fee includes Saturday Night Pasta4PALS* dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch, as well as free overnight camping at the school.

We are proud to announce that in 2008 the Evergreen Chapter DoubleDay Ride raised over $146,000, proving to be our most successful ride to date.  This year our goal is to raise $150,000 for continued programs and services.

PALS*=Person with ALS

• Who Can Participate in the DoubleDay Ride?
  Anyone 12 yrs and above can become part of the fight against ALS by joining the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride.  Children under 12 years can participate as a ride along with an adult over 18, if riding on a tandem, trailer or tag-along bike.
• Is There a Fee to Participate?
  The registration fee to participate in the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride are as follows: $35 ( before May 1st), $50(before July 1st), and $60(after July 1st).  DoubleDay participants help fund local patient service programs and internationally-driven ALS research by raising donations through a variety of fundraising methods.  DoubleDay participants can raise anywhere from $100 to $100,000 dollars - the sky is the limit!   The ALS DoubleDay asks that all participants raise a minimum of $250.
• How Do I Register for the Ride?
  Registering for the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride is quick, easy and can be done from the comfort of your home in 3 easy st. If you have problems registering more than one person, delete your browser's cookies and clear the cache. Do NOT use your email for anyone other than yourself! If you continue to experience difficulty, call The ALS Association Evergreen Office and we'll walk you through it!

1. Decide: Will you be participating as a member of a Ride Team or an individual rider.

2. If you choose to participate as a member of a Ride Team: Will you create a NEW Ride Team or join an EXISTING Ride Team?

a. If you plan to start a NEW Ride Team, please select the 
“Form A Ride Team” option on the 2009 Ride Registration webpage.

b. If you plan to join an EXISTING Ride Team, please select the
“Join A Ride Team” option on the 2009 Ride Registration webpage and select the Ride Team in which you would like to join.

3. Complete the appropriate 2009 Online Registration Form to become an official participant of the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride!!

Participants may also choose to register for the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride by contacting the Evergreen Chapter office or by visiting the Registration Area on Ride Day.  We strongly recommend Online Registration for the Ride as this will allow you to benefit from the great online fundraising tools we have available through your personal “My Ride Center” tool. 

• DoubleDay Directions & Transportation click here

2. Riders and Ride Teams <back to top>

1. What is a Ride Team?
Your Ride Team includes anyone and everyone who wants to join in the effort to raise money for patient services programs and ALS research.  Family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, children and adults create Ride Teams. 

Ride Teams and their fundraising efforts drive the success of a Ride.  More team riders means an increased opportunity for fundraising and increased awareness of ALS.

2. What is a Team Captain?
A Team Captain is the lead organizer and motivator for a ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride Team.  Team Captains are responsible for recruiting people to join their Ride Team, naming their team, setting a team fundraising goal and continually communicating with and encouraging team members prior to and during DoubleDay.  Team Captains are the ALS Association’s primary contact and liaison to the Ride Team; he/she will receive ongoing information and updates from the Chapter during the months leading to Ride Day. Each Ride Team must have a Team Captain.

3. What is a Team Rider?
Team Riders are individuals who participate in the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride as part of a Ride Team.  Team Riders will communicate regularly with their Team Captain and encourage friends and family to support the Ride and their team.  Along with hundreds of other Ride participants, Team Riders will attend Ride Day and collect donations by using their “My Ride Center” tool or other fundraising methods.

4. What is an Individual Rider?
Anyone over 12 yrs can participate in the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride as an Individual Rider!  People who choose to participate as Individual Riders do not belong to a specific Ride Team; rather, Individual Riders choose to participate as a single member of their local ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride.  Along with hundreds of other Ride participants, Individual Riders will attend Ride Day and collect donations by using their “My Ride Center” tool or other fundraising methods.  

3. Letter-Writing Campaigns <back to top>

One of the most effective (and easiest) ways to raise money for the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride is to launch a letter-writing campaign.  Riders who launch a Letter-Writing or Email Campaign typically raise 5 to 10 times more money than participants using other methods of collecting donations.

By simply drafting a “Dear family and friends” letter or email explaining why you and/or your family are participating in the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride, you can reach many potential supporters.  Remember to include everyone in your holiday greeting cards list, address book and associations to which you belong when sending your letters.

CLICK HERE for Helpful Letter-Writing Campaign Tips

4. Ride Donations <back to top>

Where/When Should Ride Donations Be Submitted?
As you begin collecting Ride donations, we encourage you to send all contributions to The ALS Association Evergreen Chapter office up until the week prior to the Ride.

However, there are other options for submitting donations:

1. Encourage online donations!  Online donations are made directly to your personal Ride web page and are instantly attributed to your Rider and/or Ride Team fundraising goal.  No additional steps are necessary.

2. Enter collected donations into your “My Ride Center.”  Collect donations in person or by mail, enter your donations into your "My Ride Center" tool and watch your fundraising thermometer rise!  This process can be done from the comfort of your home and at your convenience.  Even better, entering your donations in this way allows supporters to visualize the progress of your fundraising campaign and is a great way for you to track donations received. 

* Important Reminder: Please keep all of your donations in a safe place! Better yet, mail checks to the ALS Association Evergreen Chapter up until a week before the Ride.

3. Bring all your donations to the Registration Area on Ride Day.  As a participant of the ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride you will receive several Ride Collection Envelopes that enable you to hold and track donations you receive (offline, not via your webpage.)  Simply collect contributions from friends and family members, record their names and donation amounts on the Ride Collection Envelope and submit the envelope of donations on Ride Day.

4. Give your donations to your Team Captain.  If you are participating as a member of a Ride Team, you can gather donations and submit them to your Team Captain before Ride Day.  Please use the provided Ride Collection Envelopes as described above to collect your donations and simply give your envelope to your Team Captain. 

5. All donations received after Ride Day should be mailed to the  Chapter office 19110 66th Ave S, Suite G-101, Kent, WA 98032 at your earliest convenience.

5. Ride Prizes <back to top>
          If you recruit a new rider, you are automatically 
          entered into a drawing to win a DoubleDay  Bike Jersey!

All riders raising a minimum of $250 and attending the Pasta4PALS dinner on Saturday night are eligible to win a new Trek bike from Gregg's Cycle.

6. Ride SMART <back to top>

A special reminder about riding in Skagit Valley; roads are open to ALL traffic. Headphones are not allowed during the ride (Riders must be able to hear approaching traffic clearly, or other riders calling out). Riding single file is safer, especially when on a narrow road where cars or other bicyclists might want to pass you. Please be courteous to other riders and local residents.
All riders must follow the rules of the road and RIDE SMART: 

Stay Alert - watch for cars, other riders, and hazards. 
Move off the road when stopping - pull completely off the road or trail let cars  and riders pass; please do not block driveways or intersections. 
Act like a car - OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS, stop at stop signs, and use hand signals. 
Retain space between yourself and others - leave room to dodge obstacles. 
Tell others when passing on the left (don't pass on the right).  

7. About “My Ride Center” <back to top>

          "My Ride Center" contains the following elements:

Participant Center Update Personal Goal Change Web Page From Public or Private Personal Page Edit Your Personal Page. Upload a photo, share your story. Address Book Upload Contacts / Email Addresses Edit Information Email Send & Edit Messages Save Personal Messages

Follow-Ups Track Sent Messages Sample Message:  Thank You Sample Message:  Ride with Me My Progress Enter Check and Cash Donations View/Print Donors Team Progress (Team Captains ONLY) Update Team Page Update Team Goal Create Team Messages View/Print Ride Roster View/Print Donors

More details are available here
You might also want to download step by step instructions to get the most out of "My Ride Center"

8. Online Transactions <back to top>

1. I Forgot My Username and Password.
Remember that your username and password are case sensitive.  Click here to find your password.  You will receive an e-mail with your username and password.  If you still have problems, please contact Robin Hartman at 1-866-786-7257.

2. How Do I Change My Username and/or Password?
First, login to the site using your username and password.  Once logged in you will see a link at the top of the page called "Update My Profile".  Once in your profile, you will be able to update your contact information, e-mail address, preferences, username and password.  All changes will be made to your account immediately.  There is no need to sign in again.

3. Is My Personal Information Secure?
Convio, the company that powers The ALS Association’s Online Ride System, makes every effort to protect your personal contact and credit card information.  They use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure your credit card information, passwords and personal information travel securely over the Internet.  Convio also installed an encryption engine on our database server so your data is securely stored within our offices as well. 

4. How are Credit Card Transactions Handled?
Credit card information is not stored in our database.  During the donation process, we send an individual’s credit card information to an online processing terminal using a secure connection.  The information passed back is an approval or denial for the credit card donation.

9. What if I don't have a bike? OR: What should I do about my kid? 

Other Questions
If your question was not answered above, please contact Robin Hartman at 1-866-786-7257.