To: Janesville Velo Club (JVC) members:

JVC is once again challenging local riders to participate in the 22nd Annual Winter Challenge (1/1/23 – 2/28/23) and raising funds to support club operations, along with construction of another important project in our community.

Palmer Park Mountain Bike Trails and Skills Area – JVC is working with the City of Janesville and Traction Trailworx (professional trail building) to create a 35-acre mountain bike park in the southern part of Janesville’s Palmer Park.

2023 Fundraiser Goal = $50,000

Thanks in part to last year’s Winter Challenge, construction of the East Loop will begin in 2023! The JVC, the Rock Trail Coalition, Michael’s Cycles, and the City of Janesville have already made contributions to the cost of the project’s design and plan ($5,000) and a $20,000 down-payment has been made to Traction Trailworx to secure time on the 2023 schedule.

Palmer Park Mountain Bike Trails and Skills Area Project Total Cost = $250,000

·         East Loop – $50,000 – Construction will begin in 2023!

·         Intermediate Flow Trail – $25,000 – Construction will begin in 2023!

·         Expert Gravity Trail – $30,000

·         West Loop – $45,000

·         Skills Area – $40,000

·         Pump Track – $45,000

·         Signage / Infrastructure – $15,000

As a Janesville Velo Club member, we hope you will support this fundraiser. It is the club’s most important fundraiser! There are three possible ways you can contribute and help us reach our goal.

  1. Ride

You can ride 5 miles in a day, right? Rules of the Challenge can be found here.

Not up to the challenge of winter riding? Well, then…

  1. Make a sponsorship pledge or donate

You don’t need to ride in the cold if you don’t want to. Your pledge will help motivate those who are brave enough to accept the Challenge to ride.

  1. Solicit pledges

Budget a little tight? Then ask your friends, family, and coworkers to make pledges or donations. Remind potential donors that the JVC is a non-profit organization.

Since 2002, only about 150 people have accepted our Challenge. This relatively small group has accomplished so much by cumulatively riding over 22,000, ‘days’ (equivalent to over 60 years) and over 413,000 miles in some pretty harsh conditions. Challenge riders are truly earning the pledges that benefit ALL club members!

We hope you are proud of the role you have played in those accomplishments. 

  • Janesville Paved Trail Wayfinding Signage
  • Janesville Area Youth Mountain Bike Club
  • Rockport Park Singletrack Trail System 
  • Janesville Town Square Gran Prix 
  • Bicycle maintenance programs for Jackson Elementary School and the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  • Anna Schenker Memorial Scholarship

Whether you’ll be riding or showing your support by making a pledge (or doing both), we’re looking forward to seeing your Challenge Form arrive containing the details of how you will be participating in this year’s Challenge! Please go here to let us know which way you’re choosing to support your club and the Challenge. If you solicit sponsors, please direct them to also go to the same webpage to submit their pledges/donations. Keep in mind that pledges on riders won’t be collected until March (after the Challenge has ended).

More information about the Challenge can be found on the following websites:

  • Project Njord – This is the website handling donations as well as rider information (registration & standings)
  • Michael’s Cycles – Find out how the foolishness got started
  • Janesville Velo Club – Your local bike club is about more than just riding bikes

Enjoy the holiday season!

Sincerely,

Your JVC Officers:

–CURT SAUSER, President

–DAN STADDLER, Vice President

–SONNI KLIPP, Secretary

–TINA LIEBETRAU, Treasurer