IFMR 2011 New Orleans: January 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Overnight Stops for IFMR POLIO PLUS rides to New Orleans announced

Overnight stops for all POLIO PLUS ride routes have now been tentatively identified and are listed below, along with contact information for their Ride Captains. Please contact the Ride Captain on the route nearest you to let him know of your interest and to arrange rendezvous points for you and other riders to join the group, or to arrange for a 'meet & greet' event for the group.

ALBANY, NY –
                    Bob Shriner (rshriner@aol.com)
                    Charlie Foote (bcfoot@aol.com)
                    Bill Smith (smithatlg@aol.com)
     Sunday, May 15 -- Hagerstown, MD
     Monday, May 16 -- Roanoke (Troutville), VA
     Tuesday, May 17 -- Cherokee, NC
     Weds, May 18 -- Tuscaloosa, AL
     Thurs, May 19 -- Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
      Friday, May 20 -- NEW ORLEANS

CHICAGO/EVANSTON –
                        David.Phelps@EffectusLLC.com
                        Bob Mutchler (tunerman1@aol.com)
     Tuesday, May 17 – St. Louis, MO
     Weds, May 18 – Memphis, TN
     Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
     Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

SACRAMENTO –
             Doug Holck (holckster@aol.com)
             Helmut Sommer (hgsommer@yahoo.com)
       Saturday, May 14 – Barstow, CA
        Sunday, May 15 – Flagstaff, AZ
        Monday, May 16 – Albuquerque, NM
        Tues, May 17 – Amarillo, TX
        Weds, May 18 – Dallas, TX
        Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge (groups converge)
        Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

SEATTLE –

               Marc Baker (Mqbhdrotary@gmail.com)
               Otto Rieve (ottorieve@telus.net)
        Friday, May 13 – Boise, ID
        Saturday, May 14 – Ely, NV (or Delta, UT)
        Sunday, May 15 – Pueblo, CO
        Monday, May 16 – Amarillo, TX
        Tues/Weds, May 17 & 18 – Dallas, TX
        Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA
         Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

MIAMI, FL –
               Allen Leggett (alsu@sbcglobal.net)
               Earl Halle (ebhalle@aol.com)
      Tuesday, May 17 – Tampa, FL
      Weds, May 18 – Panama City Beach, FL
      Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
       Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

Mark your calendar; spread the word; contact your nearest Ride Captain; and join us for the IFMR POLIO PLUS rides!

Friday, January 7, 2011

IFMR Plans Motorcycle Rides to New Orleans to raise funds for POLIO PLUS

The International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians (IFMR) recently announced plans for motorcycle rides to the Rotary International convention in New Orleans from several different parts of the country to help raise funds for POLIO PLUS, Rotary’s continuing effort to stamp out polio everywhere in the world. The funds raised will help complete the funds required to match a $200 million grant to POLIO PLUS from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Once again IFMR will be encouraging its members and other Rotary motorcyclists to ride to the convention; but this time IFMR is making a special effort to organize rides and raise awareness to promote contributions to Rotary’s POLIO PLUS
campaign. It’s also asking riders to pledge amounts per mile for their ride to New Orleans and also raise additional pledges from their local clubs, club members, and friends, all payable to the Rotary Foundation POLIO PLUS fund.

Four different ride groups – funneling riders from the west and northwest, from the central region, and from the east and northeast – have been set in motion. From Sacramento, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, and Albany, all coming together in Baton Rouge on May 19 for a grand entrance into New Orleans on May 20.

Imagine the impact of all four groups of IFMR motorcyclists arriving in New Orleans at the same time, ready to deliver their checks and pledges to the Rotary Foundation’s POLIO PLUS effort.

IFMR’s plans for the POLIO PLUS rides are being closely coordinated with Rotary International leaders, Rotary Foundation trustees, and the 2011 Rotary Convention Promotion Committee, all of whom have offered their strong encouragement and support to help make this IFMR effort for POLIO PLUS a big success.

As information about the rides has begun to reach other IFMR chapters in other countries, we’ve begun to receive queries about the routes and about rental bikes for international riders who might want to join one of the rides, both to show their support for POLIO PLUS and for the opportunity to see new parts of the US with other IFMR members. What a great opportunity for fellowship among international Rotary motorcycling friends!

All riders will be encouraged to pledge or raise as much as possible, aiming for an average $1/mile to New Orleans in pledges for every rider. But no one will be excluded. Clubs along the way will also be encouraged to send riders, to send pledges, and to arrange ‘meet and greet’ events with riders passing thru their area enroute to New Orleans. Whether or not you can make the ride yourself, you can still help by raising funds and pledges in your club, your community, and your Rotary district. You can also help by organizing a group of riders from your area to meet and ride with the group on to New Orleans, or just for a few hours or miles, or just for a brief ‘meet & greet”.

Help spread the word and join in the ride!

You’ll hear and read more about it here as details are worked out. Meanwhile, mark your calendar, spread the word, and plan to ride to New Orleans. Contact the Ride Captains shown below to let them know of your interest and to arrange rendezvous points enroute.

ALBANY, NY -- May 15-20
                Bob Shriner (rshriner@aol.com)
                Charlie Foote (bcfoot@aol.com)
                Bill Smith (smithatlg@aol.com)

CHICAGO/EVANSTON -- May 17-20
                David.Phelps@EffectusLLC.com
                Bob Mutchler (tunerman1@aol.com)

SACRAMENTO -- May 14-20
               Doug Holck (holckster@aol.com)
               Helmut Sommer (hgsommer@yahoo.com)

SEATTLE -- May 13-20
               Marc Baker (Mqbhdrotary@gmail.com)
               Otto Rieve (ottorieve@telus.net)

MIAMI, FL -- May 17-20 (Added Route)
               Allen Leggett (alsu@sbcglobal.net)
               Earl Halle (ebhalle@aol.com)

Lodging Info - Albany-Baton Rouge Route

The following is a listing of the motels where IFMR has blocked rooms for IFMR riders and passengers traveling to New Orleans on the POLIO PLUS fund-raising ride. Contact each motel to make your personal reservations. Be sure to mention the Group Code indicated for each motel.

Saturday, May 14 – Albany, NY – Holiday Inn Express Skyline
8 Empire Drive, Rennsaelaer, NY 12144
Phone: 1-518-286-1011
Group rate: $109 Group code: IFMR

Sunday, May 15 – Hagerstown, MD – Hampton Inn
18300 Park Circle, Hagerstown, MD 21742
Phone: 1-240-420-1970
On-line booking: http://tinyurl.com/4ue52nm
Group rate: $89 Group code: MOT

Monday, May 16 – Roanoke, VA – Comfort Inn - Troutville (I-81 exit 150)
2545 Lee Highway (US 11 & US 220), Troutville, VA 24175
Phone: 1-540-992-5600 Toll Free: 1-800-628-1957
Group rate: $75 Group code: IFMR

Tuesday, May 17 -- Cherokee, NC – Fairfield Inn & Suites
568 Painttown Road, Cherokee, 28719
Phone: 1-828-497-0400
Group rate: $85 Group code: IFMR

Weds, May 18 -- Tuscaloosa, AL – Hampton Inn Tuscaloosa East
6400 Interstate Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35453
Phone: 1-205-562-9000
On-line booking: http://tinyurl.com/4f69meu
Group rate: $89 Group code: ROT

Thurs, May 19 -- Baton Rouge, LA – Hampton Inn (I-10 & College Dr)
4646 Constitution Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: 1-225-926-9990
Group rate: $99 Group code: ROT

Friday, May 20 -- NEW ORLEANS – Drury Inn (Already full)
820 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 1-504-529-7800
On-line booking: http://tinyurl.com/4smr5om
No group rate available during RI convention

All motels enroute offer rooms with either two double beds or one king-size bed at rate shown. Contact motels directly to make individual reservations. Rooms not reserved in advance will be released two weeks prior to arrival date, so book early; but later bookings at the group rate will be honored if rooms are still available. In the event that bookings exceed the group reservation, or rooms are not available for late booking, check for other nearby motels on hotels.com, expedia.com, or other travel booking websites.

Lodging in New Orleans

Most downtown hotels in New Orleans during the Rotary International convention have been exclusively reserved by a contractor named by the RI convention planning group and can only be booked thru the Rotary.org/convention website. Therefore, it has not been possible to designate an "IFMR Headquarters Hotel" for this convention. Many hotels are already fully booked. To find available hotel space in New Orleans, use the official convention website.

To locate other hotels downtown and surrounding New Orleans areas that may have rooms available, use Hotels.com, Expedia.com, or one of the other travel booking websites.

The RV Fellowship of Rotary has campground space arranged at the University of New Orleans and has extended an invitation to IFMR members interested in camping there during the convention. If you wish to explore that option, contact RVF president Reba Lovrien at 505-350-3386 (president@rvfweb.org) or president-elect Bob Craig at 315-668-1362 (preselect@rvfweb.org) for more information.