Life Membership with Adventure Cycling Association
November 2, 2016
Joining as a life member is the ultimate commitment you can make to Adventure Cycling’s programs. When joining at this level of membership, not only will you receive all the benefits of membership for life, your membership fees will provide long-term support for our organization.
Life members are entitled to an embroidered life member fleece jacket, a copy of America’s Bicycle Route: The story of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, as well as a life member card in addition to a lifetime of the following benefits:
- Subscription to Adventure Cyclist magazine
- Member-only access to online editions of Adventure Cyclist
- Access to our guided tours
- Member discounts on maps for the 45,000+ mile Adventure Cycling Route Network
- Exclusive special offers through our Affiliate Partners
Join the 2,090 cyclists who have made the leap to life membership with Adventure Cycling. From time to time, we profile life members in Adventure Cyclist magazine. Here are a few with their reasons for joining Adventure Cycling at the life member level:
Catherine Walker and David Fuqua
“I’m a joiner. If I like an organization and believe in it, I might as well support it at a leadership level,” Catherine says. “Besides, it’s one less thing to remember each year! Plus, there’s the low-hassle factor. We don’t have to worry about renewing.” That gives this couple more time to dream up future trips ranging from riding Europe for the first time — “France, Italy, or Mallorca” — to simply committing to at least one tour each year with Adventure Cycling.
A longtime supporter and member of Adventure Cycling Association, Kathy became a life member in 2001. If you’re one of the 8,500-plus riders cycling across Iowa during RAGBRAI, keep an eye out for Kathy and her dog, Suzy. With their matching jerseys, the iconic duo shouldn’t be hard to spot. As Kathy said of Suzy, “She is the RAGBRAI dog.”
With an Adventure Cycling membership card dating back to the early 1980s, Sue became a life member four years ago. “I believe in the mission,” she said. Keep an eye out for Sue on the road. If it’s summer, expect to see a string of happy cyclists around her. If it’s winter and she is on foot, then she’s likely in the process of crossing your state off her marathon list.
As brewmaster for Rogue Ales in Ashland, Oregon, John Maier creates some of the best craft brews on the planet. On November 11, 2011, John joined Adventure Cycling as a life member. When asked why he decided to join as a life member, John responded, “I associate Adventure Cycling with public radio: I like everything you do. I like the maps, the tours, everything. I’m happy to support you.” Eons from now, when John turns 60, he plans to make his dream of riding across the country come true on an Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Trail van-supported tour.
Currently the vice chairman of O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Board of Directors after a career helping grow the company from a single Springfield, MO, store to operating locations in 43 states, it just so happens that the auto parts magnate is in love with bicycles. Seeing the country from a bicycle saddle along huge swaths of the Adventure Cycling Route Network is what helped inspire O’Reilly to go from a member of Adventure Cycling — which he’s been for 20 years — to a life member in 2013. “I fell in love with the concept of Adventure Cycling supporting cycling, advancing new routes, and having the right mindset for what I was feeling very passionate about myself.”
Funds from life memberships are restricted to provide long-term support for Adventure Cycling. For example, life member funds have helped us purchase and expand our headquarters building, saving the association thousands of dollars in interest payments. We then put the savings toward more route creation and reaching out to current and future cyclists.
Adventure Cycling Association is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. For a life membership, the whole amount minus $245 (individual life) or $295 (joint life) is tax deductible in the year it was paid.
Top Photo by Jason George
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MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS is posted by Membership Marketing Coordinator, Laurie Chipps. Membership Highlights spotlights the benefits of membership, our accomplishments thanks to member support, and interviews with our passionate and dedicated members.
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