In a few days, Lord willing, I will turn 82, and that means it’s time for another attempt at biking my age.  I began this exercise in putting off the inevitable in 2011, the year I turned 70. I’ve achieved my goal for 12 consecutive years, but the distance increases every year and I get a year older, so, as those financial ads warn, please remember that “past performance is no guarantee of future results.”

As I have in the past, I’m asking you to dig deep for a preferred good cause, which this year is World Central Kitchen, the remarkable charity founded in 2010 by Chef José Andres. WKC, a non-profit, is first to the frontlines–whether it’s Ukraine or countries like Haiti devastated by a natural disaster. WKC provides fresh meals in response to crises, while simultaneously working to build resilient food systems with locally-led solutions.  WKC has served more than 250 million nourishing meals around the world. Charity Navigator makes it clear that 100% of your gift, which is 100% tax-deductible, will help WKC provide more meals to those in need.

Here’s an easy way to donate $820, or $82, or $8.20 to World Central Kitchen. Thank you.

While I have your attention, I want to apologize to everyone who tried last year to follow my progress on ESPN’s “Older Amateur Athletes” channel, which is either 1467, 2156, or 2310 on many cable systems.  I had been assured by someone I reached at the Annual Birthday Bikers Association (known as ABBA and based in Stockholm) that a camera crew would be on hand to cover my attempt. I wish I had gotten his name.  What I did not realize was that ESPN’s bean-counters decided which aging athlete to focus on based on the cost of production, and it would have cost a pretty penny to have a camera crew following me for 81 miles.  I learned later that, instead of covering my ride, the “Older Amateur Athletes” channel devoted four hours of airtime to a woman in California who was attempting to set a new Guiness Book of World Records standard for “most consecutive hours playing the accordion while rocking in a rocking chair.” That was humiliating, to put it mildly.

But things look better this year because there’s a new game in town. YouTube, bless their hearts, has decided to target ‘the senior demographic’ and is using drones to cover athletic endeavors like mine, which it then streams live.  The person I talked to at YouTube told me that I needed to purchase a special Go-Pro-type headset that beams its signal skyward to connect with the drones, which will then find me on the ground and track my progress.  Of course, I’ve ordered the headset, but I wish I had gotten the name of the person I talked with at YouTube central headquarters so I could let the folks there know that I’m ready.  It weighs close to two pounds, unfortunately, and that could make the ride difficult.

But that’s my problem, not yours.  Please donate generously to World Central Kitchen. 

I’ll let you know how the ride turns out.