Monk on a Bike - 'Complete the Circle'
Donation protected
I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, but have been living in Japan for about fifteen years. I was ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist monk in 2010 at ‘Annonji’, a small temple not far from Tokyo, and given the Dharma name ‘Mumon’ (‘Gateless Gate’). I became a resident monk at Jomanji Zen temple in Tokushima, Japan five years ago.
I have been an avid cyclist since my early teens, and the bicycle has always been a vital facet of my life. Following a cancer scare in 2017, I decided that the time for ‘Monk on a Bike’ had arrived, embarking on the ‘Zen Cyclequest’ in May 2018, riding solo from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in a Zen outreach effort and as a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital Foundation. I knew from the outset that this ride would be a crucial learning experience, spiritually and otherwise, and by the time I descended from the Rockies and began to cross the Heartland States, I also knew there was a lot more riding yet to be done; the ride would not end on the steps of the Capitol Building!
As such, I am currently preparing for ‘Zen Cyclequest, Part II: Complete the Circle’, in support of Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. My father passed away due to complications from Alzheimer’s, as did his father, and his younger brother died of ‘Lewy Bodies Disease’, considered by doctors and researchers to be a variant of Alzheimer’s and part of the ‘Alzheimer’s Group’. For these personal reasons, as well as for the greater mission of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, I have a profound and heartfelt motivation to ride for this cause! According to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death worldwide, ahead of lung cancer, diabetes, road accidents, and tuberculosis.
‘Complete the Circle’ is set to start at the beginning of September 2019, from the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C., and will take me back to San Francisco via the Southern route (Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California). Along the way, I hope to visit Alzheimer’s clinics, to try and bring some hope and inspiration to patients, and to learn more from doctors and researchers about the disease, and the ongoing quest for a cure.
The 'Monk on a Bike' Charity Campaign will enable me to do just that, by helping me to defray the considerable cost of the undertaking, and to cover expenses. These will include:
- Airfare from Japan to and from the U.S.
- Average daily allowance (food and hydration, accommodation - campground, hostel or inexpensive motel),
routine bike maintenance, communication costs, etc. [Note: I will be free camping wherever possible]
- Travel Insurance (through 'World Nomads')
- Emergency funds: non-routine equipment repair and/or replacement, communication, medical or transportation costs not covered by
insurance.
- Promotional costs: phone charges, printing and copying (posters, flyers, maps, etc.), 'Boosting' of FB posts, Domain fees, etc.
In terms of the 'Average Daily Allowance', I set a conservative overall estimate at $60.00.
. A conservative estimate of the basic costs necessary to allow me to carry out the 'Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle' ride looks like this:
$60.00/Day x 90 days..... $5400.00
2 One-way air tickets.... $1600.00
Insurance for 90 days.... $ 800.00
Emergency funds (major equipment repair/replacement, communication, transportation).... $500.00
Promotional costs.... $200.00
Total ....$ 8500.00
The ‘Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle’ campaign will not be directly fundraising for Alzheimer's Foundation of America, but rather for the 'Monk on a Bike' mission itself. The 'Zen Cyclequest' in its totality will be the essence of the effort, as a Zen outreach campaign, as a source of hope and inspiration, and as a means of shining a bright light on the need to support the Alzheimer's Foundation of America in their effort to improve the lives of patients, caretakers and families, and the ongoing commitment the AFA makes to developing better treatment strategies and, ultimately, to finding a cure.
The ride will be followed on the AFA web page and FB page, and I will be posting regular updates and comments from the road on these pages, as well as encouraging people to give via the AFA donation page. In a nutshell, the 'Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle' campaign will support the ride itself, by keeping the wheels turning, across 3400 miles of U.S. roads. Monk on a Bike, through the ride itself, will support the Alzheimer's Foundation of America!
I estimated the ride duration at 90 days, but whether I will make it in that time I cannot say. It is unlikely to be less than 90 days, but it could easily be more, especially if outreach events take me significantly off the route.
Please donate whatever amount you can comfortably manage. ALL donations will be sincerely appreciated! I look forward to having you ride alongside me in spirit, every mile of the way, right from wherever you are!!
As I prepare to make some important decisions regarding my next steps along the Zen road, this outreach will serve as a beacon in the mist, and a journey across the country of my birth will again be a spiritual advisor of the highest order.
Let us Ride!!
I have been an avid cyclist since my early teens, and the bicycle has always been a vital facet of my life. Following a cancer scare in 2017, I decided that the time for ‘Monk on a Bike’ had arrived, embarking on the ‘Zen Cyclequest’ in May 2018, riding solo from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in a Zen outreach effort and as a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital Foundation. I knew from the outset that this ride would be a crucial learning experience, spiritually and otherwise, and by the time I descended from the Rockies and began to cross the Heartland States, I also knew there was a lot more riding yet to be done; the ride would not end on the steps of the Capitol Building!
As such, I am currently preparing for ‘Zen Cyclequest, Part II: Complete the Circle’, in support of Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. My father passed away due to complications from Alzheimer’s, as did his father, and his younger brother died of ‘Lewy Bodies Disease’, considered by doctors and researchers to be a variant of Alzheimer’s and part of the ‘Alzheimer’s Group’. For these personal reasons, as well as for the greater mission of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, I have a profound and heartfelt motivation to ride for this cause! According to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death worldwide, ahead of lung cancer, diabetes, road accidents, and tuberculosis.
‘Complete the Circle’ is set to start at the beginning of September 2019, from the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C., and will take me back to San Francisco via the Southern route (Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California). Along the way, I hope to visit Alzheimer’s clinics, to try and bring some hope and inspiration to patients, and to learn more from doctors and researchers about the disease, and the ongoing quest for a cure.
The 'Monk on a Bike' Charity Campaign will enable me to do just that, by helping me to defray the considerable cost of the undertaking, and to cover expenses. These will include:
- Airfare from Japan to and from the U.S.
- Average daily allowance (food and hydration, accommodation - campground, hostel or inexpensive motel),
routine bike maintenance, communication costs, etc. [Note: I will be free camping wherever possible]
- Travel Insurance (through 'World Nomads')
- Emergency funds: non-routine equipment repair and/or replacement, communication, medical or transportation costs not covered by
insurance.
- Promotional costs: phone charges, printing and copying (posters, flyers, maps, etc.), 'Boosting' of FB posts, Domain fees, etc.
In terms of the 'Average Daily Allowance', I set a conservative overall estimate at $60.00.
. A conservative estimate of the basic costs necessary to allow me to carry out the 'Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle' ride looks like this:
$60.00/Day x 90 days..... $5400.00
2 One-way air tickets.... $1600.00
Insurance for 90 days.... $ 800.00
Emergency funds (major equipment repair/replacement, communication, transportation).... $500.00
Promotional costs.... $200.00
Total ....$ 8500.00
The ‘Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle’ campaign will not be directly fundraising for Alzheimer's Foundation of America, but rather for the 'Monk on a Bike' mission itself. The 'Zen Cyclequest' in its totality will be the essence of the effort, as a Zen outreach campaign, as a source of hope and inspiration, and as a means of shining a bright light on the need to support the Alzheimer's Foundation of America in their effort to improve the lives of patients, caretakers and families, and the ongoing commitment the AFA makes to developing better treatment strategies and, ultimately, to finding a cure.
The ride will be followed on the AFA web page and FB page, and I will be posting regular updates and comments from the road on these pages, as well as encouraging people to give via the AFA donation page. In a nutshell, the 'Monk on a Bike - Complete the Circle' campaign will support the ride itself, by keeping the wheels turning, across 3400 miles of U.S. roads. Monk on a Bike, through the ride itself, will support the Alzheimer's Foundation of America!
I estimated the ride duration at 90 days, but whether I will make it in that time I cannot say. It is unlikely to be less than 90 days, but it could easily be more, especially if outreach events take me significantly off the route.
Please donate whatever amount you can comfortably manage. ALL donations will be sincerely appreciated! I look forward to having you ride alongside me in spirit, every mile of the way, right from wherever you are!!
As I prepare to make some important decisions regarding my next steps along the Zen road, this outreach will serve as a beacon in the mist, and a journey across the country of my birth will again be a spiritual advisor of the highest order.
Let us Ride!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Simon Gregory Filson
Organizer
Jonathan Filson
Beneficiary