Thank you so much for checking this page out!!
When you make a donation, please feel free to give me a song or whole album to listen to while I'm riding on the big day!
xoxo Jake
____________________________
I'm a PE teacher at Roxborough Elementary in Colorado. I live in a house filled with love ❤️ 2 cats, 2 dogs, and Alicia, my wife!
Bicycles have always been a part of my life in one way or another. In Elementary school I counted down the days until I could ride my bike to school. In college I explored with my bike all over Burlington, Vermont. Most recently, I found my dream bike frame on craigslist, and spent the summer building up a dream gravel bike on my own, using second-hand parts.
Before being a teacher, I had a career in landscape design, specializing in skateparks and pump tracks. I was always thinking about the kids that would benefit from these spaces. Now as a PE teacher, I gets to directly enourage the youth to grow and see their potential.
I emphasize compassion and perseverance in my classes, and I want to use Unbound 200 as an example of working hard to overcome great challenges!
_______________________________________________
Just days after our last day of school, I’ll be riding 200 miles in the 2026 UNBOUND Gravel race. Call me crazy...but it’s for a good reason: I’m riding on behalf of the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF), a nonprofit that educates on the importance of organ, eye, & tissue donation! Not only will I be riding in their honor, but I will also be fundraising for their cause, in support of organ, eye & tissue donation.
So, why CKF? Although I am able to take on such a daunting physical (and mental!) task like riding Unbound Gravel, there are still more than 103,000 people in the U.S. who cannot because they're awaiting a lifesaving transplant. Everyday 17 of these people die waiting for their turn for their transplant. And every 8 minutes, someone new is added to that waitlist. Just one person has the ability to save up to 8 lives as an organ donor and improve up to 75 lives through tissue and eye donation. But here’s a stark reality: although 95% of U.S. adults support the idea of organ donation, only 48% are actually registered as organ donors. That isn’t good enough. I’m riding in the hopes of eliminating the wait for a transplant. I know that’s a lofty goal, but if my riding helps just one person from having to wait, I believe it's worth it.
CKF is making huge strides to educate people of all ages, with the goal of registering more individuals as organ donors across the U.S., in the hopes of one day eliminating the wait for transplant nationwide. Please help me raise the very important funds they need to continue their lifesaving mission. The smallest amount helps and 100% of your donation is tax-deductible. Donations can be made via credit card or check.