The Memorial Christian Hospital in the Chittagong District of Bangladesh was founded about 40 years ago by Dr. Vic Olsen, a pioneer medical missionary. A captivating account of those early years can be found in the book Daktar: Diplomat in Bangladesh. The ministry is thriving and the hospital has gained a fine reputation throughout the country. However, because of the increasing case load, and a facility which is now overcrowded and whose infrastructure is beginning to crumble in a jungle environment, there is an acute need for a new building. The 2.7 million dollars needed has now been almost entirely raised or pledged.
In October, 2008, I visited the hospital with a dear friend from medical school, Dr. Bob Cropsey. It became apparent to me that I could aid in fundraising by seeking sponsorship for something I love to do anyway: ultra marathon bicycle racing.
The Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) sponsors a series of races each year. In 2008, I participated in 7 events and earned a total of 141 points. I was pleased with my efforts, but since this was my first year, had not trained adequately to truly excel. Each race is assigned difficulty points (DP) based on the race’s length (12, 24 hours or longer) and amount of climbing. For instance, the Texas Time Trials in September, had 2.0 difficulty points because it is a 24 hour race and has a fair amount of climbing. I rode 320 miles in 2008, giving me an overall average of 13.33 mph. Multiplying this average (13.33) by the difficulty points (2.0) give me the race total of 26.66 points. The points are totaled for the year (limited to the best 12 DP of racing), and that is how the UMCA standings are determined. My effort was good for 6th place in the nation overall, and 3rd in my age category. The LORD gave me strength to achieve 147 points in 2009.
Sponsorship simply involves a pledge to donate a certain amount per point attained. This total will be payable at the end of the racing season the 1st of October, 2010. For instance, a $6 pledge would involve about a $900 donation (assuming 150 points) to Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) which would use the money exclusively (no administrative fees or costs) for the electrical infrastructure on hospital grounds in Bangladesh. I much prefer this motivational donation method to a simple cash donation, but obviously, no donation will be turned down.
Please click here to sponsor me as I raise funds for Memorial Christian Hospital’s building project.
Drs Kelley Cropsey Hyink
