It was a bit of a nail-biter, but I'm happy to say that we met yesterday's goal to break $30K out of the $50K needed to win a $25K donation from The Chicago Community Trust. Thanks a bunch to all the generous readers who put their money where their mouth is to support Streetsblog Chicago's transportation journalism and advocacy. As I write this, our tally is $30,235.
We're also grateful to the good people at Ancien Cycles for donating Kali bike helmets, which we will raffle off on June 1 to two different donors. That surely helped spur some donations yesterday. Next time you're in need of a bike repair or a good cup of coffee, I recommend stopping by the Ancien locations in Hyde Park and River North.
One of the the great things about running a sustainable transportation news website in Chicago is how supportive the local bike industry has been of Steve Vance's and my work. Now our friends at Po Campo, makers of stylish and practical bike bags, have graciously agreed to provide a $100 gift card for us to raffle off to readers who donate by our June 1 deadline.
You could use the card to buy a sharp-looking Loop Pannier -- a laptop bag that easily clips on to your rear rack. Or you could buy a colorful Kinga Handlebar Bag, a bike purse that hangs from your handlebars, with enough credit left over to buy a second one for a gift. There's a ton of great gear to choose from on their website.
While we have some more ad revenue and smaller grants on the horizon, we're going to need more help from readers to raise the additional $19,765 we need within the next 13 days. If you've already contributed, thanks again. If not, I hope these sweet prizes inspire you to get involved with our effort to win the challenge grant.
As always, we appreciate your support!
-- John
