Charity Drive: Museo del Ghisallo

We are donating all proceeds from our calendar sales for the next day to help the Museo del Ghisallo reopen their doors. I was quite shocked when I learned that the Museo had closed its doors this autumn due to lack of funding. Years ago, I spent a wonderful time there while working on the photography for our book The Competition Bicycle.

I was glad to receive news this morning that the Museo is trying to reopen in the spring. They are looking for donations to ensure its survival. Spontaneously, we decided to have a charity drive to do our part. Here’s our idea: for the next 24 hours, all sales of our Calendar of Classic Bicycles will be donated to the Museo.

It’s only fitting to use the calendar to help the Museo, since it includes a bike we photographed there: A lovely Colnago with 650C wheels made for Guiseppe Saronni. It’s one of dozens of bikes that were on display. (The exhibits change, so I don’t know whether the bike still is on display today.)

Here is how it works: Until noon tomorrow (12/19/2013, Pacific time), the entire purchase price ($ 15) of all calendars we sell will be donated to the Museo.

Usually, our charity drives are addressing the most pressing needs and help to make the world a better place. A museum dedicated to bicycle racing may not quite qualify under those criteria, but I do feel that preserving the rich history of our sport is an important goal. As we do every year, we will continue to donate 5% of our profits to charities that make a real difference in people’s lives and in the future of our planet (Doctors Without Borders, Union of Concerned Scientists).

So use the opportunity to buy one calendar for yourself, and buy some more for your cycling friends. They’ll enjoy the beautiful studio photos of amazing bikes all year long, and the money will go toward preserving a unique cultural heritage. Select “Priority Mail” shipping, and the calendar should arrive in time for the holidays, at least for U.S. customers. Click here to order and donate.

If you prefer to donate directly to the Museo del Ghisallo, click here to make your donation. Their website is in Italian, but the donations can be made using credit cards or Paypal without needing much knowledge of Italian.

Let’s hope we can keep this unique museum open!