Today is such a big day that I couldn't help but blog again. Not only is it the first of the month, today is also my 21st birthday. Not only is it my birthday, but today is also the first day to begin voting for Texas 4000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read on in this short blurb we've created:

Join the fight against cancer by exercising your right to vote!

This spring, Texas 4000 is embarking on a nation wide campaign to win $50,000 from the Pepsi Refresh Project, a grant opportunity for individuals and groups to earn funding towards an idea they consider to be a fresh contribution to society. With over 1.4 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2009, our mission to spread hope, knowledge, and charity about the second leading cause of death in the United States makes the Pepsi Refresh Project the perfect opportunity for Texas 4000 to reach more communities than ever before.

To support our cause, simply vote for our idea every day in the month of June by going to www.refresht4k.org where you can also find rider profiles, pictures, videos, and daily updates from our journey. You can also go directly to our page on the Pepsi Refresh website to vote at www.refresheverything.com/refresht4k. Every mile we pedal represents an individual who's gained hope from our efforts, and every dollar raised brings us all one step forward in finding a cure. Help us become $50,000 closer to fighting cancer...and winning.

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Even though that's the standard pitch, this grant opportunity is really so much more. I along with a few other Texas 4000 riders have been working towards this grant since March. We've spent countless hours writing to-do lists, brainstorming, conducting meetings, building a website, and taking video and photos just so that when our time to vote came around, we could take the competition by storm. Today marks the first day of this amazing opportunity. Sure, $50,000 is A LOT of money. Yes, it'd be great to have our name nationally recognized. But the truth of the matter is that I want Texas 4000 to win this grant because others deserve to know that there are people like us fighting for them. I say this out of a genuine belief in this organization and the work that it does. I've seen the dedication that others like myself have put into working towards a goal greater than ourselves. As a few of my teammates have jokingly commented, we don't get paid for doing this, but we sure work at it like it's a job. A job we love to do.

Texas 4000 IS a "fresh" idea worth sharing with the world. Millions should know our name because millions are affected by cancer every day. So what are we going to do about it? It's up to people like you and me to make small steps towards a cancer-free future. In terms of the Pepsi Refresh Project, these small steps include a vote every single day in June. Working with this grant and being on this team has taught me such important life lessons. Individually, we're just one vote, one rider, one victim of cancer. Together, we're strong, we're tough, and we can be $50,000 closer to a cure.