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Guests: Brian Bortz & Susie Laurence
As the countdown to the holidays begins – and there are SO many asks for you 
to buy, buy, buy – I’d like to offer up some alternatives and request that you think about year-end gift giving instead.
This is the first of 6 episodes that I hope will tug a bit at your pocketbook and help a worthy organization.
I’m beginning with an Ohio event – one which I cannot believe I haven’t covered in its 21-year history. Shame on me!
The Pan-Ohio Hope ride will roll out of the John Carroll University lot July 22nd, 2027. Yep, that’s the same John Carroll where the Outspoken Cyclist Podcast files are uploaded to the Internet and are lovingly archived.
Organized to highlight and raise funds for the American Cancer Society Cleveland Hope House, this small but mighty ride raised $1M in 2026.
Rather than often financially prohibitive hospital stays for some, Hope Houses, 
which are connected to hospitals around the country, offer home-like respite for a caregiver and a patient while that person is in treatment.
My guests today are Brian Bortz and Susie Laurence, co-chairs of the 2027 Ride.
It’s never too early to plan for a 4-day, 328-mile ride and the Hope Lodge here in NE Ohio, which opened in 1995, offers 43 guest rooms staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is located in University Circle close to both the main campuses for University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic.
Maybe this will be your go-to gift giving event for this holiday season.
For more information, log on to POHR.org.
Our next worthy opportunity for your consideration is Talbot Thrive, a multi-faceted advocacy organization in Talbot County, Maryland. The location sounds divine and the work they are doing is commendable.