Bill Dooper's Western States 100

Send Bill Dooper to the 2014 Western States 100. (photo credit: Ryan Burch)

1 Campaign |

Leadville, United States

$1,361 USD 40 backers

113% of $1,200 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

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FAQ

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Comments 3

UPDATE

WE DID IT!! To everyone who donated - thank you so, so much! The raffle will be held on January 1st, check here for results! We should all feel very proud to be part of such an amazing community.

Bill Dooper:

You might say he is ultrarunning’s number one fan, if not it’s only fan. Leadville's Bill Dooper doesn’t just love the sport of ultrarunning, he lives for it. At nearly every race in Colorado, ‘Dooper,’ as he’s known, makes predictions and shows up to watch like it’s the Broncos or Rockies. Beyond his excitement for the sport, Dooper is an encyclopedia of race results and ultrarunning knowledge, there is a reason he was featured in Salomon's Leadville video! No race weekend is complete without shaking his hand and taking a peek at his infamous top-10 predictions.

We have the opportunity, as a group, to make a member of our community feel incredibly special and appreciated. A trip to Western States would mean so much to Bill. While most of us get to enjoy the sport as participants, Bill is one of a kind - he is a fan first. It's time to show some appreciation to our biggest fan. Sports matter to their followers. They inspire, they bring joy and pain, they bring hope, and most importantly they bring people together. Please help bring Bill together with the people and sport that he loves. Bill will never see Western States if we don’t send him. As a community, let’s get our biggest fan to our sports biggest stage.

Just imagine what a really good writer, or orator (I'm thinking Bob Costas at the Olympics) would say to convince you that this is worth $20, and pretend it's here.

What People Say about Bill Dooper:

               "Bill Dooper has long been an inspiration to me. We became fast friends after my first run at Leadville and have been in touch ever since. We speak on the phone almost every month and every conversation is insightful, encouraging, and enthusiastic. Though his recent hip replacement has put a damper on his olympic exercise regimen, Bill's attitude remains top notch and his love for Ultrarunning grows every year. His top 10 race predictions are aways an interest of mine and his ability to talk football is something I appreciate. He is truly a great man with a big heart who I admire greatly.
                Another good story: At a recent Leadville (I think 2011) Tim Parr and Duncan Callahan asked Bill if they could crash on the floor of his house before race day. He graciously opened his home to the two former champions but insisted they sleep in his bed. The then 77 year old Bill Dooper curled up on the floor of his own home so that they'd be more comfortable. Classic Dooper.”
-Dylan Bowman

                “Bill is Ultrarunning's #1 fan. Bill enthusiastically introduced himself to me after the 2008 Leadville 50. He had seen my name in various results from Ultrarunning magazine and wanted to put a face to the name. Bill is a voracious reader of anything Ultra and is one of the most outgoing guys around. He loves meeting ultrarunners and getting to know them.
                  Bill and I speak a few times a month about races, runners, predictions, life, and so much more. He is a man with immense passion for the sport and the athletes who compete in it. It is not uncommon for him to sleep in his car the night before a race so he can greet his friends who are racing before the starting gun goes off. Bill regularly cheers runners on by name at various Colorado ultras throughout the year. The Hard Rock 100 is his Christmas Vacation annual pilgrimage. He knows the history of the Leadville Trail 100 better than anybody as an eyewitness of its progression. He has lived and breathed the race situated in his backyard every August. Personally, Bill has written me letters while I completed Basic Training to update me on race results from the summer. It has been a joy and privilege to know Bill over the last 5 years. Thank you Bill.”
-Ryan Burch

What We Need & What Bill Gets

We can send Bill to Western States for $1000. At about $1200 dollars he can stay at the central hub for the race, the Squaw Valley Lodge. At $1500 we can get a nicer hotel room, flights that don't leave at 6:30am and generally have more wiggle room on the finances. As we get closer, I'm hoping we can find specials on hotel prices.

We are setting this up so that if we don't reach our goal, we still collect the money that we raised. What does this mean for your donation?! Well, if we can't get raise enough to send Bill out to Western States, even on a shoe string budget trip, we will donate the money to a charity of his choice. That being said, I am confident we'll get enough donations to send Bill Dooper to Western States.

Quick research led to this pricing chart:

Item	Low cost	medium cost
Hotels	400 (lodge) + 100 (Auburn)	450 (lodge) + 100 (Auburn)
Airport shuttles in CO	150	150
Airport shuttles in Tahoe	90	90
Airfare	300	350
per diem	150	150
Total:	$1190	$1290

FAQs
1) Did Bill ask for this?
No. Like most ideas (good and bad) it came during a run sometime near the 2013 WSER. For whatever reason, I couldn't get it out of my head.

2) Alright, I'll donate, but where is my money going?
Indiegogo holds the money until the donation period has ended. At that time, they will take 4% of a successful campaign, or 9% of an unsuccessful campaign and release the rest of the money to iRunFar's bank account (thanks iRunFar!). From there, Bryon Powell and I will make arrangements.

3) Why are you spending so much on hotels at Squaw Valley?
The Squaw Valley Lodge and Olympic Plaza are the hub of the pre-race festivities (panel discussion, check-in, pre-race meeting, etc...). Since we aren't renting a car, we would like Bill to stay where he can walk easily between the various activities and his room!