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I received a comment on my ‘Submit an Article’ article from a fellow rider and motorcycle book author named Gary McKechnie. He has a best-selling book called Great American Motorcycle Tours (with a foreward by Peter Fonda) that is based on seven years and 30,000 miles of riding.

What caught my eye beyond the book title is what he is currently doing with the 3rd Revision. He is auctioning the dedication page on Ebay RIGHT NOW (ends Oct 16, 2005), where all the proceeds will go towards the Lois Mercier McKechnie Working Mothers’ Scholarship that will provide financial assistance to one or more working mothers attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Pretty Cool.

Here is the auction description:

I am the author of Great American Motorcycle Tours, the bestselling national motorcycle tour book. My mom passed away from leukemia in 1989 which was a turning point for me to pursue a career as a writer. Since my book, like my mom, has been great to me, now it can do some great things for others. To raise money for middle-aged moms returning to college, I’m auctioning off the co-dedication for the 3rd edition (the other part of the dedication, as you may have guessed, is to my mom as well as my wife, Nancy).
As far as I know, it’s the FIRST time ever in the history of literature that anyone has ever had the chance to dedicate a book without actually writing one. Take advantage of this and you’ll save yourself the trouble of finding a publisher as well as spending $25,000 and seven years riding 30,000 miles through blizzards and deserts and storms. You’ll also be doing something far more important. While raising five kids, my mom returned to school in her 40s and set an example for all of us by earning a degree in Communications. That’s just one reason why any and all proceeds from the auction and contributions will go towards the Lois Mercier McKechnie Working Mothers’ Scholarship that will provide financial assistance to one or more working mothers attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

If you don’t win the eBay auction but are interested in contributing to the fund, visit my website for all sorts of information:

www.motorcycleamerica.com

The book, which includes 25 tours and is now about 500 pages long, will be released in March, 2006, and it will sell many tens of thousands of copies.

The most important thing here is knowing that your kind gesture would make a nice gift or Christmas present, and you’ll be helping a working mom get through school. The winner will have up to 50 words to tell someone how they feel, although hate messages or anything political won’t be permitted.

THIS CAN HELP YOU HONOR YOUR FAMILY, PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS, OR SAY HELLO TO THE WORLD. THE SPACE IS YOURS.