Just Soap ™ : a Major Surprise Prize, Nod to Major Taylor

Earlier this summer I bought three raffle tickets, hoping to win a road bike while supporting a great nonprofit organization, the Major Taylor Association, Inc.

Marshall W. "Major" Taylor, known as the Worcester Whirlwind, triumphed over racism to become a world champion cyclist in 1899. He rose above bias to promote nonviolence, the idea of being a good sport and the need to support those less fortunate. The Major Taylor Association works to educate people about the life and legacy of this African-American sports star.

When I heard about raffle tickets being sold in conjunction with the George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor being held July 26, 2009, I zeroed in on the main prize and purchased my chance to win the Fuji two-wheeler. I was excited to read the stories about those braving the challenge, those cyclists who would pedal up the very hill in Worcester, Massachusetts where Major Taylor was known to have trained.

I didn't pay attention to the fact that other prizes besides the bike were also being raffled off or that those entering the raffle had the chance to win those other prizes. Although I knew my odds of winning the bike must be pretty slim, I still held out hopes for it.

So when the email popped into my inbox with the subject line "George Street: You're a raffle winner," I quickly clicked in disbelief.

Lo and behold, I did not win the bike. I learned that I won a restaurant gift certificate, some hot sauce and some soap. The message indicated my box of swag would be mailed out to me that day.

I called some of the people who knew I was waiting for a bike and told them I won soap.

The box arrived today. Although I am continually thankful to have access to necessities like soap, I knew the box didn't contain a bicycle, just soap. What I didn't know was how cool just soap could be.

The soap that arrived was literally trade named Just Soap ™, labeled with the slogan "The Pedal-Powered Natural Soap." According to the little brochure that came with it, the soap is made using a bicycle to drive a belt that turns a blade to help with the rigorous stirring needed to manufacture the product. The description indicated that the soap is all natural, mild and moisturizing and affordable for everyday life. My assortment was a five-pack of oatmeal honey, lavender, lavender rosemary, cinnamon clove and lemongrass ginger varieties.

This was amazing and very exciting to me. But the best part was still to come. I read the little brochure further and found out the soap is deemed good for the earth, biodegradable, minimally packaged and greatest of all, cruelty-free. What a great nod to Major Taylor.

For more information on the Major Taylor Association, visit www.majortaylorassociation.org. To learn more about Just Soap ™, visit www.justsoap.com.