AIDS riders in the park -- Riders roll through this Wisconsin park as part oftheir bicycle ride from Evanston to Lake Geneva

Pedaling for HIV prevention

by By Emily Willobee

In 2002, the Heartland AIDS Ride, a nationally organized ride to benefit HIV/AIDS research, came to a stumbling halt.

In a good year, the massive bicycle ride sent nearly 2,000 people 500 miles from St. Paul to Chicago over six days to raise money for people living with HIV or AIDS. It was a massive, extremely organized event.

However, less than 60 percent of the money pledged to riders ever made it to the beneficiaries because of high overhead. As the long-running annual Heartland AIDS Ride disintegrated in controversy over high administration costs, smaller bicycle rides erupted to benefit people living with HIV or AIDS, like the Ride for AIDS Chicago.

The Ride for AIDS Chicago is a two-day, non-competitive bike ride, from Evanston to Lake Geneva, Wis., and back – a total of 170 miles. The event is organized entirely by volunteers who have no headquarters and advertise predominately by word of mouth, according to volunteer Ray Martinez.

The rider registration fee and corporate sponsorship cover the costs of the ride – overnight lodging and food, for example – which means that much more pledge money can go directly to organizations that help people with HIV or AIDS.

“The goal of the Ride for AIDS is to return 100 percent of the pledge money to services for people infected with HIV or AIDS,” said Stuart Kipnis, a volunteer dedicated to the success of the Ride for AIDS.

Kipnis works for an organization called Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV, www.behiv.org), one of the beneficiaries of the Ride for Aids pledge money. The other is the Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN, www.tpan.org).

Both organizations are based on the North Side of Chicago and together help more than 1,000 people infected with HIV or AIDS. BEHIV and TPAN provide direct assistance, like counseling services, and also seek to prevent the spread of the virus and increase compassion for those infected, by educating the public about HIV and AIDS.

“The beneficiaries [of the Ride for AIDS] are important,” said Jeff Russell, director of sales for University of Chicago School of Business and rider in last year’s event.

TPAN goes about educating communities by using people directly affected by HIV to teach education courses, Russell explained, they give the issue a face and personality.

“Last year, 53 riders managed to raise over $70,000 for BEHIV and TPAN,” Kipnis said.

AIDS riders on a water break -- The ride is a pretty steady pace, but there are frequent breaks, and lots of high spirits

At previous rides, better than 99 percent of the pledge money went directly to the beneficiaries. In 2005, organizers hope to support 200 riders and earn $250,000 for the HIV-positive individuals serviced by TPAN and BEHIV. On June 4 - 5, 2005, the Ride for AIDS will hold its third annual event.

“200 miles in two days over the weekend is totally achievable, it’s just great,” said Jennifer Hatton, a stay-at-home mom and recreational bike rider who participated in last year’s ride.

“AIDS is my cause,” Hatton said, “Within our generation there’s too much of it and I love to ride so it works out well.”

With luck and hard work, the Ride for AIDS will continue to grow and provide even more financial support for organizations making a difference in the lives of people with HIV or AIDS.

For more information on the Ride for AIDS Chicago or to sign up for the event, visit www.RideForAIDS.org.