It's official, I am doing another AIDS Ride. On August 8th, in Pittsfield, MA I will again saddle up and ride a bicycle. For three days I will trek across Massachusetts to help raise money and awareness for AIDS education, research and prevention.
This year, AIDS Action Committee is producing and benefiting from the ride. In its 20th year, AIDS Action Committee has become a staple in the fight against AIDS here in the Boston area and in Massachusetts.
The oldest and largest AIDS Organization in New England, AAC has decided to fill the void in the riding community left behind after the demise of Palotta Teamworks (Northeast AIDS Ride). Looking to continue raising awareness and money for the residents of Massachusetts living with AIDS, AAC has taken on an awesome task; Creating a grassroots AIDS Ride that is about raising money and having fun, not commercialism/consumerism and exploitation.
Since November, 2002, I have been sitting in on meetings to help create and shape this years AIDS Ride. With a million possibilities, the ride went from a 2 day, 4 day, then finally a 3 day event. From Maine to Massachusetts, Albany to Boston, Border to Border, this ride is now what I call "From Woods to Witches". Starting at Berkshire Community College, this 3 day journey will end in the ever hauntingly beautiful Salem.
Helping shape and create this ride has been an exhilarating experience for me (and AIDS Action - I kid...) Getting to know the staff at AAC, the group of riders, crew and volunteers working to make this ride cheap, safe, and fun, has really made me proud to be a part of this grassroots event.
Please continue to check this page for updates. I will begin keeping a training log, full of exhilarating information about mileage and Balance bars. If you're lucky sweat will be involved as well.
I will also continue to post my fundraising totals as the money begins rolling in. My goal is the same as last year, $2500. Please help me reach that goal, there's no reason to make me a loser now is there? I mean come on, how heartless can you be. Who are you? Osama? Saddam? Simon Cowell? Don't be a dream stealer.
Help me raise tons of money! Make yourself feel better by contributing.
Help make others feel better by allowing them to receive prescriptions that allow them to continue living healthy normal lives.
If you want to join my team, Wait, What? please email me and let me know. If you are registering, please indicate that you want to join team Wait, What?
The first annual AIDS ACTION RIDE is finished and so are my legs, thighs, and buttocks. Can anyone say genital chafing? Hello!
It was an amazing 3 day event that started in the gorgeous Berkshire Mountains and ended in wicked Salem. I don't know about witches burning there, but my legs were on fire.
AIDS Action did a really great job with this year's ride. It was their first multi-day event in their 20 year history. The key word for this ride was grassroots. The glitz and glam of the Palotta rides were no where to be found, neither was the travelling city that came with those events. Instead, this year, there was lots of heart, dedication, effort, enthusiasm, integrity, and donations!
Gone was the Tent City. In its place were dorms, hotels, and a huge gymnasium with a killer pool!
Gone were over-produced and heartless speeches that you could tell were word for word the same as last week's event, and the event before that and the event before that. In there place were morning updates, lunch-time cheers, and heart-felt thank you's from AIDS Action's Staff and Volunteering community.
Say goodbye to plastic, dye-cut, circular route markers that must have cost thousands. Say hello to laminated photocopied arrows and signage that cost nothing but did the exact same job!
Gone was a mythical figure head/jackass named Dan Pallotta that couldn't be bothered to show up and show support for the people putting in enormous amounts of time and money into ending the AIDS epidemic. Greatly welcomed was the Director of AIDS Action, Rebecca Haag who personally walked around and greeted each rider and volunteer in Salem. She put the effort forward to make sure we felt special and that we were making a difference in this world. I cannot explain how incredible that felt to see her there showing her gratitude for our pain and pleasure.
This first best not be the last! Thanks for a great event, 100 riders strong, 1,000,000 riders in spirit.
