Cross-country Ride Against AIDS coming through Davis Saturday!

On June 21, 2013, a team of 7 students will dip their tires in the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach in San Francisco and begin an epic journey across the country by bicycle to Boston, Massachusetts. The 2013 Ride Against AIDS (RAA) team will cycle over 4,000 miles across America this summer, carrying on a tradition started in 2007. The Ride will start out from San Francisco and head north to Santa Rosa, where they will spend Friday night before hopping in the saddle to pedal to Davis on Saturday.

One of the team members, Dana Ballard, a recent graduate from McGill University, expressed that this is more than just a bike ride across the country: "The Ride Against AIDS is my ideal way to combine physical, mental, and social energy to make real progress towards global health justice. There is no reason that the immense health disparities that exist in the world need to continue and I can't think of a better way to spend my summer than to challenge myself and others to fight for those whose access to money, medicine, and power is limited."

This unique and powerful cross-country bike ride is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS and is run by FACE AIDS, a youth-led nonprofit that works in the U.S. and with Partners In Health in Rwanda. The Ride was started in 2007 by two Stanford students. This summer, the sixth annual Ride Against AIDS aims to raise over $70,000, as each rider pledged a fundraising goal of $10,000.

RAA team member Max Smith, recent graduate of University of Oregon and Santa Rosa native notes, "To me, the Ride Against AIDS is a direct action. Every aspect of the ride requires me to be direct and honest with myself and others, including my family, my teammates, my donors, our hosts, and the American public. Focused on compassion, collaboration, and perseverance, the Ride Against AIDS transcends the college experience and pushes the individual to become a healthier global citizen in mind and body."

In addition to fundraising, RAA team members will speak with and give presentations to community groups, summer camps, elected representatives, Rotary Clubs, schools, FACE AIDS chapters, and individuals across the country about the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The 2012 Ride Against AIDS team biked nearly 4,000 miles over 67 days and stopped in 54 cities. Throughout their journey, they directly reached over 1,000 individuals and indirectly through print and online media reached hundreds of thousands. The riders are more than fundraisers; they are educators and ambassadors for the cause, inspiring others and drawing them into the movement for global health equity.

To learn more, visit www.faceaids.org/raa. 

To donate and become a part of the movement to end HIV/AIDS, please visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/hobnob/event/5771/