First Speaking Presentation

It's a beautiful morning here in California and I just finished my last class for the year. What better time for a blog? Yesterday Dave, Maggie (our wonderful new ride director), and I went to the Los Altos Rotary club for our first presentation on our ride. I was a little nervous going in... there were over 100 people and I haven't spoken before that many people in a while.

It went really well though! Dave and I worked ourselves into a comfortable rhythm talking about the background of Face AIDS, the origins of the ride, and our expectations for the summer. The club was extremely welcoming and receptive to our message which was a big confidence booster on our first run through.

So if anyone from the Los Altos Rotary club ends up following this blog, thank you very much! We loved meeting you all and will hopefully come back next fall to let you know how the ride went. We appreciate the support you have given us!

In other news, the crew team leaves for Sacramento tomorrow morning. We'll be missing class next week (and some finals for some people) and get back on June 6. We've been waiting a while to get up to IRAs and are quite excited to get away from campus, focus our heads, and hit the water. 

Well, I have to go pick up my laundry (laundry rooms, if you've forgotten, can be vicious places in college dorms) so I have to run. Thanks for reading, and check back next week for updates about nationals and final preparations for the ride.

Your friendly Ride Against AIDS team,

Dave and Austin

Article in the Stanford Daily

Hey everyone, we are under one month to the ride and Dave and I are pretty busy. Whether it's logistics, getting ready for the national rowing championship (we leave in 8 days), or finishing up classes (believe me, it's really hard when its 75 and sunny out....I just want to hit the beach) we are busy 24/7.

Things are still going very well. Here are a couple of updates that might interest our dedicated readership:

1. Housing: Through couchsurfing.com we have met some very nice people who are willing to put us up for a night as we come through their towns. So far we are set for 20 of the 60 nights, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know!
2. Alumni events: We are currently working with the Alumni Center to set up possible events in DC, Philly, New York, and Boston for alumni receptions. Stayed tuned for more info.
3. Getting inked up: No, we are not getting sweet Face AIDS tattoos (yet). But there was a very nice article on the front page of the Stanford Daily about us. Check it out: "Biking to Battle AIDS"
4. YouTube Video: Some friends of ours had to create a video about an organization for a class and they chose to produce one about our cause. The first version is available here: "Ride Against AIDS 2009 Video"

Things are rolling and we are pleased with the progress. Please shoot us an email at rideagainstaids2009@gmail.com if you have any questions or ideas, we love to hear new ideas. Thanks, and hope all is well!

April showers bring May flowers

With just over a month to go before our journey begins, Dave and I still have a ton of work to do. But that doesn't mean we haven't been hard at work! In fact, a lot of our major objectives that we set out to accomplish in April are coming together. Here's a quick update of our new developments:

1. Team Car: Our coach, Craig Amerkhanian, is going to let us take one of the team vehicles this summer as our support vehicle! We are extremely thankful for his generosity and excited to get "The Sprinter" outfitted with our gear and on the road.
2. Team manager/driver: Dave's good friend, Lauren Kubiak, has signed our as our driver/manager. While we are on the road pedaling, Lauren will set up our meetings and perhaps give some presentations as well. She's a junior here at Stanford, an Earth Systems major, and an all-around cool girl.
3. Team Jerseys: Dave turned 21 last month (happy birthday!) and his parents got him a certificate for team jerseys and jackets. They are in production right now and we CANNOT wait to get them. Gonna look pretty fly if I may say so myself. We'll post pics when we get them.

Donations are still gradually rolling in and we are overwhelmed by your generosity and support. We've raised around $7,700 so far and are looking to keep the push going! Last weekend at the Cal Dual we received pledges of $500 and $1000! Those donors will remain anonymous until we get permission to use their names, but from Dave, myself, and the whole Face AIDS team, thank you so much! It means the world to us.

I've got to get back to some of my studies (you know, the things I do when I'm not rowing or planning this ride) but I hope everyone is well. Keep checking back for updates! I hope to update more and more as new developments come in. Bye!