Ride Against AIDS Finale!!

With 4,474 miles biked and over $50,000 raised, the FACE AIDS 2010 Ride Against AIDS has come to a triumphant close. Sporting their stylish FACE AIDS team jerseys and huge smiles, Claire, Jason, Kirsten, Mike, Sanford, Shane, and Zane made their way into Boston, the Ride's final destination, on August 19.

As they biked their last few miles along the Charles River, they were joined by family, friends, and Partners In Health staff. When they began the ride in June, they symbolically dipped their back bike tires in the Pacific Ocean, and upon reaching the Boston Harbor last week, they marked the end of their journey by dipping their front tires in the Atlantic Ocean.

After much celebration, the team enjoyed a BBQ dinner on Thursday evening with the Partners In Health team, and were welcomed into the Partners In Health office on Friday to talk about their journey with the entire staff over a brown bag lunch.

We are so proud of these students and all that they accomplished this summer. With the funds that they raised, Partners In Health will be able to provide hundreds of thousands of people in rural Rwanda with high quality comprehensive health care. FACE AIDS will be able to provide many of these same individuals with employment and access to savings and credit, helping them to secure a stronger financial future. Moreover, through the conversations these students had with people all across the United States about social justice, global health equity, and the power of young people to make a difference, they have powerfully contributed to our mission to build a veritable movement of people committed to ending the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. To us, these seven students exemplify the leadership and dedication that is needed to change our world for the better.

This ride and the achievements of our students would not have been possible without friends like you. Thank you so much for everything that you did to support the 2010 Ride Against AIDS.

East Coast and Cupcakes!

Our spirited team of seven is officially on the East Coast, with just one week remaining in their cross-country ride! Characterizing their experience over the last few days are two themes: dessert and conversation.

After leaving the Hegde family in Toledo, OH, our riders continued on to Pittsburgh, PA, where they stayed at the home of wonderfully gracious hosts Adrian and Nicole. The team was treated to great conversation and dinner on the patio, followed by dessert freshly made by the hosts' friend, one of Pittsburgh's best pastry chefs.

The riders then trekked to Delaware where they were hosted by John, a good friend of Partners In Health, and then continued on to our nation's capital.

While in Washington, D.C., they took time to see the sights and also to meet with Ronnie, mother of FACE AIDS co-founder Katie. Their delicious tapas dinner was filled with, of course, wonderful conversation about FACE AIDS' mission and the role of young people in driving social change. The next day, the team gave a presentation to the students, staff, and faculty of the Stanford In Washington House, as well as to Stanford alums in the area. They also had the chance to present at the D.C. Rotary Club.

Most importantly, rider Kirsten Pufahl made sure to take advantage of Washington, D.C.'s cupcake scene, including Hello Cupcake, Baked and Wired, and Georgetown Cupcakes.

Having enjoyed tasty desserts and great conversations with new friends, the Ride Against AIDS team is now passing through Philadelphia, staying at the church of Barbara and Elliott Waters. These lovely hosts even arranged for the team to get free bike tune ups! From Philly, they'll hit Princeton, NYC, Greenwich, Providence, and finally, Boston.

We'll be in touch again soon to announce the team's final fundraising totals (they're currently at $47,625!) and share with you their grand finale into Boston and the Partners In Health office. In the meantime, keep an eye on the team blog and rider Kirsten's blog.

Halfway There!

In the time since our last Ride Against AIDS update, our team of seven crossed the halfway point of their 4,474 mile ride across America! They are currently in Toledo, OH, where they’ve enjoyed some much deserved rest with rider Shane Hegde’s family. In the coming weeks they’ll be traveling through Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Washington DC, New York, and Greenwich, before finishing their journey in Boston on August 19.

Over the last two weeks, the team saw many quiet days of rolling green hills in Iowa. They met up with Angy, a FACE AIDS member from Creighton University, and toured the state capital building in Des Moines, where they stayed at the home of Rick and Dena. A record 120 mile ride to Iowa City followed, full of country roads and wind turbines. Upon entering Illinois, the team rode to Batavia, home to the family of rider Kirsten Pufahl. A local newspaper highlighted Kirsten's journey and her stop at home. A rest day in Chicago gave all the chance to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

All of the riders are safe and healthy. The only minor fiasco of the last two weeks was a frantic search for a misplaced car key, which was eventually found hiding behind a toaster.