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!

Photo Shoot!

Dave and I took some time the other day to shoot some photos of us with our bikes for promotional opportunities. This is the one that came out best. I've since chopped off my hair, but Dave is still as dashing as ever. We took this at Memorial Court, the iconic entrance to Stanford. For all my friends back east, note the palm trees and be jealous.

The Ride Looms

I'm currently procrastinating on not one but two papers, so I thought it was about time for a blog update. As we come up on the month-and-a-half to go mark, Dave and I are starting to shift the focus of our efforts. While we will will maintain our push for fundraising, some logistical questions begin to present themselves and need to be addressed. 

The most pressing of these issues is lodging. While we have been gifted with a large support vehicle, the thought of curling up every night in there isn't too appealing. Thus, we are starting to contact people along the route who might be willing to put us up for a night. Family, friends, friends of friends, supporters, and well wishers are all on our list. If we are coming through your town (the route will be posted shortly) and are willing to host two bikers and one driver for a night, please contact us as rideagainstaids2009@gmail.com

The other major question we are dealing with at the moment is setting up speaking arrangements. We are dedicated to make this ride about both fundraising AND education. By spreading the message of Face AIDS, we think there will be a far greater impact on various communities than two guys raising some money. So, in the coming weeks we will contact Rotary clubs, churches, high schools, and camps (really anyone who will listen to us!) about speaking opportunities. If you have any suggestions, please let us know! We are grateful for any and all tips.

Well, that's all over here. I've got to get back to essays on the outbreak of WWI and Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. Check back soon!

San Diego Crew Classic- JV8

I couldn't resist posting a rowing picture. Last weekend we raced at the San Diego Crew Classic and Sport Graphics was there snapping some photos. I'm stroking and Dave is seven (the two guys on the left side of the photo for all the non-rowers out there) and this was taken during the Men's Collegiate Second Varsity Grand Final. We got 4th behind Cal, Washington, and Harvard.

Fundraising

Hey everybody! This is Austin here, just wanting to test out the blog and give a quick update. I can't believe how fast the year is going. The middle of April is upon us and the 15th of the month will mark the 2 month countdown to the start of the ride. Yikes! The 4,500 miles Dave and I are going to be biking this summer are becoming a little more real with each day. I should probably be on the road training instead of blogging, but oh well.

With the start of the ride looming, Dave and I are working very hard at fundraising. Our initial letter writing campaign was successful, and we are prepping another round of letters to go out real soon. Next weekend we are going to set up a booth at Redwood Shores for the Washington, Oregon St., and Wisconsin races. If you are in the area come watch us race and then learn about our ride! Not only will we drop some knowledge on you, but you'll also get to see some of the best crews in the country throwing down mano-a-mano!

We've got some other projects in the works, but I'll leave that for a later post. Thanks for checking up and please leave any comments or suggestions. We really appreciate it!