and so it begins

I have signed up for the Braking the Cycle charity bicycling ride that goes from Gettysburg, PA to NYC in three days in late September. The people that I have told so far usually stare at me in disbelief and then precede to ask me how far that is. In case you are also wondering it is 275 miles. To a lot of you this may seem insane but to me it is a very welcomed challenged I have taken on.
I decided to partake in this ride first of all because it is for a good cause. The money that is raised for this ride goes to AIDS treatment for The Center which is located in NYC. Despite the improvement in treatment and drugs for AIDS, it is still a epidemic in the world that kills a lot of people. This year alone thousands of Americans will die to to AIDS related complications. The Center has done a great job in dealing with the problems of AIDS. They are in some form of contact with over 7,500 people whether it is for AIDS treatment, counseling, or teen training. More than 1,000 teens each year are given leadership training in HIV prevention by the Center. These teens act as advocates and educators to their peers helping the Center to reach and prevent future cases of AIDS. In fact the Center has been doing such an outstanding job for past 25 years that following 9/11 the City of New York developed a plan on how to deal with mass bereavement based on the Center's program. The money that I will raise for this ride will go completely to the Center.
As you are reading this I assume you are wondering how I will manage to ride the 275 miles. I am actually not too concern with this matter. With proper training, which I have already begun, I will be in great shape to do the ride by late September. I have gotten into bicycling within the past year and in October 2007 I did my first century, or 100 mile ride for you non cyclists. However my true concern about this ride is actually about raising the money. I am trying to raise a total of $5,000 between now and late September. Considering I am just a poor college student as are all my friends, this is a rather daunting challenge for me. I have been brainstorming with my friends and family on ways to achieve this goal. However I can not do it without the support of other people. I realize that you work very hard for the money that you earn, but please consider how people that are less fortunate and who contract AIDS. Maybe you yourself know a friend or family member that has dealt with AIDS, but if you are fortunate enough not to have personal experience with AIDS realize that this disease is still a major health issue in the United States as well as the rest of the world.
The intention of the blog is to keep you updated on my progress for training for the Braking the Cycle ride as well and share with you the current status of my fund raising. My plan for fund raising is hopefully to make if fun and entertaining for both me as well as the people that donate to this cause. Please continue to check this blog for future updates, and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.