What is the Ride for AIDS Chicago?
The Ride is a two day bicycling event created by volunteers and designed to raise funds for two Chicago-area AIDS service organizations: Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) and Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV).

When does the Ride for AIDS Chicago take place and where does it go?
The Ride is on June 7 & 8, 2008. After an opening ceremony on Saturday morning at the Evanston campus of Northwestern University, riders will head north and west via bike trails and roads to the Wisconsin border and then Williams Bay in Lake Geneva. We will take a similar route back to Evanston and the closing ceremonies on Sunday.

What type of support is provided during the ride?
Ride for AIDS Chicago crew will carry your luggage to and from the overnight stop, will staff rest/pit stops and a lunch stop each day, will mark the route with arrows and signs, and will support riders on the route. With this type of support during the event and our training program to help you get ready, the 180-mile journey to and from Lake Geneva is not that difficult. Click here to view more information about crewing the ride.

How much does it cost to register and how much do I have to raise?
It costs $85 to register for the ride - this fee, along with corporate sponsorships, covers all ride expenses. We are asking all riders to raise a minimum of $1,000 in pledges.

What is the Ride for AIDS 100% commitment?
In June 2004, 53 riders raised nearly $70,000 in pledges and in June 2005, 85 riders raised over $93,000 in pledges . With registration fees and corporate sponsorships covering nearly all ride expenses, 100% of this pledge money was returned to the agencies for HIV/AIDS care and prevention services. We are planning in 2007 to return 100% of pledges to BEHIV and TPAN. The goal of the Ride is to have 200 riders raising $200,000.

What types of services do TPAN and BEHIV provide?
TPAN empowers people living with HIV through peer-led programming, support services, information dissemination, and advocacy. They also provide services to the broader community to increase HIV knowledge and sensitivity, and to reduce the risk of infection. For more information on TPAN, check www.TPAN.com.

Founded in 1989, and one of the only comprehensive AIDS service organizations in Chicago, BEHIV provides critical case management services, mental health counseling, housing assistance and alternative therapies for more than 300 people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in Chicago and the North Shore. In addition, BEHIV conducts free HIV/STI testing and risk-reduction and prevention programs and educates over 12,000 young people at high schools, middle schools and colleges about how to protect themselves from HIV. For more information about BEHIV, visit www.behiv.org.

Will I get help with training and fundraising?
Yes, absolutely. Ride for AIDS Chicago is committed to participant support and, once you register, you join a community of people who will work closely together to make sure this is a fun, safe, life-altering event for everyone involved. The ride is designed so even inexperienced riders can complete both days. Training will help you have a more enjoyable ride experience and allow you to meet participants before the event. We strongly suggest that you take part in training rides to help you develop as a rider and learn more about the Ride. Sponsored training rides and other training opportunities in both city and suburban areas will begin in the spring (but don't let that stop you from starting now). We will send you further information in late winter. In addition, our participant support committee will provide mentors, fundraising advice, house party speakers (to help with fundraising), and training advice.

What if I can get a lot of folks to ride?
Great!! We would love for you to participate with your friends, family members, workmates, biking partners, etc. Please consider forming a Ride for AIDS Chicago team.

How else can I help if I can't ride?
We need 50 crew members to provide support to riders throughout the event. These folks work at the pit stops and the lunch stop, help riders along the route, drive luggage trucks, mark the route, and do everything else necessary to make the Ride for AIDS Chicago an awesome and safe event. Crew members pay the $85 registration fee, but are not required to raise pledges. The Ride also needs volunteers to help before the event, for example processing registrations and pledges, scouting the route, marketing the event, and so on. Please contact us at the TPAN office at (773) 989-9400 to volunteer. If you are part of a business that would like to sponsor the ride either through financial support or an in-kind donation, please contact Ron Schnorbus at (773) 989-9400.