Hello Riders and Crew!

Thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication for Ride for AIDS Chicago and making a difference for those impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Chicago area. I hope you are now rested and looking back at this amazing journey with a true sense of achievement.

Over the past several months, you have trained countless hours and been a spokesperson for the ride as you asked your friends, coworkers, family members and colleagues to donate to your participation in the Ride. Your passion has been displayed in both the financial return to Ride for AIDS Chicago beneficiaries and in the Ride itself this past weekend. Just a few months back, did you think you would be completing a double century bike ride that raised nearly $300,000 for HIV/AIDS? Well, you did it!

Why I Ride
By Rick Heintz

Read by Dallas Golden at
Ride for AIDS Chicago opening ceremony

We’ve trained for many hours
We’ve rallied family and friends
We’ve talked to many strangers
With this message that we send

Today we come together
A journey started months ago
We ride for many reasons
Which till now have been untold

We ride on heavenly wings
Of angles who’ve gone before us
Their memory has inspired
Their life has surely moved us

We ride for our moms and dads
Our brother and sisters too
We ride for our better halves
That left us much too soon

We ride for the stranger
Whose hand we’ll never touch
We ride for our many friends
Whom we love so very much

We ride for those that need us
To complete this difficult task
We ride to seek a cure
It’s not too much to ask

We ride with open minds
Our hearts and souls are too
We ride with hope and love
And to keep our faith anew

We ride to make new friends
To laugh and cry as one
We’ll ride for 200 miles
And until this war is won

We ride to empower others
And so the world may see
How strongly we all feel
About ending this disease

Yes we ride for many reasons
That is proven here today
But really we ride to end this ride
And to see the end of AIDS

For more information: Contact Jeff Allen at (773) 989-9400 or j.allen@tpan.com