Early each December it is our great pleasure to get together with our friends from the past ride to meet our beneficiaries and bestow upon them the fruits of our hard work.
This year, our riders and crew collected $40,000 which was divided between our beneficiaries, the eight non-profit organizations that provide services, housing, and meals to people with HIV/AIDS and education to keep those at risk from contracting the disease.
As they accepted their checks, each beneficiary told us why these funds were so important to them. South Jersey AIDS Alliance, for example, appreciated that the funds are given without preconditions, allowing them to use it for the things that grant money does not cover. NJ-WAN will use their check to buy Christmas presents for children of their HIV+ clients. And Sussex County AIDS Task Force was most appreciative because the county has cut off all funding.
Everyone at the party was also quite touched and inspired when two of our own (a rider and a crew member) told us why, as clients of one of our charities, this money is so important to them personally.
The next ride is set for Sept 21-23, 2012. Registration forms will be posted soon. You can still donate! Click Pledge at the top of this page.
The riders and crew worked hard all three days and made this ride one of the best we can remember. Things ran smoothly from the start; moral was high, despite rain Friday afternoon; and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.
Riders pedaled themselves up some steep hills, then relaxed at some great rest stops, like Mrs. Hann’s deck, Estell Manor Park (where we threw around the football), WaWa (where we had ice cream), and Woodbine (where we danced to salsa music).
All this led top Cape May and a very emotional finish. It was quite a site to see all those riders with red AIDS ribbons on their back ride over the bridge into Cape May and on to St. Mary by The Sea, where we hugged and cried and heard our beneficiaries express their gratitude for the money they’ll receive due to all our hard work.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for next year’s ride!
One more day until the 2011 NJ Ride Against AIDS!
Everyone is excited. The new folks are wondering what to expect. There may be some rain, which in my opinion just makes it a more memorable ride.
Tonight most of us meet at the Port Jervis Comfort Inn so we can get a good nights sleep before our early start on Friday. But it will be hard to sleep with the anticipation.
I am so looking forward to this weekend and seeing the results of all the hard work preparing, training, and gathering donations. It always amazes me seeing what we do and how much we make for those in need.
-Rick
When packing your bag for the weekend, think about getting 2 quart ziplock bags. Pack each day’s riding clothing into each bag and use a 4th bag for the extra socks, gloves, jackets, etc. Squeeze all of the air out of them and then you have lots of room in your suitcase or bag. Then at the day’s end you have an empty bag to use for the dirty clothes. When you get home, you’ll have three full bags that can be emptied directly into the washing machine and anything still damp and funky will be contained. Also, remember that your bags are being transported for you, so please think about how you can pack lightly, but efficiently.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at carylh7@embarqmail.com or at 908.581.8273.
Caryl
Rider #7
Hello Rides & Crew!
By now, you should have registered, sent in forms and fee, sent in your pledges, and done as much training as you could. Time to think about packing!
Please, please, please don’t over pack. You’ll be gone for three days of biking or crewing, so you don’t need much.
Oh, and don’t forget your bike!
See you there!
-Rick
Passing on the info from Bob Wu regarding train service to Port Jervis:
The NJ Transit train to Port Jervis is out of service due to the hurricane. I took a look, and there is a Coach USA/Shortline bus out of Port Authority that takes you only 5 blocks away from our hotel. Bus times are 10, 2:30, 3:30, 4:35, 5:35, 7, and 11 PM. The bus ride is approximately 1:50 mins from the Port to Port Jervis. Fare is 22.50. There’s also a bus from Ridgewood NJ (near Paramus) at 7:32 pm.
We’re in the home stretch leading up to the 10th Anniversary New Jersey Ride Against AIDS 2011! I for one can’t wait!
There are a few things you should have done by now to make things run smooth:
You should have already arranged transportation to High Point on Friday and back from Cape May on Sunday. If you need a ride, send email to njraa2011@googlegroups.com and see if anyone can help.
You should have already made reservations for a hotel room at the Port Jervis Comfort Inn if you are joining us Thursday night. If not, meet us at 6:30 at the monument at High Point State Park on Friday morning.
You should have already mailed in registration fees and all remaining donations to Pat. We’d rather not have to keep track of all that money on ride weekend.
You should have mailed in all your paper work to Pat. Again, not something we want to deal with on Friday morning.
Don’t forget to tell family and friends to meet us in Cape May and help cheer in the riders. We’ll be arriving at St. Mary’s by the Sea (Lehigh Ave at Lincoln Ave, near the lighthouse) at about 2:00 PM on Sunday.
More info to come!
If you are planning on joining us for our 10th Anniversary Ride, please register as soon as possible.
Registration deadline is September 1st!
Mark your calendars and save the dates for the following NJRAA Orientation Meetings:
Sunday, July 17th 9:00 am
Sunday, August 21st 9:00 am
Both will take place at The Center, 806 Third Avenue, Asbury Park.
You only need to attend one orientation. Please rsvp prior to July 17th and August 21st by replying here or contact Caryl at carylh7@gmail.com.
Sorry for the short notice.
Please let us know if you had planned on attending. We’ll make alternate arrangements. Or you can come to our next orientation in July in Asbury Park.
