Ducky’s Big AIDS Ride 2011
Braking The Cycle
3 Days ~ 275 Miles ~ 1 Really Sore Ass!

As if I was a poltergeist, I’m baaaaack! This September I’m once again riding my bike almost 300 miles in hopes of raising funds and awareness to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

AIDS turned 30 this year and while it’s not a milestone to celebrate, it is a reason to reflect on this epidemic and how much still needs to happen in order to end this terrible disease.

The first AIDS ride I ever participated in was from NYC to Boston so I thought it would be nice to make the return trip. This year I’m riding from Boston to NYC over the course of a weekend! This is my 7th AIDS Ride and I need your help!

It’s time to dig deep into your wallets and help me raise $3,500 before September 2011!

All of the proceeds go to Braking The Cycle’s beneficiary The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City.

Over the past 6 rides I’ve raised over $20,000 thanks to family, friends, coworkers, bloggers, readers, and perfect strangers willing to donate some money with the hope that one day an end will come to HIV and AIDS.

HOW TO DONATE:
There are a couple ways to help me reach my fundraising goal of $3,500 this year. The quickest, surest, and easiest way is online! Once again BTC2011 is offering a secure online system for donations so don’t worry about someone in Guatemala buying stereo equipment with your credit card, that’s what online porn sites are for. Donate. It’s easy to do, secure, and it lets me know immediately that you’ve donated so I can come give you a big kiss or hug (your choice).

To donate to my account online, click here.

*If you find that the link does not take you directly to my page with my crazy face on the bike please and my name (Dan McCallum) on it, follow these instructions to donate to my account.

Go to BTC’s Sponsor a Rider Page. Enter my last name: McCallum and click Search. On the next screen, click on my name Dan McCallum and go to town with the donating!

If you prefer to send in a CHECK, please shoot me a email/contact me directly for directions and a donation form to send your check into Braking The Cycle directly. Just email: dan (at) duckyxdale (dot) com

MY RIDE HISTORY:
September 16-18, 2011 I will participate in my 7th AIDS Ride. I began event riding in 2001 with a ride from NYC to Boston. It was incredible and hard as hell but the sense of purpose and community was unreal. That event, Northeastern AIDS Ride, folded and I began working on a committee here in Boston to create a new ride to fill the void NEAR left behind.

The AIDS Action Ride was the result and after almost a year of planning, we found ourselves on the roads and raising money for AIDS Action here in Massachusetts.

The following year, the ride was renamed Mass Red Ribbon Ride and once again we took to the streets and rode from the Berkshire Mountains at the Western border of Massachusetts to the shores of the ocean in Salem. I called the ride “From Woods to Witches” but noone seemed to want to take that on as the new name.

I took the following year off to rest and give everyone I know’s wallets some time to gather green again.

In 2007 I decided that instead of doing another local Massachusetts ride, I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone and do a brand new ride (to me) by myself. I joined the great folks at The Center and Braking The Cycle, headed to NYC, took a bus to Gettysburg and didn’t know a soul. The community and the bond created during these rides really lends itself to making friends and quickly I was part of one nasty bunch of boys ready to have fun and ride hard.

In 2008 we did the same course, it was amazing but rained like a bitch. No shocker, the gang at BTC think that I’m the curse that brings the rain. What can I say? Shirley Manson (from Garbage) and I are only happy when it rains. In 2009 I participated in the ride as a Crew member instead of a rider, it was a completely different experience but just as rewarding. This truly is an amazing group of people that care so much about making a change. It’s the one weekend a year that I feel like anything is possible. That’s why I continue to come back.

AIDS INFORMATION:
AIDS is 30 and its not going away. For 30 years, since the start of the AIDS epidemic, AIDS still kills. Every day, people are still infected with HIV. Here are some numbers:

In the United States:

• Since 1981, approximately 1.7 million Americans have been diagnosed with AIDS. Of those, nearly 600,000 men, women and children have died.
• HIV infections have declined nearly 20% in the last 10 years.
• CDC estimates that 1 in 5 people with HIV in the United States do not know that they are infected.
• Despite the benefits of HIV treatment and care, many people with HIV are not able to afford treatment or eventually drop out of medical care. Given these challenges, progress is being made and HIV treatment is available to a growing number of people around the world. UNAIDS estimates that the number of HIV-infected people who had access to HIV treatment increased from 700,000 in 2004 to 5.2 million in 2009.

You can learn more at www.cdc.gov/hiv

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CENTER:
Since its founding in 1983, the Center has been committed to providing HIV/AIDS services to the LGBT community, which has been profoundly affected by the AIDS epidemic. Center CARE offers individual and couples counseling for HIV-related concerns, as well as peer support through a variety of professionally facilitated support groups. Center CARE also provides referrals for case management services, primary medical care, legal services, housing needs, and other important health and wellness resources.

The Center incorporates HIV/AIDS prevention education throughout all of its counseling and support services, and hosts educational events and community forums addressing a wide range of HIV-related and other wellness topics.

The Fight Against AIDS

• The Center continues to be at the forefront of providing services to educate, support, and care for our community members affected by the virus.
• The Center provides 5,000 counseling sessions for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. All counseling services for people living with HIV/AIDS are free.
• Over 1,000 teens come to the Center for leadership training in HIV prevention, services and fun.
• The Center sponsors community forums, conferences, and commemorations, including the annual World AIDS Day vigil.
• The Center serves as the meeting space for many HIV/AIDS support and advocacy groups.

About the Center
Established in 1983, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is the nation’s leading and most comprehensive LGBT community center. Through diverse health and wellness services, cultural activities and advocacy initiatives, the Center inspires LGBT New Yorkers at every stage of life to celebrate who they are, empower who they want to be and transform their world. To learn more, call (212) 620-7310 or visit www.gaycenter.org.

BRAKING THE CYCLE VIDEO:
Here is part of a promo video from 2009 that shows my awesome BTC family, the route from Boston to NYC and some other fun stuff.

*Don’t forget to check back often for new information and pictures as the months leading up to the ride unfold.

DONATE NOW and Help Dan/Ducky Reach His Goal of $3,500!