|
Activist bicyclists
visit Athens on
3,700-mile ride
across America
Health care
advocates ride to
promote domestic and
global health
awareness
May
14, 2009
One in six
individuals in the
world lacks access
to safe drinking
water. Every year,
six million children
die from
malnutrition before
their fifth
birthdays.
Thirty bicyclists
from across the
United States and
Canada are on a
mission to raise
awareness about and
funds to help change
these and other
world health
problems with a
3,700-mile bicycle
journey known as
Ride for World
Health.
On Sunday, May 16,
the bicyclists – who
include medical
students, public
health
professionals, an
AmeriCorps member, a
survivor of a hip
disorder and a
native of South
Africa – arrive in
Athens for an
overnight visit.
Ride for World
Health, a national
nonprofit
organization, was
founded in 2004 by a
small group of Ohio
State University
medical students as
a reaction to the
state of domestic
and global
healthcare. Those
students decided to
take a proactive
role in addressing
the problem, so they
each placed $200 of
their own money in a
jar, and Ride for
World Health was
born.
The bicyclists left
San Diego in April,
bound for Washington
D.C. They will
travel through 12
states and 47
cities, including
Athens. They hope to
arrive in the
nation’s capital by
May 24.
The goal of the
3,700-mile bicycle
ride is to promote
awareness about
domestic and global
health issues and to
raise funds for
organizations
working to improve
access to health
care in the poorest
communities of the
world.
As part of the trip,
participants deliver
a “Coast-to-Coast
Lecture Series.”
These lectures
address topics about
health care, poverty
and illness,
HIV/AIDS, and women
and children’s
health issues. They
coordinate keynote
speakers, inviting
renowned figures in
global health to
share their
expertise and
experiences with
providing health
care services to the
underserved. The
Coast-to-Coast
lectures are
scheduled in
clinics, schools,
churches and
community centers
along the route.
In Athens, the
Coast-to-Coast
lecture is titled
“Global Health
Challenges: Easy
Solutions to
Difficult Problems,”
and will be held
Sunday at 5 p.m. in
the Baker Center
Multi-purpose room
(rooms 240 and 242).
The public is
invited. The riders
will depart from
Athens on Monday,
May 17, for
Harrisville, W.Va.,
the next stop on
their trip.
“Ride for World
Health goes beyond
the powerful symbol
of a nationwide bike
ride by including an
innovative public
education component
and patient advocacy
elements performed
in tandem with our
ride,” said R4WH CEO
Clare Kelleher. “We
are an organization
that is directed by
future and current
health care
professionals
standing up for
issues that needs
immediate attention
and action.”
Solidarity rides and
fundraising events
are also planned to
promote community
support and to raise
funds for the Ride's
2009 beneficiaries,
global health
organizations
Esperança and
Village Health
Works. Last year,
the ride
successfully raised
more than $60,000
for the 2008
beneficiary, Doctors
Without Borders/Médecins
Sans Frontières.
Ride for World
Health 2009 is
sponsored by many
local and national
organizations
including: the Ohio
State University
Medical Center,
Roll: bike shop,
Nationwide
Children’s Hospital,
PowerBar, Einstein
Bros Bagels, Budget
Rent A Car, HMT
Inc., US Women’s
Cycling Development
Program, theMedShow,
Tradehome, and
Northwestern Mutual
Financial Network.
For more information
please visit
http://www.rideforworldhealth.org.
|
