Why Not Another AIDS Ride?

For three years I participated in numerous AIDS Rides and raised a good amount of money and hopefully awareness. This summer I chose to take a break from the cycling madness butt numbathon for a number of reasons.

Reason #1: As I was out of work for the end of 2004 it was hard to make a commitment to raising money for another ride when I couldn’t even pay my rent. As my financial status was up in the air I didn’t really think it would be a wise choice or one I could support to go around begging for donations again this summer when trying to survive on my good looks was running thin. In the past I’ve received excellent sponsorship and generosity from my family, friends, and coworkers. As the coworker portion was my most lucrative and that was now eliminated from the equation, I didn’t really feel confident that raising a couple thousand dollars without that base was feasible or worth my efforts as my enthusiasm for the Mass Red Ribbon Ride was dying.

Reason #2: When the details of the third annual Mass Red Ribbon Ride were announced, they had shortened the ride to a two day event and limited the miles considerably. One of the reasons I loved doing these rides was the challenge they presented me every year. It’s a good 6 month commitment of training properly and sufficiently to tackle those damn Western Mass Mountains and winding roads. Doing three days of non-stop riding is grueling and a challenge both mentally and physically. Each year I felt I trained better and harder because the rides were a little bit easier and I felt healthier at the end of each day. It was really hard for me to push myself to these extremes but I loved the challenge of it. With 2005 being the shortest yet it really presented no challenge to me and my interest faded.

My original goal was to join the Montreal to Boston ride that is also in August. My friend and fellow rider Brad had done this ride for two years and loved it. The 5 day ride of extreme hills and miles was what I needed to push me to new heights and I was ready! That was until I came to the realization that come the new year I was only temping and the prospect of a real job was slim to none before spring or summer so taking over a week off for a charity event didn’t seem like a wise choice. I had to bow out and it saddens me still to this day.

Reason #3: I applied to work as the Outreach Coordinator for the Mass Red Ribbon Ride because Robbie was eliminated when AIDS Action chose to combine positions and his interest in said new position was not so high. Obviously I did not get the job. I don’t think it was because of my abilities or my background because I obviously had demonstrated my dedication to the cause and to AIDS Action in the past. On top of the rides, I was a team leader and organizer for the Walk 5 years running – I was like the AIDS Action poster child. Regardless, they chose someone with more of a diverse background. Excellent reason considering they wanted a face of color to be out there reaching the affected cultures to gain support, my pasty white face is far from identifiable as “of color” so I totally understood but have to say I disagreed with the decision and quickly saw the misguided direction of the ride.

Reason #4: The Mass Red Ribbon Ride began targeting the wrong communities. I understand that their goal is to raise awareness around and to recruit within the affected cultures but unfortunately the money and sponsorship is not within those regions and money is what will make this ride succeed. The MR3 has barely grown in the three years since its inception. As of last count they were under 200 riders for 2005 which is insanely low for a ride in its junior year. Easily this ride should have pulled in 500 riders by now but I firmly believe that the “management” of the ride is incompetent and too focused on their representation within minority communities instead of on fundraising which is where the real power lies. AIDS Action needed to step back from its mission and goal as a company (cultural awareness and disease prevention) and allow the ride to focus on sponsorship, fundraising, and the community that was already invested in the cause. The gays love a good cause and they love to rally behind something affecting their people. There is a lot of money and passion in the gay community and the Mass Red Ribbon Ride has all but ignored them in recent years.

A couple hundred rideless riders rallied around AIDS Action in 2002 as the fallout from Pallotta left a gap in AIDS related charity rides. It seemed like a match made in heaven as AIDS Action was already synonymous with the Boston AIDS Walk, a multi-thousands participant event with big corporate sponsorship and dedication. How could it fail? They brought in past Pallotta riders (myself included) to help brainstorm and create their first multi-day ride (The AIDS Action Ride) to moderate success.

Year two they changed the name to the Mass Red Ribbon Ride and collaborated with numerous AIDS organizations across the state to help spread awareness and absorb the cost of putting on the event. I volunteered on committees and at bike shows, I trained like crazy and raised even more money than I had in the past- everything seemed on target to be bigger and better than the year before. As the ride neared, it was apparent that the ride had already taken a different direction.

AIDS Action seemed more hands off than ever and their contribution to the ride financially seemed to falter as well. I understood that they were going for a grassroots event that relied on collaboration and community involvement but somehow this ride was already being overshadowed by the new Harbor to the Bay ride being put on in part by Fenway Community Health Center and with heavy backing by Club Café (a huge gay club and institution in Boston). Their advertisements were sleek, slick, and plentiful. Their website was well designed and interactive. They already had some incredible sponsorship and they were in every media outlet in town. Their ride was getting all the press while I felt our ride was barely keeping its head above water and this was our second year.

Where were all the riders that once defected from Pallotta and vowed to make this ride a success? Sure there were plenty of us still in the mix but at a measly 125 riders, many of them were obviously moving on to other events. This angered me because I love AIDS Action and the people they employ and had personally given my all to promote and fundraise for this event.

As the ride began it was apparent that the sense of community had waned and that the new staff was just not on game like the year before. I don’t know if it was just a case of the sophomore slump or there were bigger problems at hand. I know that personally I didn’t feel as appreciated or as taken care of by the new ride manager, Andi. She has a very harsh and abrasive way about her that put a lot of riders off. At recruitment and informational events she would create this almost hippish prayer circle environment of sharing that not everyone was into. She just rubbed people the wrong way and her public speaking skills and ability to cause hysteria and excitement within the group just weren’t working.

As the ride commenced moral was all over the map. People were getting hurt, people were getting lost, people didn’t feel appreciated or welcome. By weekends end, she was one of the most talked about topics, almost more so than the heavy rain and winds that had plagued the ride since Day 1. I on numerous occasions had told her to ensure that the vegetarians were taken care of and she didn’t which resulted in a no lunch scenario two days in a row for us vegetarians. I don’t know about you, but if I’m riding a hundred miles a day, I tend to need some form of sustenance and nourishment, that usually comes from lunch. I’m just saying… She also ran around like a tyrant at night while at the camps as she would bark orders and mother everyone so much that they didn’t feel comfortable or able to freely enjoy the experience as the adults we are. Luckily there was Robbie to deflect her standoff persona. Robbie is an incredibly passionate man that really put his all into the first ride and in the second year seemed pushed back to allow for Andi’s new regime. Too bad Robbie already had a fan base.

The ride ended early because of hurricane like conditions that passed through the area which pushed the final nail into the coffin of MR3. Many seasoned riders wanted to wait out the storm and finish the ride like intended but ride organizers couldn’t comply. I understand the liability involved and understood their decision to cancel Day 3 but it really did sour the mood of the event further. A make up date was scheduled and went off with mediocre success (only 20 riders showed). A third year seemed unlikely in September but was eventually greenlit.

I had always planned on sticking it out another year but the aforementioned issues really forced me to reconsider. Even after I interviewed with Andi I wanted to help the ride flourish and grow into a bigger event. I eventually lost all interest in their mission. Of my group (which consisted of pimps and ho’s last year), only one rider signed up. I can’t state that the rides mismanagement is to blame for everyone, but it is for me. The new direction and shortened route just really didn’t appeal to me and that’s distressing because this was a ride I helped craft to some degree. It had the potential to be huge and because I don’t work at AIDS Action and I wasn’t there when negotiations were originally underway with Fenway Community Health I can’t say why it’s not bigger and better than it is. It could be budgetary issues, it could be management issues, or it could be that there are too many competing events. AIDS Action has a huge following and volunteer network not to mention they are the standard in AIDS awareness in Massachusetts yet the ride lacks the backing to promote like it needs to and to target where the fundraising will benefit most… the gay men of Boston.

As long as Harbor to the Bay can promise 100% of the funds raised to charity MR3 does not stand a chance. That’s a huge turn off for riders and contributors. Why should someone donate to MR3 knowing a portion of the funds goes to putting on the event when in the same town another ride is promising 100% to charity? The accountability isn’t there and the backing of the gay community just isn’t with MR3. This should have been the driving force for them this year; ensure the gay community stands behind the ride and that the seasoned riders return at any cost because that is what will allow this ride to grow and thrive! There is no reason that the corporate sponsors of AIDS Action couldn’t rally behind the ride to ensure no cost is put upon the riders or the donations raised. Competing rides is just ridiculous in a town the size of Boston. I believe next year there will only be one ride that survives and I have a feeling it will not be the Mass Red Ribbon Ride (though I hope I’m proven wrong because my heart and soul went into creating and promoting their event and I want to see them succeed).