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Clark
Preps for 275-Mile Charity Bike Ride: Annual Boston-to-NYC AIDSRide
Set for Fall
It's the opposite of a free ride, but that only encourages Alex Clark's enthusiasm. A farm worker II at the Horticultural Research Center in Belchertown, Clark hopes to raise more than the minimum $1,700 to be eligible to pedal his bicycle from Boston to New York, Sept. 15-17, as part of AIDSRide 6. The 275-mile fund-raiser will benefit Fenway Community Health Center, a Boston organization that offers education and support to 1,100 community members each year, and performs cutting edge clinical, behavioral and epidemiological research on HIV/AIDS, women's health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health. Many of Fenway's services are discounted or free. Clark said he got interested in the ride because Fenway has a solid track record of helping people with HIV/AIDS. "The problem is so immense," he said. "Fenway has been around for a while. They get a lot of visits each year from people who have no money. It seemed like a worthy cause." Clark was also impressed by the level of return from AIDSRide. Some fund-raising events cost so much to produce that less than half of the proceeds go to the charity. "This organization is above the national average in money donated after the event," he said. "They return between 55 and 60 percent." Clark describes the ride as "fully supported." Between 500 and 700 volunteers move approximately 3,000 riders' gear from campsite to campsite, set it up, provide meals, snacks and water breaks along the way, and repair bicycles. "Many of them raise the same amount of money though they're not required to," he said. A summer cyclist during the 1980s, Clark has been "biking all the time" during the past few years, including the 7-mile round trip to work each day. Last year he completed his first "century ride" - 100 miles - traveling from Westfield to Great Barrington and back. He also rode 42 miles in New York's Great Five Boro Bike tour, which boasts 32,000 riders - the largest cycling event in the United States. He credits his wife, Irene, with introducing him to riding. "She got me interested in it," he said. "When we got married, she had two cycles." Clark heard about the fund-raiser from other cyclists and started seeing ads in cycling magazines. "I signed up sometime in May," he said. Clark said he has been deeply moved by the response he's received in the process of fund-raising. "People can fall through the cracks," he said, "and there are people here who want to support them." Anyone interested in contributing to the fund-raiser through Clark can get a pledge form by writing to him c/o the Horticultural Research Center, 391 Sabin St., Belchertown 01007 or by e-mailing him (alexorirenec@earthlink.net). Pledge forms are also available online at (www.AIDSRIDE.org). Donors can contribute to Clark's total by indicating his rider number, 1358. |
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