Lord, in this morning hour I pray
for strength to live my best today.
In serving others may I see
that I am only serving Thee.
Draw near to me that I may see
the kind of man you'd have me be.
AMEN!
I have again chosen to take part in an exciting and powerful event devoted to the fight against AIDS - The Washington DC AIDS Ride. During this unique consciousness-raising event, I will embark on a four-day, 330-mile ride beginning in Norfolk, Virginia and ending in Washington, DC with over 3,000 other bicyclists. The Washington DC AIDS Ride is a unique opportunity to challenge my limits, but more importantly, it's a chance to do something substantial for those affected by AIDS. The ride heightens the awareness of the disease, and demonstrates the power of the individual to make a difference. We're riding to raise money to support two service organizations, Food & Friends and the Whitman-Walker Clinic, offering a second chance at health and hope to those who need it most. Together, we hope to raise more than $4 million for individuals living with AIDS and important AIDS prevention programs in the Washington, D.C. area.
This will be my third year participating in this ride. Not only have I made a monetary commitment in the struggle against AIDS, I also have committed my time. In preparation for the ride I spend approximately 20 hours per week in training. Additionally, I, as well as other members of my team, Brother to Brother Sister to Sister United (BBSSU), will be volunteering at Food & Friends to support the services provided to individuals living with AIDS and their dependent family members.
It's easy to overlook the problems and the many difficulties faced by those who are HIV-positive. Sadly, I can identify with those who often forget about this tragic epidemic because they think they're not directly affected by it. AIDS has affected nearly all of us, having taken more than 410,800 of our loved ones. African Americans comprise 88% of all AIDS cases in the Washington, D.C area. With your support, I hope to avert more deaths caused by this epidemic and to help those who are ill and in desperate need of care and intervention. New drugs and medical advances mean that more people than ever are living with HIV/AIDS, and the Ride will fund crucial services for these individuals. It's a brave journey of kindness, and an extraordinary way for us to put our own sweat and tears into the fight against AIDS.
I have agreed to raise at least $2,500 in pledges between now and the beginning of the Ride on June 13th. I could really use your help with a financial commitment. Would you please make a pledge on the Food & Friends website and designate the amount that is right for you? Please keep in mind how far I'm riding and the commitment I've made. I ask you to please return your pledge before June 3, 2002
The Washington DC AIDS Ride is not just another sporting event. It's a chance for everyone to make a difference. Please be a partner in this life-saving event. I've accepted the physical challenge but I need your support to reach my goal. If for any reason, you are having problems with any of the forms or desire additional information, please feel free to contact me via:
Thank you in advance for your generosity. With your support, I know we can and will make a difference in the lives of our 
Brothers and Sisters.
Sincerely,
Derek J. Maillard - Rider #2392
...from desire I stagger toward
enjoyment,
and in getting that I
languish again
for desire.
My Pictures From the 2000 & 2001 AIDS Ride
Brother to Brother Sister to Sister United (BBSSU) was created after the 1996 Tanqueray AIDS ride from Philadelphia to Washington DC.
Wallace Corbett, the founder, was disappointed by the small number of African Americans participating in the event given the disproportionate impact that the disease had on our community.
BBSSU became a call-to-action for African-Americans of all walks of life, shapes and sizes to actively participate in the discussion and fight against AIDS. We were determined to point out that AIDS does not discriminate on the basis of gender or age or race.
We organized an aggressive grass-roots organization within the African-American community to join the fight against HIV and AIDS. We saw it as imperative to our community's survival.
Each year through the Tanqueray American AIDS Rides and various local fundraisers, BBSSU raises one million dollars in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Our challenge should be YOUR challenge. We invite you to be a part of our call to action to heighten awareness in every community about the disease we call AIDS.
Why Join?
<*>Did You Know<*>
Food & Friends Served 10% More Clients in 2001, Thanks to AIDSRide Funds
Begin Cocktails Early, Or Wait?
Drug Cocktails May Cause Coronary Disease
36 MILLION ARE HIV-POSITIVE
AIDS RESEARCH PROGRESS TERMED "GLACIAL"
Half of all U.S. adults being treated for HIV infection have virus strains that are
resistant to standard drug therapies, according to a Rand Corp. study just released.
"This is very discouraging," said Dr. Samuel Bozette, a co-leader of the study. "It
really sshows the breadth of the problem." The study also found that about 85% of
those on "cocktails" of three or more drugs had drug resistant strains. Contrary to
researchers' previous beliefs that the poor, homeless, and IV drug users had more
resistant strains, the study revealed that "white males...those with higher education
and private medical insurance" were most likely to have drug-resistant viruses.
In 2001, one-third of Food & Friends' unrestricted funds were supplied by Washington, D.C. AIDSRIDE, reports the
agency's Executive Director, Craig Shniderman. Unrestricted funds can be used in any area Food & friends chooses,
to serve those with HIV/AIDS. In 2001, the funds paid for 250,000 nutritious meals delivered to HIV/AIDS clients in
the D.C. metro area and 13 surrounding counties. Ride funds also paid for 1,000 hours of nutritional counseling for
clients - and the addition of a new service area: Washington County, Maryland. All told, the work of AIDSRide
cyclists, crew members, and volunteers allowed the agency to serve 10% more clients in 2001. "For some people,
delivered meals spell the difference between independent living and living in institutional care," says Shniderman,
"the difference between those with AIDS regaining their health and their health deteriorating."
The largest randmized trial of HIV patients is underway that will inform doctors of
optimal times to begin drug cocktails to suppress HIV. A U.S. study of 6,000 HIV patients
will help determine which strategy works best: hitting the virus early with potent drugs or
waiting until the immune system is suppressed. Earlier studies suggested that cocktails
should begin at diagnosis, but in recent years it has become clear that side effects can
be serious, and it may be safer to delay treatment. The National Institute of Allergies
and Infectious Disease is funding the study, conducted by a coalition that includes the
Harlem AIDS Treatment Group.
Source: Reuters Wire Service, January 10, 2002.
Potent drug cocktails that enable AIDS patients to extend their lives are now suspected
of causing heart attacks and strokes. A recent study conducted by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention suggests that those taking AIDS drug cocktails have
about five times the usual risk of heart attacks. Several doctors have predicted an
epidemic of serious cardiovascular disease, noting that artery blockage is occurring
among men in their 30's and 40's - decades earlier than is customary. Other research
tells a conflicting story, however, as a study conducted by Veterans Hospitals found no
such increased risk.
Source: Associated Press; The Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2002
In a recent Newsweek investigation of a disease that
has killed 22 million in 20 years, the number of Blacks
and Hispanics in the U.S. infected with HIV was found to
skyrocket from 3,078 in 1985 to 405,584 this year. The
investigation reports that 36 million people in the world
- more than the population of Australia - are HIV-positive,
including 800,000 to 900,000 in the United States,
of whom an estimated 300,000 don't know it.
The pace of AIDS research has slowed, with some researchers
saying the field is in a slump - while the number of new HIV
infections is holding steady at about 40,000 per year. Progresss in
the last two or three years has been "absolutely glacial," said Lee
Klosinski, director of programs for AIDS Project Los Angeles, after
the ninth annual Retrovirus Conference, held in February in
Seattle. Side effects of drugs and the growing resistance of the
virus to therapy have dampened the enthusiasm of researchers.
Some patients now harbor viruses that are resistant to many or all
of the 15 drugs used to treat HIV infection.
Source: Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2002Presentation prepared by the Center for Disease Control on the trends of AIDS & HIV infection in adolescents in the United States from January 1986 - December 2000.