Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - June 16, 2004
Lynn Van Matre, Tribune staff reporter
"I don't know that we will ever see massive AIDS rides like the Heartland again, at least in the near future," said Canticle Ministries Director Brad Ogilvie, a veteran of five Heartland treks.
"Pulling off something like that costs a huge amount of money, and a lot of people had trouble getting beyond the fundraising component. It was time to go back to grass-roots work," he said.
Last summer, the non-profit HIV/AIDS service agency, an affiliate of the Wheaton Franciscan System, launched the HOPE (Heartlanders Opening People's Eyes) Ride from the Quad Cities to Wheaton. Staged almost entirely by volunteers, the four-day, 300-mile trek drew 70 bicyclists and 30 crew members from throughout the Chicago area and raised about $65,000 for AIDS charities. The agency hopes to attract as many or more riders for the second annual HOPE Ride, a five-day, 350-mile event scheduled for July 14-18.
"A lot of people who participated last year have told us they plan to come back," Ogilvie said. "We have 40 people signed up already, but you can't just focus on the number of riders or the money. This ride is also about education and about getting people with HIV involved."
A dozen or so cyclists in last year's ride were HIV positive, according to Ogilvie, who was diagnosed with the virus in 1986.
Ogilvie noted that people with HIV/AIDS often have been "segregated in regard to services because of fear and a belief that they were going to die," and participating in the HOPE project could be viewed as a commitment to health and possibilities.
"It's time to invite those who are able to once again confront the future with hope," he added. "We look to this ride as a continuation in that direction."
The ride will begin at Augustana College in Rock Island and end at Memorial Park in Wheaton, with overnight stops at state parks and other campsites in Savanna, Lena, Rockford and Spring Grove.
Riders pay a nonrefundable $100 registration fee and are expected to raise at least $1,400 in pledges by July 1. Work opportunities may be available for participants with limited resources.
For more information, call Canticle Ministries at 630-588-9165 or visit the Web site www.hope-ride.org.
The agency also is seeking volunteers and donations of bikes and cash for the project. Proceeds will be divided among Canticle Ministries, AIDS Care Network in Rockford, AIDS Project Quad Cities and Camp Heartland, a Milwaukee-based national organization that provides summer camps for youth whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
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