| | Published July 18th, 2012
| Lafayette Native to Bicycle Over 4,000 miles for HIV/AIDS
| | Submitted by Valerie Zhao |  | | Lafayette native Valerie Zhao Photo provided
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Lafayette native and Dartmouth College freshman Valerie Zhao dipped the back tire of her bicycle in the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach in San Francisco June 18, and began an epic journey across the country by bicycle. Zhao and 19 other students who make up the 2012 Ride Against AIDS team will cycle for approximately 67 days over 4,000 miles across America, ending this August in Boston.
Zhao first heard about FACE AIDS through a tweet from Partners in Health, a non-profit organization co-founded by Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the current president of Dartmouth College and president-elect of the World Bank. As a childhood asthma patient, she has had plenty of experience with the U.S. health care system and knows that even in the developed world, there are significant barriers to adequate medical care. Zhao's own experiences have inspired her to pursue a career in medicine, with a focus on global health. She is also interested in how policy affects global health access, and HIV/AIDS is a major piece of the global health and policy puzzle; she plans to major in biomedical engineering with a minor in public policy.
On why she joined the Ride Against AIDS, Zhao says, "I want to spread the message about HIV/AIDS and its widespread impact, not only on health but also on social, economic, and cultural conditions. The fight against HIV/AIDS is a global issue and we need to engage people from every corner of the globe, starting in our own backyard. I view the Ride Against AIDS as the beginning of my work for global health, health equity, and social justice."
This unique and powerful cross-country bike ride is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS is run by FACE AIDS, a youth-led nonprofit that works in the U.S. and Rwanda. The Ride was started in 2007 by two Stanford students. This summer, the fifth annual Ride Against AIDS aims to raise over $100,000, as each rider pledges to raise at least $5,000.
Of this high goal, Zhao says, "Since I'm still a college student, I am mostly counting on a large number of small donations from my friends and classmates. Especially as the Nyamirama Health Center in Rwanda faces serious budget cuts, I cannot emphasize enough how much of a difference each donation makes. I am excited to fundraise because it gives me a chance to talk to my family and friends about why I'm doing the Ride and why the funding is so crucial to FACE AIDS programs."
In addition to fundraising, riders will speak with and give presentations to community groups, summer camps, elected representatives, Rotary Clubs, schools, FACE AIDS chapters, and individuals across the country about the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The 2011 Ride Against AIDS team biked almost 4,500 miles over 67 days and stopped in 54 cities.
Zhao attended elementary and middle school in Lafayette and was heavily involved with community service projects through Stanley Middle School. To learn more, visit www.faceaids.org/raa or http://www.citizeneffect.org/projects/face-aids-ride-against-aids-2012-valerie.
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 | | 2012 Ride Against AIDS team
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA