AIDS Vaccine 200 (AV200) is a charity bike ride through the scenic
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
countryside. The ride raises awareness and vital funds for HIV/AIDS vaccine research having donated to date over $3.5 million to the
Emory Vaccine Center Emory may refer to:
Places
* Emory, Texas, U.S.
* Emory (crater), on the Moon
* Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S.
* Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S.
Education
* Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S.
* Emory University, in Atl ...
, one of the world's leading vaccine research centers working to find an
HIV vaccine
The HIV vaccine is a combination antiretroviral vaccine that protects people who are HIV-negative and at high risk of infection from HIV infection.
According to the WHO, "every minute, one person in the world dies from AIDS-related causes."
Ac ...
, and other beneficiaries.
The ride
The 2-day ride takes place in May each year. More than 150 cyclists and an army of volunteers complete the ride each year. The ride begins on the campus of
Emory University
Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
and passes through several small,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
towns until cyclists arrive at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center located north of Eatonton, Georgia in the
Oconee National Forest Oconee may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Oconee, Georgia
*Oconee, Illinois
*Oconee, Nebraska
*Oconee County, Georgia
*Oconee County, South Carolina
*Oconee River, Georgia
*Oconee Township, Shelby County, Illinois
*Oconee Township, Nebraska ...
. Cyclists and volunteers lodge Saturday night in cabins located alongside the edge of Rock Eagle's lake. Cyclists choose several different mileage options and can customize the length of the ride to their ability levels. The full ride entails back-to-back
century rides, each day for a total of . Cyclists may also choose a shorter route for a total of . A third option is for cyclists to form relay squads of up to 5 riders. The squad then divides the distance each day into relay segments as long as each cyclist wishes to ride. The ride follows country roads across rural areas and rolling hills as riders pass through several small,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
towns including Stone Mountain, Jersey, Social Circle, and Godfrey.
History
Action Cycling Atlanta, Inc. (ACA) was formed in 2003 by a group of cyclists who had participated in the 2002 European AIDS Vaccine Ride, one of the last
AIDSRides produced by Pallotta Teamworks. The group was dismayed at cost overruns of the European ride.
Pallotta TeamWorks Record of Impact: Detailed Financial Disclosure
/ref> Also, the end of Pallotta Teamworks created a fundraising vacuum for the beneficiaries receiving proceeds from the rides produced by Pallotta. Action Cycling Atlanta was incorporated as a 501c3 charitable organization and chose to continue fundraising for AIDS vaccine research at the Emory Vaccine Center Emory may refer to:
Places
* Emory, Texas, U.S.
* Emory (crater), on the Moon
* Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S.
* Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S.
Education
* Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S.
* Emory University, in Atl ...
, located in Atlanta, GA and a former beneficiary of the Pallotta events. The ride existed as the Action Cycling 200 for its first 6 years. Fundraising results of $175,000 in 2009 pushed the amount that ACA had donated to over $575,000. The majority of these funds ($557,000) has gone towards AIDS vaccine research at Emory Vaccine Center Emory may refer to:
Places
* Emory, Texas, U.S.
* Emory (crater), on the Moon
* Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S.
* Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S.
Education
* Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S.
* Emory University, in Atl ...
. The ride also occasionally donates a portion of ride proceeds to related AIDS service organizations. Written into the bylaws of Action Cycling Atlanta is its commitment to adhere to the standards set forth by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) is an American charity monitoring organization. Under previous names, it has been reporting on nationally soliciting charities since the 1920s. BBB's Give.org evaluates charities, at no charge, using the 20 BBB S ...
and to minimizing event expenses returning as much of the funds raised directly to the charitable cause. To date, 100% of the money raised by ride participants has been donated to the beneficiary. Action Cycling Atlanta is able to do this by underwriting the cost of the event through registration fees and generous event sponsors. The ride originally traveled from the Hope Clinic in Decatur, GA to Athens, GA. To accommodate more riders, in 2007, ride organizers changed the route to begin and end on the Emory University campus with a Saturday night stay at Rock Eagle near Eatonton, GA. In 2009, the name of the ride was changed to the AIDS Vaccine 200 to communicate more clearly the purpose of the ride.[AIDS Vaccine 200 Website - History](_blank)
/ref>
Fundraising results
The ride has been able to provide increased funding year over year due to the diligence of volunteers. One of the reasons Action Cycling Atlanta is so fiscally effective is that no part of the money raised through sponsorships or fundraising donations is spent on salaries of any kind. To date (August 2017), Action Cycling Atlanta, through its Action Cycling 200 and AIDS Vaccine 200 rides has donated a total of $2,781,090 for AIDS vaccine research and AIDS-related services.
Fundraising Results by Year
{, class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center;1px"
! Year !! Total !! Emory Vaccine Center !!AID Atlanta !! AIDS Athens !! Jerusalem House !! Positive Impact
, -
, 2003 , , $49,365 , , $49,365 , , - , , - , , - , , -
, -
, 2004 , , $59,075 , , $59,075 , , - , , - , , - , , -
, -
, 2005 , , $52,125 , , $37,000 , , - , , $15,125, , - , , -
, -
, 2006 , , $79,975 , , $74,975 , , - , , $5,000 , , - , , -
, -
, 2007 , , $75,500 , , $75,500 , , - , , - , , - , , -
, -
, 2008 , , $106,000 , , $106,000 , , - , , - , , - , , -
, -
, 2009 , , $175,000 , , $175,000 , , - , , - , , - , , -
, -
, 2010 , , $198,200 , , $190,000 , , - , , - , , $6,200 , , $2,000
, -
, 2011 , , $233,700 , , $205,700 , , - , , - , , $25,000 , , $3,000
, -
, 2012 , , $297,500 , , $260,000 , , - , , - , , $35,000 , , $2,500
, -
, 2013 , , $304,000 , , $255,000 , , - , , - , , $37,000 , , $12,000
, -
, 2014 , , $223,000 , , $163,100 , , $17,500 , , - , , $27,000 , , $15,400
, -
, 2015 , , $249,150 , , $200,000 , , - , , - , , $32,850 , , $16,300
, -
, 2016
, $320,000
, $260,300
, -
, -
, $57,000
, $2,700
, -
, 2017
, $358,500
, $305,600
, -
, -
, $47,100
, $5,800
, -
, Total , , $2,781,090 , , $2,416,615 , , $17,500 , , $20,125 , , $267,150, , $59,700
See also
* Charitable organization
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
* Philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
* HIV vaccine
The HIV vaccine is a combination antiretroviral vaccine that protects people who are HIV-negative and at high risk of infection from HIV infection.
According to the WHO, "every minute, one person in the world dies from AIDS-related causes."
Ac ...
* Century ride
References
External links
Action Cycling Atlanta
Health-related fundraisers
HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States