Pikes Peak Classic Bike Ride Will Benefit Southern Colorado AIDS Project

According to a Tuesday press release, at least a dozen employees of Compassion International will join several other bicyclists in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 12 to begin the grueling 100-mile round trip from the University of Colorado to Pikes Peak. This Pikes Peak Classic is the first organized bike ride of 100 miles, although the event will also include shorter segments of 35 and 65 miles.

The ride will benefit the Southern Colorado AIDS Project (S-CAP), which provides needed food, clothing, medical assistance and counseling to individuals and families that are either infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS in a 25-county area in southern Colorado.

S-CAP was founded in 1986 and has since grown from a small support agency serving just a few HIV-infected individuals to a current staff of 12, plus more than 150 volunteers.

Compassion International, a Christian organization, was founded in 1952 by Rev. Everett Swanson who wanted to help the war orphans in South Korean. The organization provided the orphans with food, shelter, health care, education and Christian training. Since then, Compassion International has helped more than a million children in at least 20 countries. In some cases the organization has also provided help with prenatal care. The organization is now headquartered in Colorado Springs and is said to be one of the world's largest organizations of its kind. It works with at least 65 denominations and more than 4000 church partners in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer David Dahin, AIDS Initiative Director Dr. Scott Todd, and Senior Vice President Mark Yeadon - all of Compassion International - will ride in the Pikes Peak Classic. According to the press release, Compassion's AIDS Initiative emphasizes prevention, rehabilitation and treatment - including drug therapy - for children and families in six African countries. Dr. Scott of the Initiative said: "We are riding in memory of over 500,000 children who died last year from AIDS. When people are hurting we at Compassion want to reflect the love and grace of God and help them become well whether they live in our community or across the ocean. This event is one way we are showing our support and concern for people living with HIV here in Colorado. We hope it will motivate people to take action because this disease can be defeated if people face it head on. You just need to discover what you can do about it."

According to the Pikes Peak Classic website, Focus on the Family, another Christian organization, is one of seven sponsors of the event and will contribute $1,000. This is the first time Focus on the Family has donated money to S-CAP, although it has donated to S-CAP's food bank in the past.

Sources:

Press release, Compassion Shows Support for Cycling Event to Benefit AIDS; http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/8/prweb545072.htm

Pikes Peak Classic, http://www.pikespeakclassic.com/