The sun was shining and a light wind was blowing when the first rider turned off Washington onto the long driveway on the south lawn of the Frist Campus Center at 9:05 a.m. She was greeted by a group of 20 people, including members of the New Jersey Ride for AIDS and Frist employees and received first dibs on the energy bars, fruit, cookies and water that sat on a table outside.
The rider was the first of 12 that came to the University on a three-day, 250-mile bicycle ride that started in Somerset on Friday at noon and she ended in Cape May on Sunday. The rest stop on Saturday was co-hosted by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services, the Pace Center for Community Service and Frist.
Riders said their main motive for doing the bike-a-thon was that the money raised would go to three different charities: Center in Asbury Park, South Jersey Aids Alliance and the Eric Johnson House in Morristown. These charities focus on helping people infected with HIV receive proper treatment and nutrition.
"The well-educated, white people do well with AIDS," said Bob Wu, a member of the Steering Committee for the N.J. Ride for AIDS, "[while] the minorities and poorer people are really falling through the cracks."
The N.J. Ride for AIDS raised more than $20,000 this year in their first bike-a-thon. The group plans to make this fund-raiser an annual event.
"Princeton really prides itself on service," said Debbie Bazarsky, LGBT coordinator.
The purpose of the rest stop was not only to heighten AIDS awareness at the University but also to continue cooperation between the University and the community, organizers said.
The rest stop at Princeton was a logical choice because Gov. James McGreevey, one of the ride's sponsors, lives nearby, they said. After a 15-mile from Hammonton, Princeton served as a "breakfast stop" Saturday morning and offered a place to relax, socialize, stretch and refuel.
"The key for riders was going to be to get in, get what they needed, refuel and to get back out," said Laurie Hall, the assistant director for programs at Frist.
Though Friday's rain delayed the opening ceremonies and forced the riders to start in Somerset instead of High Point, near the New York border, the riders and crew remained enthusiastic about the trip.
In such a small group of riders, there was a huge sense of community spirit, which could not be dampened by rain, said Jocelyn Tutak, a Rutgers University senior.
Pat Sherman, executive director for the N.J. Ride for AIDS said the rain was an adventure as the cyclists wound their way through traffic and misty hills.
The cyclists ranged from experienced bike-a-thon riders to novices like Tutak.
"I liked the challenge of doing a ride, but also the cause was just really important," Tutak said while stretching on the lawn.
The last riders left Frist around 9:45 a.m.
They sped down the driveway and disappeared among the cars on Washington Road to travel another 70 miles before the end of the day.
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