Tag Archives: Lone Star Ride

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS holds makeup ride, distributes $90K

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Participants ride out from the parking lot behind Caven Enterprises on Sunday.

Lone Star Ride held a shortened makeup ride Sunday and then distributed $90,000 to its three beneficiaries at a party at TMC.

The original ride, scheduled for Sept. 29–30, was canceled because of two days of heavy rain.

The makeup ride included a 30-mile morning route that began and ended at TMC on Cedar Springs Road and circled White Rock Lake. Additional riders participated in an afternoon ride that left at noon and made a round trip to ride sponsor Microsoft’s headquarters in Las Colinas.

Riders returned to Oak Lawn by 2:30 p.m. Sunday after completing the 25-mile round trip. They met in the parking lot of Cathedral of Hope and at 3 p.m. rode down Cedar Springs Road together. A crowd outside of JR.’s Bar & Grill and TMC cheered the riders in.

At TMC, awards were given for biggest fundraising teams and individuals. Dallas Voice placed second and Slow Spokes won the team competition. Anything Goes, Hope Riders and Wells Fargo placed third through fifth.

Ralph Randall was the largest individual fundraiser. Les Borzy, a first-time Lone Star Rider, was second.

Checks totaling $90,000 were distributed to beneficiaries AIDS Services Dallas, AIDS Outreach Center and Resource Center Dallas.

More photos from the makeup ride after the jump.

Continue reading “Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS holds makeup ride, distributes $90K” »

—  David Taffet

PHOTOS: Rain washes out Lone Star Ride; makeup ride planned for Oct. 21

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A weekend of bad weather and other natural disasters wiped out this year’s Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS.

The epicenter of the 3.4-magnitude earthquake that hit Irving on Saturday night was on MacArthur Boulevard, just blocks from the NYLO Hotel, the host hotel for the Lone Star Ride. Most riders were asleep when the quake hit and did not feel it. However, others reported the tremors were strong enough to move the sliding bathroom doors in the upstairs hotel rooms.

The earthquake hit after the first day of the ride was canceled due to constant rain. Participants gathered early Saturday in the Microsoft Irving parking garage across the street from the NYLO for a quick breakfast and an expected rideout. But the predawn mist turned into light showers and then steady rain. By 9 a.m., the forecast called for intermittent thunderstorms, and the first day of the ride was canceled.

The planned Cedar Springs pitstop moved to the Microsoft campus. While waiting for lunch, a number of frustrated riders biked in circles on unused decks of the company’s parking garage. Others left to go shopping or see a movie.

Most returned for dinner and entertainment that was also held on the second floor of the parking deck. Awards were given for fundraising. Those who raised at least $1,000 were given a copy of Miscrosft Office. Those who raised more than $2,000 were given a yellow jersey.

Sunday morning the weather was expected to clear, but when new storms moved in over the area, event manager Jerry Calumn called off the second day of the ride and moved the closing ceremony to The Flying Saucer, the planned lunch pitstop, in Sundance Square in Fort Worth.

Lunch was served in the restaurant’s covered outdoor courtyard and “the riderless bike” — which signifies those who’ve been lost to AIDS — was wheeled on stage.

Paul Cross was given a bouquet of flowers in memory of his partner, Jim McCoy, a longtime Lone Star Rider who died of pancreatic cancer earlier this year. At lunch, a butterfly landed at Cross’ table and crawled onto his finger where it stayed. Cross went on stage with the butterfly still on his finger, which he showed to the crowd as a sign McCoy was there with them that day.

A make-up ride will be held on Oct. 21 and will end on Cedar Springs Road.

The Microsoft $1,000 fundraising challenge was extended through that date and riders were encouraged to continue raising money. Other fundraising awards will be given to riders at the Cedar Springs ride-in event.

View photos from this weekend below.

Continue reading “PHOTOS: Rain washes out Lone Star Ride; makeup ride planned for Oct. 21” »

—  David Taffet

Microsoft challenges Lone Star Ride participants to raise at least $1,000

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2011 Lone Star Ride in Fort Worth

Microsoft, which became a sponsor of Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS this year, challenged riders to each raise $1,000. The first 100 riders to reach that goal will receive a copy of Office Professional 2010.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the team Hope Riders is sponsoring a evening of comedy and music at the Interfaith Peace Chapel. Dinner and drinks are included. The first riders to raise their $1,000 will be recognized.

Among the entertainers is Jerry Calumn, who has worked as a professional comedian and is director of the Lone Star Ride.

This year’s Sept. 29-30 ride opens and closes at Microsoft’s Las Colinas campus.

Continue reading “Microsoft challenges Lone Star Ride participants to raise at least $1,000” »

—  David Taffet

Lone Star Ride wrap party

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Photos by David Taffet/Dallas Voice

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—  David Taffet

Lone Star Ride 2011 Closing Ceremonies

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—  John Wright

Fashion’s Night Out at Willow Bend

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Not your usual night at the mall
Neiman Marcus hosts this year’s Fashion’s Night Out, a swanky event with both men’s and women’s collections, light nibblies and a DJ. The night benefits Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS.

DEETS: The Shops at Willow Bend, 2201 Dallas Parkway, Plano. 6 p.m. $50–$100. Zvents.com.

—  Rich Lopez

BUSINESS: New app offers safety in numbers

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RIDE SAFE | Cyclists in the Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS each year peddle through some pretty isolated stretches of road. This year, MobileTREC is equipping each rider with the SafeTREC application and service to give them an added layer of security on the road. MobileTREC is also donating $1 from every SafeTREC subscription to Lone Star Ride. (Tammye Nash/Dallas Voice)

SafeTREC service now partnering with Lone Star Ride; adds a layer of security to life, company officials say

TAMMYE NASH | Senior Editor
nash@dallasvoice.com

We all know what happens when you find yourself in an emergency situation at your home, and you pick up your landline to call 9-11 for help: The 9-11 operators can use their system to determine your exact location and send help, even if you aren’t able to tell them where you are.

But what happens if you, like many people these days, use your cell phone as your home phone instead of having a landline? What happens if you are in your car, or perhaps walking or cycling?

Those locations can’t be wired into the 9-11 system, and the best emergency operators can do is triangulate your location to within a three-, six- or nine-mile radius, depending on the circumstances. And when minutes count, that might not be good enough.

That’s the problem that the people at MobileTREC were trying to solve when they came up with their SafeTREC and SafeKidZone applications for smart phones, according to Martin Lobe, MobileTREC’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Users download the MobileTREC app they want to their smart phone and then pay a $9.95 per month subscription fee to use the service. Lobe said the company is also working to finalize a family plan for $19.95 a month that he hopes will be available within the next month.

To use the service, he explained, users designate a specific button on their phone as the “panic button,” and in case of emergency, they push that button and the MobileTREC operators contact the appropriate responders. And the MobileTREC apps marry with the phone’s GPS signal to send responders to the user’s exact location, Lobe said.

Lobe said the applications and MobileTREC’s subscription services can give users an added layer of security and some options that you don’t get with 9-11.

With the SafeKidZone app, children can punch the panic button and that activates a whole community of responders — friends and family as well as police and fire — to come to their aid.

Lobe explained that users establish a network of contacts among family and friends, and if a child needs help, the SafeKidZone program sends an immediate text and email to the established “safety network” as well as to the company’s 24-hour Response Call Center. Then the child, the “safety network” members and the Call Center are linked through a live conference call.

That lets everyone know what the child’s situation is, allowing the closest family member or friend to respond immediately or if necessary, the Call Center personnel will notify 9-11 to send police or fire, giving them the child’s exact location.

SafeTREC is the same sort of application and service, only geared for adults, such as college students, senior citizens, business travelers or those on vacation.

“Think about someone, an adult, who may have some sort of disability or illness, and they fall in their home and can’t get up. They don’t need medical attention, but if 9-11 sends an ambulance, they have to pay for that. With SafeTREC, they push the panic button and the system sends someone in their safety network over to help them up,” Lobe said.

“I have gay friends, and when I started looking into it, doing some research, I realized just how often gay bashings are happening, and how sometimes gay people are not getting the proper protection from police in some instances. And I knew that our service is something that could be very, very helpful to gay people,” Lobe said. “We want to let the LGBT community know that this is available, that they are not alone.”

The service is also perfect, Lobe said, for sports enthusiasts — like cyclists or runners — who might find themselves out on the road and suddenly in need of help. And that, he added, makes a partnership between MobileTREC and Lone Star Ride Fightings AIDS a perfect match.

MobileTREC CEO Don Ferguson explained that his company will be equipping every Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS rider with the SafeTREC service, and will also donate $1 from every subscription to LSRFA.

The two-day Lone Star Ride, scheduled this year for Sept. 24-25, raises money for three AIDS service organizations — AIDS Services of Dallas, AIDS Outreach Center of Tarrant County and Resource Center Dallas.

“I can see the Lone Star Ride is a worthwhile event where people are getting together to help others, and I am excited for SafeTREC to become a part of it,” Ferguson said.

And helping people help each other, he added, is one of the goals of the company.

“Our system is designed not only to protect people when they are in danger but also to build a safety network so people are automatically looking out for each other,” Ferguson said. “Man is not an island. We survive better together, and that is what we are doing at SafeTREC. We are creating a community of people looking out for each other.”

For more information, go online to MobileTREC.com

—  John Wright

LSR Journal: Doubly positive

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E-racing Stigma team captain David Hodge, left, and his team members

David Hodge, captain of the E-racing Stigma team for Lone Star Ride, says cycling for the cause is in his blood

M.M. ADJARIAN | Contributing Writer
editor@dallasvoice.com

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS cyclist David Hodge is what you could call doubly positive: Not only is he one of the most upbeat, life-loving people you could hope to meet; he also happens to live with the very disease that LSRFA exists to combat.

When he turned 40 five years ago, Hodge decided to mark his definitive entry into middle age with a celebration of physical fitness.

“I wanted to do something big and fantastic,” the Parkland imaging specialist recalls. “Some friends of mine and I were talking about bicycling, [something] I hadn’t even thought about for a while. I hadn’t been on a bicycle in 20 years.”

So Hodge immediately began training — but not for the LSRFA.

“We have a similar ride in Atlanta,” he says. “The name of the event is the AIDS Vaccine (AV) 200 and [it benefits] the Emory AIDS Vaccine Center. I [started participating in] 2006.”

As the name suggests, the Atlanta ride covers 200 miles, about 20 more than LSRFA. It also takes place in late spring (May) rather than late summer (September).

Hodge’s resume also includes two appearances in the seven-day AIDS LifeCyle Ride, which takes place every year in June. The route covers approximately 600 miles between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Hodge officially began riding with the LSRFA just last year, when he moved from Atlanta to Dallas. But already he’s doing double duty as the captain of one of the oldest teams to be saddling up for the event: E-racing Stigma, the LSRFA Positive Pedalers team.

“The whole concept [for the team] came from [a desire] to get the word out,” he says. “Just because you have an [HIV] diagnosis, that is not a death sentence anymore so long as you take care of yourself. You really can be an active member of society and help out anywhere you can.”

As team captain, Hodge fulfills a number of important duties.

“[I’m] the person who gets all the information out, whether we’re having social events or training rides,” he explains. “[I also have to] keep people motivated to get their fundraising done. [Our] team is also very involved in the closing ceremonies.”

Participating on a team like E-racing Stigma is a lot like riding with family. Members bond through similarities — in this case, positive diagnoses. At the same time, they also take care of each other on the road.

Says Hodge, “In the bicycling community, when you go and out and deplete your body of every ounce of water and electrolytes and food, [you’re in danger of] ‘bonking.’ Your fellow riders watch out for those kinds of [potential problems].”

A potentially deadly disease may reside in Hodge’s body, but so does an equally passionate dedication to cycling for the community he loves. In May, the E-racing Stigma team captain returned to Atlanta to participate in the 2011 AV200; and recently, the odometer reading on Hodge’s current bicycle slipped over the 4,000-mile mark.

“[The cause] is something that’s very dear to my heart, so that’s why I keep doing what I do and cycling as many miles as I can,” he says. “It’s in my blood now and I can’t stop doing it.”

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS will be held Sept. 24-25. To donate to an individual rider, to a team or to the Ride itself, go online to LoneStarRide.org.

—  John Wright

LSR Journal: Marine trains to fight HIV apathy

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M.M. ADJARIAN | Contributing Writer
editor@dallasvoice.com

Many riders find themselves becoming gradually more involved with the Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS over time. But if you’re on achievement overdrive like freshman cyclist James Esh, you’re going full force right out of the starting gate.

The ex-Marine-turned-lawyer first learned about the Ride in 2010, three years after he moved to Dallas from Arkansas. His interest was sparked by the complacency he’d seen around him regarding the AIDS crisis.

“I was really young when I heard the term ‘gay cancer,’” recalls Esh. “In the early ’90s, Ryan White brought it back to the everyday American. But [when I started college in 2000] and the subject came up in the courses I was taking, it just wasn’t a big deal to most people.”

The nonchalance he’s witnessed came about because medical advances made the disease easier to control. But those same advances have sometimes come at the cost of sweeping HIV/AIDS under the rug and out of sight.

Ever the vigilant military man looking to set a positive example, Esh decided to take arms against apathy, ignorance and silence by saddling up for the LSR.

And like a good soldier, he went on a reconnaissance mission to learn about the event and its sponsoring organization. The data he gathered met with his wholehearted approval.

“All the money from the LSR is [earmarked for] local agencies,” says the ex-Marine. “So the bang for your buck is a lot higher because all the money goes back to the community.”

The organization impressed him so much that he volunteered to become an LSR board member.

Explains Esh, “Participating on the board was not a decision I made in the beginning. It was made after I had already decided to ride. So when the opportunity presented itself, it just kind of worked out.”

The freshman cyclist expects to pedal 150 miles in this year’s Ride. His goal is an especially lofty one given that he admits that a busy work schedule has not allowed him to train as regularly as he would like.

“I started [preparing] in February but fell off the bandwagon for a few months,” he says. “Then I had about two weeks where my bike was in the shop. I’ve been hitting it hard this past month, though, and will continue to do so because the LSR is less than 60 days away.”

Esh also admits to not having cycled with the Texas sun full on his back. The toughness he cultivated during his time in the military will serve him well, especially if the current record-breaking heat wave continues into September.

“It was 104 degrees the other day when I went [cycling] around White Rock Lake,” he says. “I was a little crazy for doing it [but] I did grow up in the West Texas Panhandle so I’m not too unaccustomed [to the heat].”

As much as Esh has reintegrated into civilian life, it’s clear that he’s still a Marine at heart: semper fidelis (always faithful) to a cause regardless of the challenges he encounters along the way.

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS takes place Sept. 24-25. For details or to donate to a specific rider or team or to the ride in general, go online to LoneStarRide.org.

—  John Wright

Pedaling Olives: An Evening with Michael Godard

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Rock star meets high art

Dallas Voice, Wisby – Smith Fine Art Gallery and Hudson Ferus Vodka present an extraordinary collection of works by Artist Michael Godard. Michael Godard, is known as the explosive “Rockstar of the Art World”, and global top selling artist!

His world of art invites us into his lighthearted perspective of life surrounding us, with animated olives, grapes and, dancing strawberries. His unique portrayal of fun is an exciting combination of imagination and subtle humor, which evoke the creative side in “Olive” us right down through our souls. He has redefined art as we know it with a new definition and of course a punch line. Come meet Michael Godard at this very special event and enjoy complimentary beverages.

The night is also a fundraiser. Ten percent of proceeds from art sales will benefit Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS!

DEETS: Wisby-Smith Fine Art Gallery, 500 Crescent Court. 6 p.m. For more information, click here.

—  Rich Lopez