SOUNDS LIKE ART AND MOTION

Nationally-renowned musicians lend their support to Dallas concert, art exhibit & Tour stop of a 3,172 mi. bicycle tour for clean water and HIV/AIDS relief in Africa

Posted July 8, 2009

To finish this ride, they’ll need all their strength. Another day, another flat tire. They’re praying for cool weather and few equipment mishaps, because they’re running on guts and empathy now, and turning back is not an option.

The ’09 Ride:Well Tour (R:WT) is a team of 18 cross-country bicyclists riding 3,172 miles to raise money and awareness for Blood:Water Mission’s quest to empower communities to work together against the AIDS and water crises in Africa. They left Long Beach, Calif., on July 14, and to arrive in Baltimore on Aug. 6, they’re riding 80-120 miles a day. They stay in churches and homes along the way.

On July 10, they will stop in Red Oak, TX, for a one night benefit concert. The benefit offers fans a chance to meet the R:WT Team, bid on art donated from the community and enjoy live music from Derek Webb, Christopher Williams, Joy Williams, Bethany Dillon and special guest Dan Haseltine, lead singer of the Grammy-winning band Jars of Clay.

THE MISSION Haseltine and his band founded Blood:Water Mission after an eye-opening trip to Africa. They witnessed the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS and saw communities struggling for lack of the most basic necessities, so they decided to act. Five years later, Blood:Water has provided more than 617 wells for African communities, saying that “$1 provides one year of water for an African.”

Blood:Water is combating AIDS not only through clean water and sanitation projects, but also by directly funding health clinics, late-stage AIDS hospices, community health workers, and support groups, which help in the prevention, treatment, care and support of communities affected by AIDS.

THE RIDE Just as one well can transform a community, eight weeks on a bicycle changes a person. This grueling lifestyle brings most of the pain of a race like the Tour de France, with none of the pomp. They ride not for glory but for people who deserve access to clean water and relief from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Waxahachie resident Brady Miles is riding this year. “From the first time we met in California, I knew we had a phenomenal group of riders,” writes Miles on RideWellTour.org. “It’s awesome to have a team where you can be totally spent physically and in so much pain and still know you have some more hills to climb, but somehow some way we end up laughing, smiling, making jokes, and find words of encouragement to share and push each other.”

If one thing is true, riding for R:WT requires a bit of old-fashioned courage. Riders must be fit enough to endure an all-weather trek through demanding terrain in desert, mountain and urban landscapes. Riding long hours on paved roads can take a real toll on the human body. As well, riders must raise $3895 to finance their trip, with an additional $1000 given directly to B:WM. Joining R:WT involves a thorough vetting process, fundraising, training and planning. The team includes riders from across the United States.

BACKGROUND Last year’s Ride:Well Tour raised $201,000 for Blood:Water Mission and captured the imagination of Americans from Santa Monica to Washington, D.C. With a new complement of riders and a slightly different route, in its second year the R:WT enjoys still feeling like the new kid on the block in towns, cities and gas stations across America. It’s more fun that way. For daily updates from the road, visit http://www.ridewelltour.org or follow @RideWellTour.

Minneapolis-based Venture Expeditions organizes and operates the Ride:Well Tour. Beginning in 2002 with a cross-country bicycle trek completed by three college students who wanted to do something amazing to help others, Venture has since cycled, canoed and hiked more than 17,000 miles, to raise more than a half million dollars for the common good.

Media contacts:

OFFICE

Aaron Smith: Ride:Well Tour Organizer

asmith@ventureonline.org

952.886.7688

ROAD

Drew Nelson: Ride:Well Tour Leader

dnelson@ventureonline.org

612.735.9898

EVENT

Christina Kee: Dallas-area Event Contact

ckee@theoaksonline.org

480.726.0399

IN FACE OF STAGGERING NEEDS CROSS-COUNTRY BICYCLE TOUR ASPIRES TO "RIDE WELL" Posted May 20th, 2009

As economic woes threaten recession-weary Americans to cut back on giving to nonprofits and charities, the Ride:Well Tour is showing people from Santa Monica to Baltimore how pocket change can provide simple help for HIV/AIDS-ravaged regions of sub-Saharan Africa. One dollar provides clean water for one African for an entire year.

“Last year’s tour really opened our eyes. There’s always someone who has it worse than us,” says Ride:Well Tour Director Aaron Smith, who raised $17,000 for a church in Argentina as a college student in 2002 on his first cross-country tour. “We’ve found that when we give, we are healed of the ‘me’ mentality. We had residents at a homeless shelter raise $2000 for us last year. People seem to open up to this cause, no matter what they have or don’t have.”

Nashville-based Blood:Water Mission and Minneapolis humanitarian travel organizers Venture Expeditions are partnering for the 2009 Ride:Well Tour, a ten state, 3172-mile bicycle trek with goals to raise awareness and funds for clean water and community development in the parched African desert.

Clean water is the first step in providing reliable medical care needed to mitigate the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Wells provide a vital “foothold” for empowering African communities to begin latrine and clinic development.

Ride:Well is building on the success of last year’s tour, a cooperative grassroots effort that raised for cause Blood:Water Mission the sum of $201,000, including $80,000 from a benefit concert in Tyler, TX. The tour was also aided by the presence of bestselling author Donald Miller, the author of Through Painted Deserts and Blue Like Jazz.

The ’09 Team is comprised of eighteen young riders who will convene in Santa Monica to begin the two month ride. Along the way, they’ll participate in community benefit concerts and other Blood:Water Mission fundraising events.

“It all starts with a well,” says Smith. “We want to give options to people who have none.”

To read rider blogs, see pictures from the ride and network with humanitarians across the country, visit the Ride:Well homepage at http://www.ridewelltour.org.

Blood:Water Mission (www.bloodwatermission.org), founded by Christian rockers Jars of Clay, has worked since 2004 to empower African communities with sustainable clean water and clean blood initiatives.

Venture Expeditions (www.ventureexpeditions.org) is a nonprofit based in Minneapolis, Minn, whose focus is on providing service and monetary assistance to faith-based organizations that help orphans and the diseased, along with victims of injustice and disaster.

BLOOD:WATER MISSION'S 'RIDE:WELL' BIKE TOUR CYCLING ACROSS AMERICA: NASHVILLE CITY RIDE JULY 12TH
Posted July 7th, 2008

Blood:Water Mission's 'Ride:Well Tour' biking from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC to raise money and awareness for the '1000 Wells Project.'

The 17 member team began their trip on June 10th traveling a southern route across the United States, finishing in Washington D.C. on the 26th of July. Cyclists are speaking at churches, schools, and other community forums along the way to raise funds and awareness for the clean water crisis in sub-Sahara Africa. Included among the riders participating in the cross-country trek are New York Times bestselling author of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, and a Kenyan university student representing the communities in Africa.

Anticipating the experience Miller says, "The only thing better than riding across America is doing it for the 1000 Wells Project. When in Uganda last month, I couldn't help but notice the connection between bikes and water. Many Africans load up their bicycles with large, 5-gallon containers of water and then haul them back to their houses. I saw as many as five containers being hauled by one small boy. Riding across America to raise money for new wells will be nothing compared to the daily hardships many Africans encounter. I love that this ride will be directly connected to providing clean, and closer, water for thousands of Africans."

The cross-country team will join local cyclists in Nashville on July 12th for a city ride promoted by Team Green to provide a more accessible opportunity for Blood:Water Mission advocates to raise funds and awareness for the 1000 Wells Project based on the simple equation that "$1 provides clean water for 1 African person for 1 year." The ride will be followed by a Lightning 100 live broadcast benefit concert on Sunday July 13th at 3rd and Lindsley at 8pm with performances by Sixpence None The Richer and Matthew Perryman Jones. Registration for the Nashville ride is available online at www.ridewelltour.com or on site at Rocketown on Saturday July 12th from 8-9am. The ride begins at 9am from Rocketown and travels through the beautiful Shelby Bottoms Greenway to Percy Priest Dam.

The Ride:Well Tour is a joint effort between Nashville-based Blood:Water Mission and Minneapolis-based Venture Expeditions. Blood:Water Mission is a non-profit organization founded by the members of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, to address the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa. The bike tour exists to promote awareness of social justice in America while generating funds for clean water projects in Africa. The tour will be accepting donations as well as registration for the city ride on their website www.ridewelltour.com .

BLOOD:WATER MISSION’S ‘RIDE:WELL’ BIKE TOUR SET TO CYCLE ACROSS AMERICA
Posted February 28th, 2008

Blood:Water Mission’s ‘Ride:Well Tour’ will bike from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC to raise money and awareness for the ‘1000 Wells Project.’

The 20 member team will begin their trip on June 4th traveling a southern route across the United States, finishing in Washington D.C. on the 28th of July. Riders will be speaking at churches, schools, and other community forums along the way. Included among the riders participating in the cross-country trip are New York Times bestselling author of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, and two Kenyan university students representing their communities.

Anticipating the experience Miller says, “The only thing better than riding across America is doing it for the 1000 Wells Project. When in Uganda last month, I couldn't help but notice the connection between bikes and water. Many Africans load up their bicycles with large, 5-gallon containers of water and then haul them back to their houses. I saw as many as five containers being hauled by one small boy. Riding across America to raise money for new wells will be nothing compared to the daily hardships many African's encounter. I love that this ride will be directly connected to providing clean, and closer, water for thousands of Africans.”

The cross-country team will stop to join local riders in select cities to provide a more accessible opportunity for Blood:Water Mission advocates to raise funds and awareness for the 1000 Wells Project based on the simple equation that “$1 provides clean water for 1 African person for 1 year.” The rides will be followed by a celebration concert in each city. Registration for the local rides opens April 18th and the rides will take place in the following cities:

o Dallas, TX (June 28, 2008)
o Nashville, TN (July 12, 2008)
o Washington D.C. (July 26, 2008)

The Ride:Well Tour is a joint effort between Nashville-based Blood:Water Mission and Minneapolis-based Venture Expeditions. Blood:Water Mission is a non-profit organization founded by the members of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, to address the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa. The tour exists to promote awareness of social justice in America while generating funds for clean water projects in Africa. The tour will be accepting donations as well as registrations for the city rides on their website www.ridewelltour.com.

The Popular Author of Blue Like Jazz Joins The Ride:Well Tour, Bicycling from Los Angeles, CA to Washington D.C: Proceeds To Build Wells In Africa through Jars of Clay's Blood:Water Mission.
Posted February 28th, 2008

Donald Miller has joined with Blood:Water Mission and Venture Expeditions in their plans to build 1000 Wells in Africa. This summer, Don will join riders on the Ride:Well Tour, cycling from Los Angeles, CA to Washington D.C. to generate funds and raise awareness for Blood:Water Mission's 1000 Wells Project.

The riders will begin their trip on June 4th traveling a southern route across the United States, finishing in Washington D.C. on the 28th of July. They will be speaking at churches and schools along the way, as well as participating in city rides in Dallas, Nashville, and Washington D.C.

The Ride:Well Tour is a joint effort between Nashville based Blood:Water Mission and Minneapolis based non-profit Venture Expeditions. The tour exists to promote awareness of social justice in North America while generating funds for water projects in Africa.