Date: Fri 13-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

AIDS-bike-ride-Mittleman

Full Text:

with photos : On A Roll: Boston/NEw York AIDS Ride Passes Through Newtown

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

If you slept in or just stayed inside due to the inclement weather last

Saturday morning, you missed an inspiring sight, as an army of bicyclists

passed through town on their way to the Big Apple as part of the Boston/New

York AIDS Ride 2.

The 325-mile trip is grueling enough in a car, let alone on a bicycle.

However, this group of bicyclists was a determined bunch, not only to finish

the trip but to do their part in the fight against AIDS.

The more than 4,000 people spent about an hour pedaling along the slick

streets of Newtown on their way to New York City. After passing through the

back roads of Woodbury and Southbury, the bicyclists streamed across the

Silver Bridge into Newtown between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm Saturday. After making

their way up Glen Road, the bicyclists traveled through the center of Sandy

Hook, down Route 34 passed Newtown High School; took a right at the light onto

Mile Hill Road, and made their way through Fairfield Hills Hospital, stopping

at a pit stop complete with portable bathrooms, and food and water in the

parking lot of the Danbury Hall.

From there, the bicyclists continued along Mile Hill Road, taking a right onto

Route 25 (along The Ram Pasture), before turning left onto Route 302. The

journey eventually made its way into Bethel, Redding and Ridgefield, before

crossing over into New York State.

The bike trek turned out to be the largest single-event fundraiser in the

country, raising $6.7 million to be used for free medical care and counseling.

"The overall experience was incredible," explained Newtown resident Kelly

Mittleman Monday. "It was very hot the first two days, it rained on the third

day and on the fourth day, we were dodging buses and taxis in New York City."

Kelly and her husband, Craig, who live on Huntingtown Road, joined the rest of

the bicyclists in Boston Thursday, September 5, and finished 300-plus miles

later in New York City.

In between, they faced aggressive drivers oblivious to the bikes sharing the

road, steady rain and wet roads, and their own unbelievable story of how Craig

rushed to the aid of a young girl, quite possibly saving her life (See story

on page 1).

"It was a very powerful event," Dr Mittleman said.

In a way, as one observer noted, the bicycle trip was a sort of pilgrimage

with a very serious cause. Adults of all ages and different shapes and sizes,

came together for the cause. For some of them, it was a life or death cause.

"For this weekend, we're like a family coming together to help those suffering

from AIDS," explained safety crew motorcyclist Jim Christopher, one of 670

volunteers who joined the effort, doing whatever they could to ensure the

safety and comfort of the bikers.

However, when you've got that many people riding bikes along busy roads over a

distance like they covered, you're going to have problems. Several riders

reportedly suffered hypothermia in Saturday's rain and many others sustained

various injuries in accidents.

At camp, Kelly said she had difficulty sleeping because their gear was wet,

and with the tents set up back-to-back, snoring and talking rang out like a

chorus. Nevertheless, she and her husband awoke each morning determined to

pedal their way into New York City.

Only a few hundred Newtown residents made it out to see the bicyclists, but

the ones who did got to see quite an exhibition, from the guy dressed up the

chicken suit and the group of riders with Ken dolls on attached to their

helmets to the man dressed up like Jackie Onassis, complete with pink dress,

peach hat and sunglasses; the ride had its share of characters, indeed. They

also witnessed a very positive, happy group of people who didn't let a little

weekend rain get in the way of their biking plans.

"Everyone that's passed us this morning has had a smile on their face and

almost all of the riders wave as they go by," noted Chris DeAngelis of Phyliss

Lane, who joined his wife, Laurie, and daughter, Julie, on the traffic island

on Route 302 (near George's Pizza) to greet an old friend and cheer on the

other riders.

Flat tires were common, but riders seemed to take the minor setbacks in

stride.

They asked a lot of questions as they passed the handful who came out in

support.

"Where exactly is Newtown in comparison to the rest of the state?," inquired

one rider.

"What's this river we're going over?," asked another about the Housatonic.

"When is this rain going to stop," another asked.

"Are we there yet?," another voice shouted out.

As the bicyclists entered NYC, they were greeted by Mayor Rudolph Guiliani,

actor James Earl Jones and a violent thunder storm.

The riders traveled 100 miles down through Massachusetts the first day before

camping at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. They then traveled 85

miles to the Black Rock State Park in Thomaston on Friday and slept in

Yorktown Heights in New York on Saturday.

More than 300,000 Americans have died from AIDS in the past 15 years and more

than 750,000 more are HIV-positive.

The first AIDS ride was launched May 1, 1994 when 478 bicyclists left San

Francisco for a 525-mile, seven day journey to Los Angeles. Other rides this

year will be held in Florida, California, and from Philadelphia to Washington

D.C. and Minneapolis to Chicago, with a total goal of $30 million.