AIDS Riders Come Home To Newtown

To the Editor,

It’s not every day that you have a man take your hands in his and say, “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My brother died of AIDS, my lover died of AIDS and I have AIDS. The money you raised is keeping me alive. Thank you.”

On Saturday, September 18, while in New York City after participating in the 275 mile bike ride from Boston to new York, a man wearing an official Tanqueray AIDS Ride T-shirt approached me and said those very words. Together 2,700 riders including Katie Lukeris and myself were able to raise approximately $6 million for the support and services of individuals suffering from the HIV virus. Of course we didn’t do this alone. Katie and I would like to thank all of our supporters from the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you Jeff White and The Bee, NYCCAAP, Loree Ogan, our friends at Taunton Press, Drug Center of Newtown, Newtown Hardware, Yankee Discount Liquor, Dr Gellert, Topher Logan and the Community School of the Arts, and last but certainly not least, all our friends at Café Earth in Storrs. Thank you again for all of your help! We couldn’t have done this without you!

Andrea Tarka

Spring Hill Road, Storrs                         October 15, 1999