Some will spend summer biking for a cause

After a hectic year at the University, most students are only too eager to escape the streets of Philadelphia and head to the beach for some rest and relaxation. This is not the case for 120 students from colleges around the country who will slip on their helmets and spandex this summer to embark on a cross-country community service and cycling journey. The students are part of the Bike Aid program which is sponsored by the Overseas Developmental Network, a 10-year-old national student-based organization. "ODN is dedicated to the belief that people can best meet their basic human needs, build stronger communitites and improve global welfare through grass-roots organizing and locally initiated action," said Michael Spiegel, Bike Aid director. This summer, six groups of 20 cyclists will set off from different points around the United States and Canada to converge in Washington, D.C., for a finale and workshop seminar on this year's theme, "AIDS: A World Development Crisis." Cyclists are hosted throughout their journey by community activists in exchange for the cyclists' cooperation in community service projects. Bike Aid participants solicit sponsors before the start of their trip. Student aim to raise at least $3,600 each, although many students exceed this amount. The money raised goes towards funding for community projects in over 14 different countries. This year Bike Aid participants will educate citizens throughout the heart of America about AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. These citizens are from small communities often excluded from traditional educational and resource methods, said Stephano Dezeraga, a 1989 Bike Aid alumnus and volunteer at the organization's San Francisco office. "A lot of the educational work goes on on an informal basis," said Dezeraga. "For me it was a total education," he added. "I went out thinking I would be teaching a lot of people but I ended up learning more than I taught." The trip can be depressing at times when the cyclists see extreme poverty first-hand, said Clark Miller a 1989 Bike Aid participant and Brown University sophomore. "As we would pass through these communities we tried to spread hope by showing people that things can improve little by little," Miller said.