Published by news-press.com on March 23, 2005
A small group of bicyclists pedaling 500 miles to raise
money for an HIV/AIDS awareness organization are scheduled to make a stop
Thursday in Fort Myers.
The five-day jaunt will benefit Lakeland-based Friends-Together Inc., which
provides statewide services such as education programs, camps that stress
empowerment and mentoring.
The 500-mile ride began Monday at the Old Capitol in Tallahassee and is
scheduled to end Friday with a reception at Gulf Coast High School in Naples.
One of those making the trek is 13-year-old Garrett
Robinson, son of AIDS patient Cathy Robinson-Pickett, 39, a co-founder of
Friends-Together. A former Fort Myers resident, Robinson-Pickett said she was
infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS when she was raped in 1984.
Her son and other riders have collected sponsors who donated to Friends Together
Inc. The goal is to raise $50,000.
"It's a big undertaking for a 13-year-old," she said. "At
13, I was not thinking about a 500-mile bike ride. I'm very proud of him."
Tom Croce, a teacher at Gulf Coast, has spearheaded the annual bike fund-raiser,
now in its fourth year. Croce is not infected but knows people who are. Riders
buy their own food and lodging so all the money raised benefits the nonprofit
organization, he said.
The riders are expected to travel through Arcadia and Punta Gorda on U.S. 17
Thursday before heading south on U.S. 41 to Business 41, ending the day at the
Ramada Inn in downtown Fort Myers. Lee County sheriff's deputies are scheduled
to escort the riders.
On Friday, the final 100-mile stretch will take them to
Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs and finally Collier County.
The Fort Myers City Council and Lee County Commission issued proclamations for
AIDS Awareness Week, which also recognized Fort Myers resident Axel Javier's
1,700-mile walk to Chicago to meet Oprah Winfrey and promote AIDS awareness.
• For information about making a donation to this cause, visit www.friendstogether.org or call (863) 559-8667.