American Red Cross Volunteer Instructors Cross Finish Line for HIV/AIDS Awareness
Contact: Kelly Alexander, 703-248-4214 or 800-759-8888 (pager PIN: 1202244); or
Barbara Burke, 202-728-6416 or 202-592-5269 (pager); both of the American Red Cross; Web sites: http://www.redcross.org http://www.DisasterRelief.org
WASHINGTON, June 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- After biking more than 3,800 miles in four months, two Red Cross HIV/AIDS instructors complete their journey, crossing a ceremonial finish line, at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Friday, July 2. They have made numerous stops along their awareness and fund-raising campaign, "Ribbons Across America: Spokin' for Kids," educating nearly 4,000 students about HIV/AIDS.
Red Cross certified HIV/AIDS instructors Heather Heineke and Wendy Johnson will bike the last leg of their tour to the Red Cross Square at 430 17th Street, N.W., at 9 a.m. This event will celebrate their accomplishment and focus continued commitment to helping educate the public about this deadly disease.
American Red Cross Acting President Steve Bullock will lead supporters, family and friends, as well as area youth participants from the Red Cross National Capital Chapter Teen Voice program, a peer-to-peer HIV/AIDS prevention course, in congratulating the young women on their accomplishment.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for these ambitious volunteers," Bullock said. "Heather and Wendy must be commended for their commitment to educating young people about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent the disease," continued Bullock.
Their mission since departing from Santa Monica, Calif., on March 1 has been to take their HIV/AIDS prevention message to students and raise funds for pediatric AIDS research. Heineke and Johnson, both age 23, are American Red Cross certified HIV/AIDS instructors with the Central Iowa Chapter. Recent graduates of Drake University, the Des Moines residents left their jobs to embark on their cross-country teaching and fund-raising tour, taking them to 12 cities and 169 classrooms. "We wanted to educate young people about HIV/AIDS and to dispel the fear and stigma associated with the disease," said Johnson.
"This has been the adventure of a lifetime," added Heineke. Visiting students from fifth grade on up, as well as students 16-52 working on their GED at a learning center in Louisiana, has proven to be a remarkable experience, agree Heineke and Johnson.
Heineke and Johnson averaged 76 miles a day during their bicycle trek. They "weathered the storms" literally. While in Texas, they experienced the tremendous rain and winds of the recent tornadoes that touched down there as well as Oklahoma and Kansas. Heineke and Johnson kept a journal of their trip, which can be viewed on their Web site: www.spokinforkids.org.
Along their journey, Heineke and Johnson have raised money that will be contributed to the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS Foundation, the leading national nonprofit foundation dedicated solely to identifying, funding and conducting pediatric AIDS research worldwide. Kate Care, CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS, will also participate in this celebration. The foundation is also working to promote education, awareness and compassion about this disease.
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The American Red Cross is a volunteer-led humanitarian service organization dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. The American Red Cross annually provides almost half the nation's blood supply, trains more than 11.7 million people in vital lifesaving skills, mobilizes relief to victims in more than 60,000 disasters nationwide, provides direct health services to 2.8 million people, assists international disaster and conflict victims in nearly 30 countries, and transmits more than 1.4 million emergency messages to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
-0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ 06/30 09:10
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
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