Compassion Shows Support for Cycling Event to Benefit AIDS

More than a dozen employees will ride in Pikes Peak Classic Aug. 12th.

Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) Aug. 7, 2007 -- More than a dozen employees of Compassion International, including the head of the organization's AIDS Initiative (https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/childvictimsofhiv.htm), will ride in the Pikes Peak Classic on Aug. 12.

All proceeds from the bike ride will benefit the Southern Colorado AIDS Project. The project provides food, clothing, medical attention and counseling to local residents infected and affected by the disease.

Compassion participants in the ride will include Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer David Dahin, Senior Vice President Mark Yeadon and AIDS Initiative Director Dr. Scott Todd. Compassion's AIDS Initiative focuses on prevention, rehabilitation and treatment, including anti-retroviral drug therapy, for Compassion-assisted children and their families in six African countries.

"We are riding in memory of over 500,000 children who died last year from AIDS," said Scott Todd. "When people are hurting we at Compassion want to reflect the love and grace of God and help them become well whether they live in our community or across the ocean. This event is one way we are showing our support and concern for people living with HIV here in Colorado. We hope it will motivate people to take action because this disease can be defeated if people face it head on. You just need to discover what you can do about it."

The Pikes Peak Classic, Colorado Springs' first organized bike ride of 100 miles, also includes 35- and 65-mile segments. It will start and finish at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. For more information, visit www.pikespeakclassic.com.

Compassion International (http://www.compassion.com) is one of the world's largest Christian child development organizations, working with more than 65 denominations and more than 4,000 indigenous church partners in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Since 1952, Compassion has touched the lives of more than 1.6 million children and has been recognized for its financial integrity with top ratings and recommendations by several of the nation's leading not-for-profit "watchdog" organizations.

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