Fwd: Global Health High School Workshop Training Session
Global Health Initiative (GHI)
Ride for World Health is a national, non-profit organization, dedicated to improving access to quality health care in the poorest countries of the world through education, advocacy, and fundraising. The organization was founded in fall of 2004 by two medical students at The Ohio State University College of Medicine who shared an interest in global health and had concerns about the inequality of access to quality health care and medical resources around the world. Both founders were avid cyclists and the idea was born to create a cross-country cycling trip and “Coast-to-Coast Lecture series” to raise funding and awareness for global health concerns.
The organization completed its first cross-country cycling trip in 2006 and is currently looking forward to the 4th annual ride in 2009. The group, composed of 25 volunteer National Team Riders, gives lectures in venues ranging from small towns to major medical centers all along the 3,700 mile route from San Diego to Washington DC. Over the years, R4WH has shared its global health mission, encapsulated by their motto, “A journey across the nation to meet needs across the world,” with thousands nationwide. Each year, the ride chooses one or more global health organizations as beneficiaries, which receive the proceeds from the ride. To date, R4WH has donated nearly $200,000 to multiple charities including Partners in Health and Doctors without Borders.
The decision to spread their global health mission through a bike ride was a deliberate one. “The goal of Ride for World Health is to promote improved health, both in the United States and overseas,” states Alissa Gilbert, a 27-year old medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and 2009 R4WH National Team Rider. “Obesity and sedentary life-styles are epidemic in the United States and result in many long term health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The riders of Ride for World Health are not professional athletes. We are average every-day men and women. We want people to see us and say to themselves, if they can do this I can get off the couch and get active.”
The 2009 R4WH team is unique in that, for the first time since the Ride’s inception its Leadership team, a group of elected volunteers that plans and participates in the ride, is predominately female. “R4WH is an organization directed by future and current healthcare professionals who are standing up for issues that need immediate attention and action,” states Clare Kelleher, Chief Executive Officer for the 2009 ride. “The fact that our 2009 executive board has a predominate female component serves to further emphasize one of our core values, which is that the face of change has no set mold, but rather takes the form of any passionate individual who is motivated by youthful idealism, bound by realistic goals, and who posses the abilities and skills to successfully execute a program which can educate, advocate, and fundraise to create a better world.”
There will be three opportunities during the 2009 Ride for the public to get on their bikes and show support for R4WH’s mission. R4WH will be holding three “Solidarity Rides” during the 2009 cross-country trek. R4WH Solidarity Rides are single day, public bike riding events. Solidarity ride participants join the R4WH national team riders to bike for a cause, with the overall goals of promoting community interest in global health and involving the community in fundraising efforts to benefit R4WH’s 2009 beneficiaries.
The Solidarity Ride will be held in Columbus, OH on Saturday May 16th and will have 20-mile and 40-mile options available. T-shirts, post race refreshments and prizes for top fundraisers wil be provided to those who participate. Registration for R4WH’s Solidarity Rides can be completed online at www.rideforworldhealth.org/solidarityrides.
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The Global Health Initiative
global...@osu.edu
http://osuglobalhealth.googlepages.com
http://groups.google.com/group/OSUglobalhealth