An annual fundraising bike ride from the Twin Cities to Chicago, started in 1996 and run by the for-profit promotion organization, Pallotta Teamworks. The 500 mile ride lasts for 6 days, during which time the riders are provided with food, entertainment and a mobile tent city to sleep at. Also, because Pallotta is in it for the money, they'll also help you train for not only for riding, but more importantly, for fundraising. Here are the specs for the 2002 ride: Pallotta has been criticized for being a for-profit enterprise running a charity event. I'll leave that particular debate alone, but for your consideration, here are some numbers I've culled from their latest financial disclosure brochure:

Year | Riders | Contributions | Expenses   | Pallotta | Net to Charity
-----+--------+---------------+------------+----------+-----------------
1996 | 1,352  | $4,733,000    | $1,929,000 | $360,000 | $2,444,000 (51%)
1997 | 1,640  | $5,200,000    | $2,069,000 | $320,000 | $2,811,000 (54%)
1998 | 1,783  | $5,771,000    | $2,499,000 | $450,000 | $2,822,000 (48%)
1999 | 1,776  | $6,154,000    | $2,537,000 | $330,000 | $3,287,000 (53%)
2000 | 1,471  | $5,008,000    | $2,859,000 | $320,000 | $1,829,000 (36%)
2001 | 1,517  | $5,705,000    | $3,523,000 | $297,000 | $1,885,000 (33%)

This is one of 4 AIDS Rides organized by Pallotta. The other 3 are the California AIDS Ride, the Northeast AIDS Ride and the Washington, D.C. AIDS Ride. For registration information, check out http://www.bethepeople.com/

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.