COLUMBUS, Ohio (November 1, 2009) — While many medical students and health care professionals spend time behind closed doors promoting world health, a select group of these students and professionals, along with community representatives, will be participating in a bike ride across the nation.  This group of 25 bicyclists will embark on a journey called Ride for World Health to help raise awareness of the various issues of health care that greatly affect the world—healthcare access, poverty and disease, infectious diseases, and women’s and children’s health.  Along with health awareness, Ride for World Health will also raise funds for their yearly beneficiaries, World Bicycle Relief and HEAL Africa.  The cross-country ride will begin March 30, 2010 in San Diego and will end May 25, 2010 in Washington D.C.

Ride for World Health believes education and empowerment of the public is a critical step toward improvement in global and domestic health.  During the ride, “Global Health Days” are organized in select U.S. cities with scheduled “Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series” that help to educate various audiences about the current state of global health.

“The mission of R4WH is to address global health disparities by focusing on education, advocacy, and fundraising which are addressed by utilizing a national cycling event as a vehicle for change,” said R4WH Co-Founder Andrew Wagner.  “Each year, 
our Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series initiates meaningful dialogue throughout communities along our 3,300 mile journey.  Through our efforts, we raise significant funds to support a non-profit organization with goals consistent with our vision, and empower our audience to become informed and active global citizens.”

Last year’s R4WH team delivered nearly 50 lectures to audiences around the country and were able to donate $80,000 to their 2009 beneficiaries, Esperanca and Village Health Works through solidarity rides and fundraising events.  Ride for World health actively seeks sponsors that share their commitment of health awareness and while each rider is responsible for most of the personal costs of the ride, donations can be made to an individual rider or the organization.

Ride for World Health is a national nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004 by a small group of Ohio State University medical students as a reaction to the state of domestic and global healthcare.  For more information about the ride and how to donate please visit www.rideforworldhealth.org.