Fall Foliage Ride to benefit Rickshaw Pullers supported by AIF

    Date and Time: October 03, 2009, 12 Noon [Rain Date and Time: October 4th, 12 Noon]
    Starting Location: Concord-Carlisle High School
    Approx. Ride Length: 25 miles
    
Bike Route: In and around the town of Concord, MA. Bike Ride Route Map     

The American India Foundation Fall Foliage Bike Ride is a fun, 25-mile 'at-your-own-pace' tour along a fall foliage route in and around Concord, Massachusetts. Four experienced riders will lead the participants on the trail. Rain date for the ride is October 4th, 2009.

The proceeds of this event will go towards the Rickshaw Pullers Program supported by the AIF.
    

Each year millions of migrant workers take to Rickshaw pulling to sustain their families. However, since they lack the financial means to buy it, they have no choice but to rent the rickshaw from a fleet owner. For years they labor, pedalling for upto 14 hours a day, in the hot sun, without ever dreaming of owning the vehicle, and barely making enough to cover the rent of the rickshaw every month. On their own, the rickshaw pullers do not have the ability to get a loan for purchasing the rickshaws. This is where the AIF steps in. AIF works with NGOs, and banks in India to help microfinance the rickshaw pullers. By standing guarantor for their loans, AIF helps the rickshaw pullers to acquire loans to buy their own rickshaws.
Instead of daily rent, the rickshaw pullers now pay daily installments, and in little over a year their rickshaws can be paid off and their future earnings can go into the well-being of their families.

Your contribution of a mere $250 will enable a rickshaw puller to own his own rickshaw and sustain his family. So won't you join us?

Your help of just $250 will go a long way towards helping a rickshaw puller feed his family and put smiles of the faces of his children. Do you want to see more broad smiles? Let us raise $500, $1,000, $1,500…. or more.

To participate, you need to pledge a minimum of $250 (the cost of one rickshaw) or more, bring a tuned bicycle, an ASNI approved helmet, and sign the release form.

The pledged amount may be raised thru sponsorships using the sponsorship forms which can be downloaded here. Participants will be responsible for collecting the promised sponsorships and forwarding them to AIF.

There will be a rest stop approximately mid-way along the bike route. Our rest stop crew will provide drinks, power bars, fun snacks, and encouragement so you have enough energy to make it to the finish.

For those of you who are unable to finish the ride, a van will be available to bring you back to the starting point

Pizza will be served at the end of the ride. This is a non-smoking event.

AIF's mission is to accelerate social and economic change in India. AIF has invested in over 100 Indian Non-governmental Organizations since its inception in 2001. AIF awards grants to education, livelihood, and public health projects in India - with emphasis on elementary education, women's empowerment and maternal and child health, respectively. AIF also administers two programs: Digital Equalizer and Service Corps.

To learn more about AIF, visit [www.aif.org | boston@aif.org]

If you have any questions or need additional information about this event, please contact Pratima Srinivasan at pvsrinivasan@gmail.com or Probhod Sunkara at probhod@rageframeworks.com

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