Early on the morning of July 25, a group of compassionate bicyclists met at Jones Beach and set off on a journey of a lifetime. That day, eleven participants in the Ride to Heal Foundation’s second annual bike trip pedaled nearly 50 miles to Port Jefferson, and five of them then hopped aboard the ferry and continued for another 350 miles – arriving in upstate Lake Placid on July 29. In total, the ambitious group raised nearly $20,000, much of which benefited North Shore-LIJ’s Center for AIDS Research and Treatment (CART) at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). Specifically, this generous donation will support patient transportation as well as educational programs for fellows and physicians.

The Ride to Heal Foundation was established recently by Huntington resident Tom Monks, whose brother, Jim, died of AIDS in 1991.

“Jim spent his last days at NSUH, but CART didn’t exist when he needed the valuable services the center now offers,” said Monks. “I’ve completed this bike ride twice now because I want to support AIDS research and treatment, and because I know it’s something Jim would have been excited to do with me.”