Thousands of people converged on Yonge-Dundas Square recently and raised more than $285,000 to help eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa, including a team of cyclists from the Bloor West Village and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Carol Devine led a 14-member team of spinners - not wool or records, she joked - on stationary bikes for women living with the disease in Malawi. The all-women team of west-enders took part in the 12-hour spin-a-thon, the Race for Dignity, a fundraising initiative created by Dignitas International - a medical humanitarian organization. The event served to show support and solidarity while raising money for people infected with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa where the pandemic has hit hardest.
In the Zomba district of Malawi, where Dignitas works, an estimated 15 per cent of people are living with HIV. The average life expectancy is 36.
"This is such an uphill battle, but in the face of it we can't do nothing," said Devine. "We can be a part of the solution."
"The Race for Dignity Challenge was a huge success - the energy and enthusiasm of everyone involved was incredibly inspiring," said Dignitas Co-Founder and Executive Director James Fraser in a statement. "This event provided an opportunity for Canadians to have a direct impact on the lives of people affected by AIDS in Africa."
Dignitas' efforts have been rewarded. As of April of this year, more than 3,000 children and adults have been administered life-prolonging anti-retroviral medicines while hundreds of healthcare providers and home-based volunteers have been trained to deliver these medicines.
Devine, 39, is vice-president of Dignitas. Her resume boasts Antarctic expedition leader, human rights and AIDS treatment activist and campaigner for access to medicines. She has worked in Peru, Sudan and Rwanda as well as in Thailand and East Timor.
Presented this year by BMO Financial Group, the Race for Dignity Challenge has established itself as a growing grassroots event with support from corporate sponsors, private funders, public officials, celebrities, students, activists, artists, medical professionals and others.