Join the Crew

 

av200_volunteers

The AIDS Vaccine 200 (AV200) is much more than just a bike ride or cycling event.  In addition to the cyclists who train, fundraise, and psych themselves up to ride two centuries within two days, there are dozens of friends, family members, and supporters who enable the riders to accomplish their goals. People of diverse talents and backgrounds can find a place within the bounds of operating this amazing cycling fundraising event. 

We know that some folks really want to volunteer but only a have a few hours to spare.  We understand and appreciate you: There are numerous opportunities that will allow you to help and tend to your other responsibilities.  However, for those who are able to make a weekend of it, we invite you to stay the night at Camp Rock Eagle.  In addition to the camaraderie and many comforts of home, your accommodations will also include dinner and breakfast at no cost to you.  You will be presented with the chance to choose between the two types  of volunteers on the registration page. With both types of volunteers fundraising is encouraged, but not required.

 

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

(Read “MOST IMPORTANT” at the bottom of the page before registering.)

 

The following are subcommittees that are in need of your talents:

  • WAYFINDING – The riders rely on the efforts of the wayfinding subcommittee to place arrows, signs, and pavement markings all along the route – in both directions! You need a vehicle (preferably an SUV or a pickup truck) with space for signs and stands for 2 or 3 sections of the route. If we get enough teams, we can have the whole route signed/marked in about 5 hours.
  • SAG (Support and Gear) – The safety of the cyclists is squarely in the hands of this team of mobile stormtroopers. You need a vehicle with a bike rack (or pickup truck).   You will be responsible for patrolling the route to make sure the riders are OK.  Additionally, you will be picking up broken down cyclists, calling for the medical team, in the case of an injury, and reporting back to the ride directors about any dangerous situations that may arise. (See MOST IMPORTANT.)
  • DISTRIBUTION – All the tables, chairs, food, ice, water, and supplies has to be delivered to the pit stops —on time and in good condition.  In a rental truck, two or three volunteers leave early in the morning to drop off supplies to each of the pit stops.  Then, in a second truck, two or three more volunteers drive behind the last rider to gather all the supplies from the pit stops.
  • ROCK EAGLE TEAM – This subcommittee may be the heart of the logistics committee.  They are responsible for delivering the cyclists’ luggage via rental truck to Rock Eagle and then placing it in each rider’s assigned cabin.  Additionally, they bring all supplies needed to prepare the facility for bicycle storage and, most importantly, the arrival of the riders on Saturday afternoon/evening.  This team helps cheer on the cyclists upon the completion of their Day 1 Century.
  • LOADING DOCK AND STAGING – We begin prepping for the AV200 approximately one week before the bicycle ride. The staging of all of the food and supplies takes place at Emory West Campus (the old psych hospital). The work only takes a couple of hours on Thursday night and much of the day on Friday.  However, volunteers are desperately needed on this subcommittee as the work that they do is critical to the AV200 running smoothly.

    Members of L5Flyers Cycling Team provide moral and mechanical support at the Rutledge Pit Stop

    Members of L5Flyers Cycling Team provide mechanical support at the Rutledge Pit Stop.

  • PIT STOPS – Along with the SAG drivers, the Pit Stop crews are an equally important part of the direct care staff. The pit stops are the rest stops along the 100 mile route. Riders will use the restroom, eat, drink, and complete a bicycle check before heading out on the  next leg of the route.  On average, cyclists spend approximately 10 minutes at each stop.  These teams are normally community groups or company-sponsored teams of around 10-15 people. Teams arrive at their designated pit stop at least 45 minutes ahead of opening time and will need to pack up and clean their site before leaving. The Rider Tracking team will let you know when you can close up for the day.
  • RIDER TRACKING – Using a mobile app, this team will check in all of the riders as they arrive at the 7 pit stops. This not only enables operations to know that no rider is lost or potentially hurt, but also enables the upstream pit stop to know who they should be expecting or not expecting.
  • MASS UP – On Sunday, all of the riders arrive at the 7th Pit Stop and are held there until the “Grand Ride” back to Emory. The Mass Up team keeps all bikes secure and tries to entertain the cyclists over a span of 3-4 hours. The police-led parade leaves promptly at 4:30pm, and then the team breaks down and cleans the site.
  • SPONSOR SUPPORT – While all of the above teams are working to operate the ride, the Sponsor Support team takes photos of the ride and tries to capture images that the AV200 can use as thank-you mementos or social media material for sponsors to use to promote their support of the AV200. In addition, this team helps make sure that sponsor signage is in place and maintained along the route and at the pit stops.
  • MEDICAL TEAM –  Finally, but hardly an afterthought, the Medical Team is responsible for treating acute health issues that arise among cyclists and volunteers all along the route and for both days of this cycling event. Ideally, this team would be staffed by medical professionals, e.g. nurses, doctors, PAs, or physical therapists. EMT’s are also excellent team members. This group can be broken up into many configurations, and your shift can be tailored to your hospital schedule if necessary.

MOST IMPORTANT: Riders pay a registration fee which covers their lodging and meals at Rock Eagle. Volunteers who are working all weekend or have to stay at Rock Eagle as part of their work do not have to pay for lodging or meals. If you are one of these types of volunteers, please enter discount code “2016Crew” when the system prompts you to enter payment information. This will bring your total to zero ($0.00), and you will be able complete the registration.

Click on the link below to register as a Join the Crew. As cyclists and volunteers both use the same system to register, some of the questions may not apply to you.

 

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

 

Within one or two days after registration, the Ride Directors will send you a welcome letter via email which will include a link to Survey Monkey. Follow the link and answer the questions. Doing so will allow the Logistics Committee to learn which subcommittee interests you and to gather additional information which will help with scheduling. If you have questions about volunteering for the above subcommittees, please send an email to logistics@actioncycling.org.

Thanks for your interest in volunteering for the AV200!