'Harbor to the Bay' Makes It Eleven

On September 21, upwards of 300 riders will pedal from Boston to the bay and back to raise funds for people living with HIV. Now in its eleventh year, the Annual Harbor to the Bay Ride (H2B) has raised more than $3M since its founding in 2003. This year's event honors the late Michael Tye, who inspired the ride before losing his terminal battle against Multiple Myeloma Cancer.

The core group of what would become the H2B Ride were initially involved in the Boston to New York Pallotta AIDS Ride, which despite large grosses, only returned 35-50 percent to its beneficiary ASOs due to heavy administrative costs.

"One year, Michael Tye said 'We should just do a one-day ride from Boston to P-town, have a big party on the Cape that weekend, and make sure that 100 percent of what we raise goes back to the beneficiaries,'" said H2B President Jim Morgrage, a native New Englander who helped found the ride. "That was the birth of Harbor to the Bay. Sadly, Michael died before the first ride was ever done, and never got to experience it."

That first year, Morgrage said that there were only 75 riders and 125 crew members, for a ratio of almost two crew per rider. They set out to do the ride, raised over $100,000, and gave back more than 100 percent of profits to ASOs.

"Eleven years later and $3.2 million dollars earned, and we have held the same model for this whole time," said Morgrage.

Cyclist Mark Johnston has been participating in the ride since the Pallotta TeamWorks days. He has been riding with Fenway since 1995, making this year his 19th ride.

"I started riding simply out of my love of cycling. But over the years, the ride had become the one thing I do during the year when I know I am doing the right thing in the right place, with no doubts that this is where I should be," said Johnston.

For this year's ride, there are currently 290 registered riders and 142 crew members, looking to reach a goal of $500,000. As of press time, they had reached nearly $226,000, with Team Fenway in the lead at $34,000. Per Tye's idea, 100 percent of rider pledges go to the ASOs Fenway Health Center, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Community Research Initiative and AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts.

This has been the case since the first ride in 2003, when Tye and a handful of Club Caf� staff and friends launched the 126-mile, one day AIDS ride. At that time, Morgrage had been working as a case manager at a small AIDS organization in New Hampshire.

"It was the height of the epidemic, and I had very few resources in that neck of the woods," said Morgrage. "I was constantly bombarding Fenway to get people tested, to see infectious diseases docs, to get on medications and in drug trials, and they were so amazing about taking every single case I brought to them, no matter where they were from or their ability to pay."

So when it came time to repay the favor, Morgrage did so in spades, saying, "these organizations are doing great work on the frontlines, and working tirelessly to provide services. Unfortunately in today's economy, they have seen dramatic cuts in their funding. This is a way to bridge the services, and to let PLWHAs know we haven't forgotten about them. We can't rest until there is not one single person infected by HIV."

Riders have three options regarding routes. They can trek from Boston to Provincetown, from Boston to Sagamore, or from Sagamore to Provincetown. Half rides are also available.

For Johnston, the best part is when the cyclists gather in Boston to kick off the ride at Trinity Church in Copley Square.

"Seeing the gay and lesbian fellowship at Trinity volunteer, seeing the staff of Trinity reluctantly get up early the first time they support the ride, and then afterward look forward to the next year because of the meaning they find in the event, seeing my fellow parishioners feed the hungry and heal the sick -- this breakfast is for me the highlight of the event," he said. "The chance to be of service to the H2B Ride is a gift the ride gives to Trinity."

The event raises both funds and awareness around HIV, working to improve community awareness of HIV/AIDS care and services, and to support those organizations that advance the quality and accessibility of HIV care.

To that end, the Boston community has been publicizing the event through mixers and trivia nights at Club Caf�; the next event will be Harbor to the Bingo on Sept. 9 from 7:30-11:30 p.m. at Club Caf�. All proceeds will be divided evenly between table captains who are participating in the ride; captains are asked to bring friends willing to donate $10 to the cause. Upcoming events include the closing ceremony dinner and Sunday morning brunch.

"These events pull in people from different sections of the community and gets them involved in a way they feel comfortable, while raising awareness and some badly-needed funds for the ride," said Morgrage. "Whether it's a cabaret night with people who perform and like drag, or trivia or sports teams getting together and raising money, it hits different populations of the community and helps spread the word."

Although Morgrage has firmly cast his gaze on the future of this ride, he is too humble to forget its origins. He gives credit to co-founders Michael, Mike and Frank, and notes that Tye's family is still very much involved with the H2B Ride.

"His brother and sister ride every single year, and provide fellowships for Positive Pedalers, who might not have resources to do the ride otherwise," he said. "They have given a great amount of financial support and have done so every year for 11 years, in honor of their brother."

"Michael Tye was my brother; he was a businessman, humanitarian, bicyclist, runner, friend, son and above all a very concerned citizen," said Mark Tye. "Since its inaugural ride in 2003, the H2B ride has raised well over $3 million dollars. But the ride is still only the beginning; the real finish line is Michael's and all of humanities' hopeful vision: a world without HIV/AIDS."