About a dozen Ohio State University medical students spent the night in Houston last Thursday, a little more than half way through a cross-country bicycling trek to raise money and increase awareness in communities across the U.S. with regard to numerous global health issues.
The riders were members of “Ride for World Health” (R4WH), a non-profit organization founded in November 2004 by a small group of medical students with a shared interest in global health issues. They were concerned about the disparity of resources affecting universal access to healthcare and wanted to take a proactive role in creating change. The students decided to combine their love for cycling and global health, and R4WH was subsequently formed.
R4WH riders and their support truck driver seek donated lodging opportunities along their 3,300-mile route, and through reaching out to Houston several weeks ago, they ended up staying overnight in the community safe room at Texas County Memorial Hospital. Upon arrival at about 5:15 p.m., they were met by TCMH CEO Wes Murray.
“We’re more than happy to help you out as you pursue such a worthy cause,” Murray said.
R4WH point man Adam Hinzey, a fourth-year OSU medical student, said funds raised each year are strategically funneled to place where they’ll bring maximum effect. This year, the two organizations targeted are a tuberculosis clinic and a neonatal survival program, both in Haiti.
“Each year we choose two new organizations to donate to,” Hinzey said, “and we usually choose ones where there will be a significant impact. We’re relatively small in the world of non-profits – we usually donate between 50 and $60,000 each year – so if we donate to Red Cross or something like that, there won’t be that kind of impact.
R4WH riders Adam Hinzey, right, and Chris Brooks arrive last week at Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, Mo.
“But when you find a small clinic in Haiti, $30,000 can mean two more years of operating for them, or the chance to expand into a more sustainable infrastructure.”
Hinzey said that in addition to R4WH riders who go the whole way, others join in to ride segments of the trans-American route. Weather is often a factor for the riders, and the stormy conditions that set in over the Ozarks late last week was a good example.
Riding along U.S. 60 between Springfield and Houston, the group paused for a while at Memory Lane Dairy in Fordland to avoid lightning and torrential rain.
“We hung out there for a couple of hours,” Hinzey said. “We more or less had to.”
For more information about Ride 4 World Health, to follow the riders’ progress during their cross-country trek or to donate to their cause, log onto www.r4wh.org.