AIDS Ride 2001 Kickoff Party Friday, March 2nd, 2001

On Friday, March 2nd, Team Oz 2001 met to welcome members and new potential members to the Land of Oz! A gracious gala event was hosted by Joanne and Chuck Parsons in their Minneapolis home. The theme was green, as you will readily notice from the attire of our team leaders, Kay Sailer and Father Jim Cassidy! Our hostess, Joanne has an extensive collection of Irish St. Patrick's Day antiques that she has acquired over the years. The atmosphere made for much fun, especially for those influenced by the likes of wee Irish men and shamrocks!

Good food was enjoyed, supper for many, since it was the first Friday in Lent. Greek vegetarian pizza, wonderful fruit plates, veggie dishes, and great desserts were there to be enjoyed. Good company was also easily found. The evening was quite relaxed with only minimal structure given to a period when the crew and riders parted to hear specifics on their AIDS ride roles.

Old friends from previous rides exchanged stories and greetings with newcomers, and those new asked questions and hopefully were encouraged by what they heard. Magic, once again filled the air, was it the wee little men or the promise of Oz? Who knows, we are once again off on a new and different route, to the same magical place where money collected fills the needs for folks who need help in the here and now.

Need a wee bit of magic in your life? Join us, this journey is possible for all, but reserved for those who dare to make a difference. Grace House stands and is better for these efforts.

View Daily Reports from last year's Team Oz AIDS Ride to whet your appetite for joining us this year.

Edie Kalweit has been a St. Joan of Arcer for 23 years now. She was a first time AIDS rider with Team Oz last summer.