If you can't read this newsletter, go to http://www.reliefridersinternational.com/letter_July_07.htm

    R E L I E F   R I D E R S   I N T E R N A T I O N A L

 

Recent Press

Join Alumni Rider, Pamela West on her exciting Adventure, as she reflects on the challenges, humor and unforeseen gifts of the Relief Ride in her article "Adventure with a Mission," published as the lead travel feature in The Sunday Washington Post





Interested in the business aspect of our relief work? Check out Judy Martin’s article featured in the March/April issue of Motto Magazine.

 


Relief Riders International
304 Main Street
Suite 3B
Great Barrington, MA
01230
(413)329-5876

 

Give the Gift of Sight

Give a Goat

 

News Room

Recent Press

July 2 , 2007

Dear Friends:

As so many of you know, I began Relief Riders International in tribute to my father’s spirit – to carry on the care and love he bestowed on our immediate family, as well the people he came in contact with. 

It is time to reflect on three year’s of unimaginable experiences - some challenging but all filled with meaning, enthusiasm and magic – because Relief Riders International has time and again reminded me of the source of my inspiration for this work and the unexpected gifts that life has to offer all of us.

So it is with a deep sense of gratitude that I wish to thank all of you for being a part of this. There is no substitute for the care and support that you have time and time again provided for the work that we are achieving. Thank you barely begins to express my gratitude.

3 Years Later
We are happy to celebrate the completion of our third year and the completion of seven successful rides. To date our medical camps and school visits have treated over 14,000 villagers, including 6,300 children.  And our Give the Gift of Sight Campaign continues to treat rural villagers with cataracts – since the program began, we have treated 294 patients. With our Give a Goat program we have distributed 320 goats to below poverty-level families.

2006-2007 Season Review
Each of our three rides this past season brought great challenges and exciting developments – reminding us yet again that even though we become more and more experienced at what we do, each relief ride brings its own surprises. Our October ride – one of our smallest rides - was greeted by 834 villagers at the medical camp in Pachar – one of the largest medical camps we have ever conducted.  Yet the energy and enthusiasm of our six riders more than met the test we faced.

In February, our riders experienced a new level of adventure when Mother Nature honored us with our own demonstration of the emerging climate crisis – a hailstorm, a sandstorm and three days of tempestuous rain. So severe was this epic weather –later reported to have caused widespread damage in 23 Rajasthan districts –that we were forced to alter our itinerary. Look forward to rider Merilleon Wing’s personal account of this journey in our future newsletter.

RRI in the Media
For 2007 and 2008, we’re thrilled to able to offer images of our rides shot by French photographer, Marc Lecureuil.  Marc is a renowned artist with an excellent commercial and artistic resume.  He is currently working on a marketing campaign for PUMA, the sports accessory company.  We met Marc through the India Tourism Board, and were amazed to see his inspired and creative images.  They truly capture the essence and passion of Relief Riders International.  It was a pleasure having him travel with us, and you can experience this feeling through his images.  His contribution to our work is significant.

Please click here for Marc Lecureuil’s slideshow, accompanied by the music of Krishna Das.

We are grateful for the coverage RRI received in the international media this past year.  The publicity has helped us attract new riders and gain additional support for our relief missions.

 

Photo by Marc Lecureuil

Student at school in Kochor, Sikar District, Rajasthan.

 

Photo by Marc Lecureuil

Relief Riders on the move! Departing Lohargal, Rajasthan



Photo by Marc Lecureuil

Men registering at our largest medical camp at Pachar 865 patients were treated in one day!




Photo by Marc Lecureuil

Students waiting to receive educational materials at the School in Kochor.
 

Most recently, in the March/April issue of Motto Magazine, writer Judy Martin features the Business model of Relief Riders International.

We would also like to thank alumni Relief Rider Pamela West for writing an exciting  and humoristic account of her Relief Ride Adventure with a Mission” which was featured as the lead travel story in The Sunday Washington Post this past September.

Thanks to Venkatesh Dhattareyan, Managing Director of The India Tourism Board, Relief Riders International was officially recognized and incorporated into the Incredible India campaign

In December 2006, Relief Riders International was honored to be nominated as a “change agent” among several other companies by The Alliance for a New Humanity.  The organization, which is presided over by Deepak Chopra, exists with the intention to “connect people, who, through personal and social transformation, are committed to creating a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.”  I joined representatives from 38 countries in a meeting in Puerto Rico . The Alliance provides active support for working for change, and a forum in which we can all collectively share and learn from our experiences.

2007-2008 Season Plans
In the 2007-2008 season, RRI will continue to expand our medical programs and refine our business operations. We are also planning to continue to expand our care to screen villagers for additional medical problems.  By incorporating portable ultrasound equipment into our free medical camps, we can begin to offer a Critical Care Surgery Program.  Medical staff – with the assistance of Relief Riders – will be able to screen rural villagers for a host of problems like breast and ovarian cancer for which there is no nearby treatment.  Our new program plans to implement critical ambulance and jeep transportation, lodging and food for those in need of treatment and for family members as well.  With a successful fundraising effort, all expenses regarding treatment, hospital stay, transportation and food & lodging will be paid for by the program.

During the 2006-2007 relief ride season we successfully raised enough money to provide life-changing eye surgery for 294 villagers.  This year, with your support, we hope to successfully raise the $42,000 necessary to offer 600 villagers cataract eye surgery.  With your help will be able to reach our goals.  Please underwrite the costs of an eye surgery for a villager in India .  Please click here for more details on our Give The Gift of Sight program.

For 2007-2008 we’re limiting the number of riders per Relief Ride to 12.  There are still some spaces available on all of our rides.  We are encouraging riders to reserve their spaces soon since the rides fill up quickly.

Please find the dates for our 2007/2008 Ride season below:

2007/2008 Relief Ride Season

RAJASTHAN RELIEF RIDE 2007

Pushkar Relief Ride 7th through the 22nd of October, 2007

RAJASTHAN RELIEF RIDE 2008

Nagaur Relief Ride January 21st through February 5th, 2008

RAJASTHAN RELIEF RIDE 2008

Roopangarh Relief Ride February 23rd through March 9th, 2008

Please click here to view detailed versions of our itineraries.

We’re excited to have you join us in this effort and honored that our alumni riders and network of friends continue support us in ways that allow our mission work to continue and flourish. 

We hope that we will be able to ride with you in India this winter!

 

Sincerely,

Alexander Souri

“Consider yourself miraculous”--Anonymous

 Relief Riders International
 www.reliefridersinternational.com
 304 Main St Suite 3-B
 Great Barrington, MA 01230

 info@reliefridersinternational.com

 

to read the previous newsletter, go to http://www.reliefridersinternational.com/letter_Aug_06.htm