Meet Your Neighbor

John and Demi Rolfes

July 31, 2007

Bike enthusiasts
Participating in AIDS Network Cycles Together ride, Aug. 2-5

John and Demi Rolfes know the meaning of dedication. In order to prepare for the long-range bike tours they participate in each year, the Sun Prairie couple must log hundreds of training miles and adhere to a rigorous physical fitness regimen.

While pedaling over some of the region's most beautiful landscape is a true benefit of their commitment, an even greater sense of satisfaction for the couple comes from helping charitable causes.

From Thursday through Sunday, for the fifth consecutive year, John and Demi will participate in the AIDS Network Cycles Together tour -- or ACT 5 -- a 300-mile ride to raise awareness of AIDS and funds to provide for the immediate needs of those who suffer from this disease within Dane and 12 other counties. The ride starts and ends in Madison, looping through dozens of Wisconsin communities.

"There's been a lot of progress in taking care of the disease, so I think a lot of people think that there's not a problem any more," says Demi. "But the sad part is that makes people go unprotected. With people living longer with the disease, that causes more hardship for them. It makes more of a need for the money that we raise."

In the months leading up to the event, John and Demi have been participating in training rides with some of the other bikers. "They get steadily longer and harder," says John, noting that the greatest benefit is getting to "pre-meet" some of the cyclists with whom they'll be sharing the road.

"You start having fun with them," he says. "It's fun to ride with different people and make more friends. We've met a whole bunch of riders that we're still friends with."

While the training is fun, the ride itself is "just awesome," says John, recalling the past four events. "It's like we were transported to a magical land where nobody else was really involved but us. People would cheer us; they'd cater to us. It was just unbelievable."

During the evening, bikers will stay at schools along the route, sleeping on gym floors. About 50 volunteers will help with the cooking and transporting baggage.

"A lot of the food we eat during the week is donated," says Demi, describing the charity's reputation for making good use of the funds it raises. "Last year we were able to return 89 percent to the charity. That's a really good percentage."

Biking for four days with 150-200 others creates an incredible sense of community, says Demi. "When you're out there people help each other all the time. If you just stop to blow your nose, everyone will go by saying, 'Are you OK? Are you OK?'

"Last year," she adds, "I think John changed seven flat tires on the ride."

When not logging thousands of miles on their collection of bikes, you'll find Demi working at a printer in Beaver Dam and John teaching classes and maintaining equipment at Prairie Athletic Club.