BOSTON -- Harbor to the Bay (H2B) kicked off its 6th AIDS ride initiative at Club Cafe in Boston's Back Bay.

The event greeted past participants, introduced H2B volunteers and representatives from the four beneficiary organizations, profiled this year's ride and introduced this year’s crew and riders. David Brown, Co-Anchor of the top-rated EyeOpener newscast of WCVB-TV 5 (ABC), will join the event this year as a rider and an emcee.

“We are outpacing last year’s benchmarks with riders and donations,” said Jim Morgrage, President and Director of Harbor to the Bay. “The ride grows annually, and in 2007, we doubled the number of riders and crew from 2006 and raised more than $325,000. This year we want to top that goal. We're already well on our way,” he added.

Harbor to the Bay is a one-day bike ride from Boston to Provincetown organized and run solely by volunteers. In addition to its goal to donate 100 percent of all pledges to its beneficiaries, H2B’s mission is to improve community awareness of HIV/AIDS care and services, and to support those organizations that advance the quality and accessibility of HIV and AIDS care and research.

The ride gives three distance choices. Riders can complete the full 125 miles from Boston to Provincetown, opt to ride 68 miles from Boston to the Sagamore Bridge or take a 57-mile ride from the Sagamore Bridge to Provincetown. Non-riders can support the ride by registering to be dedicated crewmembers to staff pit stops, encourage riders and help with fund-raising.

Launched in 2003, the all-volunteer charity has raised more than $1 million for four local HIV/AIDS organizations, where all money raised for the event goes directly. The beneficiary organizations of Harbor to the Bay are Fenway Community Health, the largest provider of HIV and AIDS medical care in New England; Community Research Initiative of New England (CRI), the only independent, nonprofit, New England-based organization solely dedicated to HIV clinical research, treatment, education and financial assistance for approved drug treatments and health insurance coverage; AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod (ASGCC), the sole HIV/AIDS organization serving Cape Cod's communities; and AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England’s first and largest AIDS organization.

For more information on the ride, click here.