Q: Is the Ride canceled?
A: The Ride is not canceled, but it will be a little different this year. The 2020 Hill Country Ride for AIDS will move to a completely virtual event throughout the month of May 2020. All training JoyRides for the season and the Friday night pasta dinner are suspended. This is not a decision that we made lightly, but given guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the City of Austin, and the State of Texas, it is clear that we would not be able to provide a safe, fun event for all of our participants.
Q: Will the Ride be rescheduled?
A: Given the complexities of transitioning into a virtual event, we are extending our event into 12 weeks of physical and fundraising challenges. While we will not have our physical event on April 25th, we will be holding our Virtual Ride campaign April-June.
Q: Can my team members or others still register?
A: Yes! We encourage you and your friends to register and continue to fundraise through June 30th, 2020. Our mission is, and will continue to be, providing critical support for the nine beneficiary agencies, who need us now more than ever before.
Q: If I'm already registered, do I need to register as a Virtual Rider?
A: No! You can continue to raise funds as any kind of Rider or volunteer. You are also going to be automatically qualified for some of our fundraising incentives because of your registration fee.
Q: Can I continue fundraising and have it count towards my goal?
A: Absolutely! Fundraising will continue through June 25, 2020. You will still have access to your fundraising page, and we will be introducing new fundraising challenges and incentives for all participants.
Q: How do I turn in cash and checks I received?
A: Please mail donations to: P.O. Box 49097, Austin, TX 78765.
Please do not mail cash; if possible, please ask your donor to write a check or donate via credit card. Otherwise, please contact the Ride Office (512-371-7433 or admin@hillcountryride.org) to schedule a time to arrange for acceptance of the cash donation.When turning in donations, please ensure that the participant’s name, the event name, and year are written on the memo line or included in a separate note. Funds must be received by Thursday, June 25th, 2020 to be counted towards fundraising challenges, incentives, and leaderboards.
Q: Can I still get my T-shirt, Rider packet, Jersey, etc.?
A: All currently registered participants will get their T-shirt, a digital Rider packet with information from our beneficiaries and sponsors, and other items at the earliest opportunity. We are determining the most efficient method to distribute all supplies. Please continue to check our website for further information. Please contact us at 512-371-7433 or admin@hillcountryride.org for assistance. Any participant registering after March 19 will be eligible for fundraising incentives as they meet the virtual challenges announced over the next several weeks.
Q: Fundraising incentives?
A: We will be having additional fundraising incentives for all participants in this year’s Virtual Ride. Some participants may automatically qualify for certain incentives if they previously paid for their registration, regardless of their fundraising amount.
- Raise or donate $50 to earn a Ride t-shirt (folks who paid registration fee auto qualify)!
- Raise $250 by May 3rd to earn Ride socks!
- Raise $500 by May 17th to earn a Ride cycling cap!
- Raise $1000 by May 31st to earn a Fundraising Boss hat!
- Raise $1500 by June 14th to earn Ride Arm Warmers!
- Raise $2000 by June 25th to earn a NEW Ride Hoodie!
- Raise $5000 by June 25th to earn a Ride Jersey (with custom embroidery!)
Q: How do I record my indoor riding miles on Strava?
A: Check out our new resource here! It'll walk you through the process of manually entering your activities. You can also download the Strava app and record your workouts in real time.
Q: When can I register for next year’s event?
A: We will let you know when next year’s Ride is scheduled as soon as possible. We can’t wait to get back in the saddle with you! Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on our email list for more updates.
Q: If I have other questions, who should I reach out to?
A: Please contact us at 512-371-7433 or admin@hillcountryride.org.