Many of you have asked me wondeful questions about my life, beliefs, and many other things -- thank you for that!

I gave an interview today that I think covers many of those questions. 

I hope it shed some more light on what I am about!  You can find that inteview at:

http://www.ambiente.us/807ChipArndt.html

Very best and have a wonderful rest of the summer,

Chip

Welcome!

You're here because you care or someone associated with CPR to AAA cares.

If you want to put up a marketing banner/button on your site, that would help a lot -- there are 2 on the front of this site.  Just click below either one and you will find the code to paste to your site there.

CPR to AAA, Chip's Personal Response to AIDS Across America, is an effort to raise much needed funds for those living with HIV/AIDS. Thank you for helping us reach our goal to raise US$100,000 by December 1, 2007 for 9 wonderful, not-for profit organizations that help ALL people living with HIV/AIDS (see blog entries above for more information on each organization).

In 2007, I will ride and walk over 425 miles in 2 AIDS Rides and 2 AIDS Walks and ask that you sponsor me with at least $5. And then, if you are comfortable, please invite 10 friends to support CPR to AAA, in their own way.

Many of you may know me best after I won The Amazing Race 4 with my then husband Reichen Lehmkuhl.  It was a wonderful moment in my life, which afforded me the opportunity to pursue what I love most -- figuring out ways to improve people's lives.

This personal passion began many years ago with my first HIV/AIDS fundraising efforts while I lived in New York City in the 1990s.  Besides traveling 44,000+ miles on The Amazing Race 4, I have traveled 1,800+ miles for HIV/AIDS fundraisers riding my bicycle in 6 AIDS Rides, running 2 marathons and 5 half marathons, and walking in 3 AIDS Walks. I also helped organize and run AIDS Walk Miami 2005 and raised monies for HIV/AIDS related organizations across the USA.

I now take all of this to the next level to assist those living with HIV/AIDS in New York City, Washington, DC, and Florida, areas currently hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Presently, I live in Miami, Florida.  I know what is happening in our city and Florida because in 2005 I was fortunate enough to work with Care Resource, one of Florida's largest and oldest organizations providing services for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Whatever you hear, HIV/AIDS is infecting people at alarming rates across all of the United States of America, let alone the world.  Here is your opportunity to help and send a message to everyone that we are here because we care.

Over the past 5 years appropriate funding to help those living with the life threatening disease of HIV/AIDS has decreased, if one takes in account the increase in the number of cases and the increase in costs to service those living with HIV/AIDS. EVEN WITH the renewal of federal funds from the Ryan White Act, organizations simply do not have enough funds to do their important work.

While I am now President of my own company, MerchantAdvantage.com, and President of the Freedom Democrats, I take my responsibility to help others seriously and I am glad you are here to help me with a mission that is now "ours."  I have a great working relationship with the following organizations, who have all given me their permission and blessings to raise awareness and monies with all of you.

These wonderful organizations, benefiting from your generous donations and help are: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, affectionately known herein as "The Center" in New York City; The Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington DC, Care Resource in Miami, Florida and The SMART Ride, in Florida benefiting 6 not-for-profit organizations from Sarasota to Key West. 

Proceeds from CPR to AAA will be split between the aforementioned organizations through my online donation site run by Braking the Cycle and The Center.

You can be assured that 100% percent of the monies you donate, after banking process fees and other fees associated with organizing the fund raising events, will go directly to the organizations services.  Over the past 3 years this equated to 60+% of all monies raised by me went directly to services; we expect this year to be the same and all of you will be able to see a full accounting of what we accomplished together when the challenge ends in December.  

For complete information on each benefiting organization please click on the relevant blog entry. 

Also, please click on the blog entry that provides factual details on HIV/AIDS in the USA and across the world.  Facts speak for themselves. 

Thank you so much for making any donation to CPR to AAA by clicking on the donate button on the front page and helping us spread the word by inviting 10 of your friends to join our effort.

We are all one humanity…People need our help. Making a Difference -- One Mile at A Time.

All the best and thank you for caring,

Chip

I will ride in the 4^th Southern Most AIDS Ride ("Smart Ride") from March 30-31, 2007 benefiting the 6 Florida based organizations listed below for the 3rd year in a row.

(20% of all proceeds will benefit the 6 organizations associated with The Smart Ride, please see below)

The Smart Ride, background and history:

Like all things that change us and the world in some way, it starts with a dream, a vision, and an idea. The Southern Most AIDS/HIV Ride 4 is no different.

It was born out of a dream to make a real and significant difference in the lives of those infected, affected and at risk for HIV/AIDS.

It was born out of a vision that 100% of what the participants raise could go to charity, a vision that the participants could maintain some control over the distribution of their funds, and that volunteers could do it all.

It was with born with an idea that as Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed; it's the only thing that ever has."

With these three simple things, a dream, a vision, an idea a small group of friends and acquaintances met and created what is now the SMART Ride. In its first year, more than 200 people joined in traveling more than 165 miles over two days from Miami to Key West. By year 3 we had grown in numbers and revenue that we had never expected, more than 500 participants.

In the end, we contributed more than $169,000 to six direct service organizations in the state of Florida. We met all of our goals, which included giving the riders a degree of control over the money they raised.

Now in its 4th year, The Southernmost AIDS/HIV Ride 4 is getting bigger and better than ever and with your help we can raise more than $500,000 this year alone.. We're more ambitious than we've ever been and we're not stopping for anything! Join us!

A few words about the ride

The ride is fully supported and welcomes participants with all degrees of experience. It is NOT a race, it is a ride, so if someone gets tired, or feels they "just can't go on", we have SAG (support vehicles) that assist them and get them and their bicycles to safety. Each participant pays a $75 registration fee and each rider has committed to raise an additional $1250.

6 not-for-profit organizations benefiting from The Smart Ride, for complete information please see:

Broward House

http://www.browardhouse.org/

AIDS Help

http://www.aidshelp.cc/

HUG Me http://www.arnoldpalmerhospital.org/parents/child_health/phillips/hug_me.cfm

South Beach AIDS Project

http://www.sobeaids.org/

Trinity Charities

http://www.trinitycharities.org/, and

COMPASS (LGBT Community Center of Palm Beach) http://www.compassglcc.com/

I will walk in the 19th annual AIDS Walk Miami on April 22, 2007 benefiting Care Resource for the 3rd year in a row.

(15% of all proceeds will benefit Care Resource)

Care Resource is South Florida's oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization serving both Miami-Dade & Broward Counties.

Another organization close to my heart, I worked for Care Resource in the capacity of PR and Marketing Manager in 2005 and helped organize AIDS Walk Miami where we raised over US$300,000. 

I also had the pleasure of working closely with all of its employees and senior management and can say categorically that everyone works very hard on behalf of helping people of all races, creeds, religions and genders living with HIV/AIDS in Miami Dade and Broward Counties.

Care Resources "total care" approach includes working with our affected communities in creating and/or implementing prevention strategies, community outreach and education initiatives, testing, medical care, research protocols, as well as individual and family counseling and support services. This wide array of programs collectively strives to respond to every area of need of our HIV at-risk and infected communities.

Community AIDS Resource, Inc., d.b.a./ CARE RESOURCE is a 501[c](3) non-profit, multi-cultural, community based AIDS service organization, which "through prevention, education, care and treatment, research and support, strives to end the HIV pandemic." Rooted in the 1998 merger of Health Crisis Network (1983) and Community Research Initiative (1989), Care Resource is now South Florida's oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization and a true leader in the community.

Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in South Florida and for more than 20 years, Care Resource has been dedicated to serving those suffering with or affected by HIV/AIDS and to meeting the changing demographics of the epidemic. The former Health Crisis Network (HCN), founded in 1983 by a group of dedicated volunteers, focused on providing a response to the epidemic with crisis intervention, social support and educational programs. Community Research Initiative (CRI), founded in 1989 pioneered the implementation of community-based clinical trials through its network of physicians across Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Virtually all of the popular anti-retroviral drugs widely used today have been studied by the agency through its clinical research program.

Since merging, the agency has expanded and new services have been added in response to the needs of the epidemic. In 1999 primary medical care was implemented, creating a system to rapidly and effectively triage those identified as HIV positive into a comprehensive system for medical care and supportive services. Today, clients have access at a "one-stop" location to primary medical care, clinical trials and research studies, information and referrals, case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, temporary assistance to needy families (TANF), transportation vouchers, and counseling and testing.

Furthermore, the agency's many prevention and education programs go out into the community and engage populations at high risk, affected and/or infected by HIV/AIDS, by disseminating prevention information and connecting those in need to the healthcare system. Prevention programs target youth, men who have sex with men, the incarcerated, African American, Haitian, and Hispanic men and women believed to be HIV positive or at risk of contracting the virus.

Care Resource has demonstrated excellence in the field of HIV/AIDS as it works to fulfill its mission and have a positive impact on Broward and Miami-Dade communities. Our work in the community has earned us the confidence of our clients and funding sources at local, state and federal levels. The agency currently has about 3,000 unduplicated clients and conducts more than 7,000 HIV tests annually, and fundraising activities and hundreds of invaluable volunteers help raise awareness, bring hope and build a sense of community.

The changing face of AIDS in this nation reflects a devastating number of people in South Florida. Fort Lauderdale ranks first and Miami ranks second in AIDS rates among metropolitan areas in the nation (followed by New York). As of 2005, more than 40,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS through out Miami-Dade and Broward Counties combined. A high percentage of HIV positive residents in South Florida are not in care and hundreds more do not even know their HIV status. The state of the epidemic continues to grow and change; therefore, the support of the community for HIV education, prevention, research and treatment is crucial.

Please review their site for more comprehensive information about our services, staff expertise, specific research studies, community programs, outreach efforts, education and testing dates and times.

I will ride the annual Braking The Cycle AIDS ride from September 28-30, 2007 for the 4th year in a row benefiting "The Center" in New York City.

(50% of all proceeds will benefit "The Center")

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center ("The Center") (www.GayCenter.org) is acting as the main fundraising conduit for CPR to AAA $100,000 Challenge through my, Chip Arndt's, fundraising page at http://www.brakingthecycle.org/?CID=11 (I am rider # 6 -- the actual online donation link will be active in two weeks, so for now please print out form, write down my name and rider ID # and send donation in the mail to The Center).  Once the fundraising drive ends December 1, The Center will allocate the funds raised, in accordance with pre-defined percentages to all 9 benefiting not-for-profit organizations.

The Center's Braking The Cycle is September 28-30 (www.BrakingTheCycle.org) and is their annual AIDS Fundraising Bike Ride. I will be participating for the 4th year to benefit targeted HIV/AIDS services at The Center. The Center is an organization that is near and dear to me, as I lived in New York City for 2 years and saw many people benefit from their wonderful work.  

The Center was founded in December 1983 and the 2007 Braking The Cycle Ride will celebrate its 5^th year.

The Center has been at the forefront of providing services in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Funds raised through Braking The Cycle and CPR to AAA are targeted to support these services:

• The Center's Mental Health and Social Services Department, its Youth Program and our related prevention and health policy programs serve more than 3,000 LGBT New Yorkers annually.
• 1,200 LGBT adults are annually assisted on-site, 33% of whom are people living with HIV or AIDS. An additional 1000 people are provided services off-site, for a total of 7,500 contacts per year.
• More than 1,000 teens come to the Center annually for services and leadership training in HIV prevention.
• Numerous HIV/AIDS support and advocacy groups meet regularly at the Center.

Information from The Center:

The Center itself produces many health-related, civic, and cultural programs. In the next several pages (please click on links) you will read in detail about these programs; each was conceived to meet a need that was not already being met elsewhere. Each Center program, in some way, seeks to allow us to become more fully aware of ourselves.

Programs produced by the Center include Youth Enrichment Services (YES), an activities-based program for LGBT youth; Center Orientation, produced in-house and in all the boroughs of New York City; Center Kids, the Center's family project; the Pat Parker/Vito Russo Center Library, New York City's largest LGBT lending library; the National Museum and the National Archive of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender History; and Promote the Vote, one of the largest LGBT voter registration and mobilization projects in the United States, created in 1992.

In addition, one of the Center's prime functions is to provide affordable meeting space for LGBT organizations, many of which would otherwise have no place to go. The lack of affordable, safe space in this city has pushed several organizations to the brink of extinction. Stepping forward more than once, the Center has kept doors open and ensured the delivery of much needed services and programs. In 1985, the Center became temporary home to the Harvey Milk High School, a program of the Hetrick-Martin Institute. The Lesbian Switchboard became a permanent tenant after it was evicted from its former home, and Dignity, a Catholic gay and lesbian religious organization, sought refuge when it was expelled from Catholic churches.

Please click on the links below for more information on The Center:

Mission Statement (http://www.gaycenter.org/about/)

Community of Inclusion: Statement of Principle (http://www.gaycenter.org/about/community)

The Center Story (http://www.gaycenter.org/about/centerstory)

If you have any more questions about The Center please feel to contact its Executive Director, Richard Burns, who celebrated his 20^th as Executive Director year with the center at Richard@gaycenter.org or on 212.620.7310.

I will walk in Washington, DC's annual AIDS Walk on October 6th benefiting the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. for the 1st time.

(15% of all proceeds will benefit The Whitman-Walker Clinic)

Whitman-Walker Clinic (www.wwc.org) is a non-profit community-based health organization serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.   Established by and for the gay and lesbian community, our Clinic is comprised of diverse volunteers and staff who provide or facilitate the delivery of high quality, comprehensive, accessible health care and community services.  Whitman-Walker Clinic is especially committed to ending the suffering of all those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

In November 1973, the Gay Men's VD Clinic, part of the Washington Free Clinic, began operating in the basement of the Georgetown Lutheran Church. This was the birth of what was to become Whitman-Walker Clinic.

For more than three decades, the Clinic has been renowned – locally, nationally and internationally – for the high-quality, culturally sensitive care it provides. This work remains critical in an area with the highest HIV infection rate in the country.

For a complete history of The Whitman-Walker Clinic please go to http://wwc.org/about_wwc/history.html.

For complete information of the many wonderful services provided by the clinic please go to http://wwc.org/about_wwc/staff_directory.html.

www.thesmartride.org