FAQ

My question isn’t answered below? Now what do I do?
If you can’t find the answer to your question, contact your Mentor, call Joaquin at 530.304.3367, or send an email to info@norcalaidschallenge.net.

How much money am I supposed to raise?
For the 2009 NCAC, Cyclists are required to raise at least $1600 in donations. Crew must raise $250. Your $75 or $50 Registration Fee is not included in your fundraising total. We will be offering various incentives to encourage both Crew and Cyclists to raise more than the minimum amount. Stay tuned for more details!

With your registration you have access to your very own customizable fundraising page, which will allow you to send out email requests for donations and to keep track of your progress toward your goal. If you have any questions, your Mentor can help you get started.

What happens if I haven’t met my fundraising minimum by the day the ride starts?
That depends on whether you’re a crew member or a cyclist. Crew Members who have not raised the $250 minimum by May 13th, the day of pre-ride registration, will be given an extension until June 20th to raise the additional funds. However, to participate in the NCAC, these folks must agree to self-pledge the difference if they haven’t raised $250 by June 20th.

Cyclists must have raised at least $800 by 4pm on May 14th in order to ride in the NCAC. Cyclists who’ve raised between $800 and $1600 will be allowed to ride if they agree to reach at least $1600 in donations by June 20th, either by additional fundraising or by providing the funds themselves. Cyclists who have not raised $800 by May 14th will be given the option to self-pledge to bring their fundraising level up to at least $800 or participate as a Crew Member.

I’m brand new to bicycling and fundraising. How do I get started?
First, you should feel really good about taking on this enormous Challenge. After that, we recommend contacting your Mentor. Although every Mentor is a seasoned NCAC veteran, they all started out right where you are now, so they can relate to your trepidation and give you some good ideas on where to begin.

Yes, the ride is over 300 miles long with a mix of hilly and flat terrain. But most people can do it with the proper training and preparation. For both Crew and Cyclists, the website (http://www.norcalaidschallenge.net) is a wonderful resource with tons of information on fundraising and training. It also includes a link to an on-line discussion forum where you can connect with other NCACers.

New in 2008, and in addition to the weekly training rides, we’re also offering a series of Introduction to Cycling workshops and Benchmark Training Rides in the months leading up to the Challenge. The Benchmark rides are progressively longer and more difficult rides meant to simulate the NCAC itself and to give Cyclists a way to gauge their training progress. These rides will also offer SAG/Sweep support and Rest Stops so that our Crew can get in some practice as well.

What will a typical day on the Ride will be like for Cyclists and Crew?
Each morning we’ll be waking you up at 5am so Cyclists have time to get packed, fed, and stretched for the day’s riding or Crew assignment. A hot breakfast, including plenty of coffee, will be provided each morning.

At about 6am Darci our Route Manager will send out the Advance Crew to double check the day’s route, call in any potential hazards, and mark especially tricky turns. The Rest Stop and Lunch Crews will also be loading their daily ration of food and drinks for the Cyclists.

By 6:30am, our Massage Crew will start gathering cyclists for a morning stretch session. Our Campground Manager will also start gently reminding Cyclists that they need to be packed, drop off their gear at the Gear Truck, and ready to ride at 7:00am SHARP. You’ll know it’s time to start riding when Sisters of Scota fire up their motorcycles and the first Rest Stop Crews drive off.

At 7:00am all of the Cyclists and Crew will gather to hear Joaquin deliver the daily safety speech and route briefing. After the safety speech, the Cyclists will leave camp in a single pack accompanied by the Sisters of Scota, the SAG/Sweep cars, the Bike Tech Crew, and our Medical Director. The Gear Truck and Camp Services Crews will stay behind to clean up the campground and settle the bill before hitting the road to set up the evening’s lodgings.

On the road, Cyclists will be treated to well-stocked Rest Stops separated by 12-20 miles of beautiful scenery. A cold lunch will be served a little past the halfway mark each day. Out on the road, the Motorcycle and SAG/Sweep Crews will be keeping track of all the riders and making sure they’re staying safe and not getting lost.

In Camp, everyone will be treated to a delicious and filling dinner from our caterers and evening entertainment provided by our Beneficiaries and the Executive Committee, and FREE massages provided by Holistic Honu. Organized activities will end by 8:30pm each night to give everyone the chance to get a full night’s sleep before we wake up to do it all over again.

How do I handle off-line donations?
Very carefully! If you receive cash donations, we recommend keeping the cash and then making an on-line donation in the donor’s name. You can then print out or e-mail the receipt to your donor for tax purposes.

For check donations, make sure the check is made out to “Capital City AIDS Fund” and has your name somewhere on it. Then fill out, or have your donor fill out, an off-line donation form and mail it in to CCAF. The address is on the donation form. Donation forms can be found on your personal fundraising page. It’s very important that every check you mail in comes with an individual donation form! Checks without the form might not be credited to you.

How do fundraising teams work? Can I team up with someone to split fundraising and riding?
Creating and joining NCAC fundraising teams is a great way for friends to support each other as they prepare for the NCAC and for potential donors to learn more about the NCAC community. Although your team webpage will show how much money the entire team has raised, each team member is individually responsible for meeting the fundraising minimum. Also, donors cannot donate to an entire team; they can only donate to a certain individual on the team.

My fundraising total doesn’t look right. Who can I contact about that?
Lorraine Opper, the Capital City AIDS Fund Event Coordinator, handles all of the on-line and off-line donations for the NCAC. She can be reached at the CCAF office at: lorraineopper@aol.com or 916.448.1110. Make sure you allow at least two weeks for your off-line donations to appear on your total before contacting her. On-line donations should appear immediately.

If I end up not riding or crewing, can I get the money I’ve raised to count toward my friend, who’s also participating?
No. Transferring donated funds between participants is not an option.

I love every NCAC person I’ve met and want to be more active in putting this event together. How do I get more involved?
Contact your mentor or . Or just reply to one of the many regular e-mails you receive from the NCAC. You can also call the central NCAC phone number (530.304.3367) or the CCAF office (916.448.1110).