AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video is about tips for social distancing.
The Hill Country Ride for AIDS (HCRA) announced on Thursday it was suspending all of its in-person gatherings for its upcoming season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
The organization said its 2020 fundraiser will now be held as a virtual event running from April through June 30. HCRA plans to host a celebration of its year's successes when it is safe to do so.
HCRA Executive Director Taylor Stockett issued the following statement regarding the decision:
“While we are heartbroken to not be able to have the Ride at Krause Springs this year, participant safety is our top priority. We are a strong, resilient community of kindness, and I ask our supporters to be especially generous this year as our beneficiary agencies respond to this ongoing health crisis. They need our support now more than ever before. This is an obvious disappointment for [HCRA] and for all of our volunteers and riders, but we look forward to meeting this challenge with new virtual fundraising opportunities, new fundraising incentives and new ways of connecting with you and our mission. This is a critical time for not only [HCRA], but also for the beneficiaries we support and the clients they serve. We will continue fundraising through the end of our fiscal year (June 30, 2020) in order to give our beneficiaries the necessary funds to deal with the additional expenses of this outbreak and continue to provide life-saving services for those in need. We are encouraged by the fact that our community has faced adversity before. In fact, we were founded to address and respond to a health crisis. We have met these challenges head-on and raised over $10,000,000 in the last 20 years! We have dealt with isolation, fear, grief, and the unknown by creating a community of kindness to support those most susceptible to the effects of a health crisis. We are well equipped to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that raises support for the clients of our beneficiary agencies."
HCRA is a nonprofit that supports nine organizations that provide services for those affected by HIV and AIDS. You can find out more about the organization on its website.
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