Community Building in the Washington, DC area!!

SFP Editor: What do you enjoy most about biking? Tony Barone: I love the outdoors, I love to exercise and I love to spend my free time socially with friends. Biking allows me to do all three at the same time. My training routine has become a part of my life – every weekend I am out biking to Mount Vernon or Poolesville, Maryland. The best rides are when I am with friends with whom I can enjoy good conversation both on and off the bike and during our much anticipated lunch break! Biking alone is fun too and is a great personal time – a lot like yoga.

SFP Editor: When and Why did you come to DC?

Tony Barone: I came to DC in August 1984 to begin law school at American University. I had just finished a one year Rotary scholarship in South America in Caracas, Venezuela and Sao Paulo, Brazil. I chose to study law in Washington because I was very interested in public policy and international development organizations, such as the World Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank. The year in South America was undoubtedly the most influential year in my life and triggered a keen interest in the developing world. The AIDS epidemic in developing countries, particularly in Africa has always been an important international issue for me.

SFP Editor: How did you become involved in biking for this cause?

Tony Barone: I first became interested in biking in general two years ago when I started training for another AIDS fundraiser organized by the Polatta organization. The proceeds of this fundraiser in July 2001 was for AIDS Vaccine research, where all the proceeds went to three highly distinguished AIDS research institutions in the U.S. – one at UCLA, another at Emory University and a third in New York City. There the ride consisted of 575 miles in seven days crossing the Continental Divide from Missoula, Montana to Billings Montana. There we had over 1000 riders and 300 volunteers. Like this year’s Empire State AIDS ride, the Montana ride required each rider to raise over $3,000 for the AIDS cause.

SFP Editor: Describe the bike route for this fundraiser?

Tony Barone: The Empire State AIDS ride will start on August 15 in Niagara Falls and end August 21 in Manhattan. The route will be entirely on back country roads. The ride is limited to 500 riders. Each rider must raise $3,200 in donations to the AIDS causes in order to participate. 100% of the funds raised will go to the AIDS beneficiaries. For example, the world renown Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontiers will receive 62.5% of the funds raised, and two other U.S. AIDS beneficiary organizations will receive the remaining 37.5% of the funds raised. This makes the Empire State AIDS ride, particularly noteworthy because 100% of every dollar raised will go to the AIDS beneficiary organizations. This is why I chose to do the Empire State AIDS ride. In years past, other organization, such as Palotta, which organized my Montana AIDS ride only contributed approximately 65% of the funds raised by the riders to the AIDS beneficiaries. I don’t like asking people to make donations when only 60 or 70% will actually make their way to the beneficiaries. This is not the case with the Empire State AIDS ride. 100% of every dollar raised will go to the AIDS beneficiary organizations.

SFP Editor: What do you enjoy most about biking?

Tony Barone: I love the outdoors, I love to exercise and I love to spend my free time socially with friends. Biking allows me to do all three at the same time. My training routine has become a part of my life – every weekend I am out biking to Mount Vernon or Poolesville, Maryland. The best rides are when I am with friends with whom I can enjoy good conversation both on and off the bike and during our much anticipated lunch break! Biking alone is fun too and is a great personal time – a lot like yoga.

SFP Editor: How are you training for this ride?

Tony Barone: Every Saturday and Sunday I bike to either Mount Vernon or Poolesville, Maryland. I live close to American University so it is 50 miles roundtrip to Mount Vernon from my apartment and 66 miles roundtrip to the Pizza Shop – Cugini’s in Pooleville, Maryland! I often bike to Olde Towne about once or twice a week after work during the weekdays which is about 30 miles from my apartment. I have two powerful lights on my bike which makes biking at night along the Mount Vernon trail to Olde Towne from Washington D.C. quite fun and something I look forward to throughout the work day! The Mount Vernon trail hugs the Potomac River on the Virginia side and has excellent views of all of Washington’s monuments which are all beautifully illuminated at night. Often times I will bike on this trail while listening to Andre Bocelli sing Italian Opera and it is my way to chill after a tense day at the office.

SFP Editor: What is your favorite bike trail in DC and why?

Tony Barone: Without a doubt my favorite trail is the Mount Vernon Trail from Washington, D.C. to Mount Vernon. I often have lunch at the cafeteria at Mount Vernon where I enjoy reading the newspaper, if biking alone. If with friends we will have lunch in Olde Towne or at the Cedar Hill restaurant in Mount Vernon.

SFP Editor: If you could bike anywhere in the world, where and why?

Tony Barone: I think biking anywhere where I haven’t biked before is exciting. Beside Washington, D.C. and Montana, so far I have done a bike tour in the Netherlands with a company called Van Gogh Tours in April 2002 which was a lot of fun. I am looking forward to doing another bike tour in Europe, perhaps in Italy, Spain or France. I am also looking into doing a bike tour with some Brazilian friends in southern Brazil this winter.

SFP Editor: When you are not biking, what do you enjoy doing for fun?

Tony Barone: I very much enjoy going dancing with friends. After spending time studying and working in South America – I enjoy very much dancing Salsa, Merengue, Samba and Musica Ashe from northeast Brazil!! Some of my favorite places to go dancing in Washington is Rumba Café on Friday nights and Havana Village. My next goal is to learn how to swing dance, which I hope to get a good intro to this Friday, August 1 along with Victor Li and all of my supporters!! Thanks for all your support and I hope to meet and dance with you all on Friday, August 1!