AIDS/LifeCycle begins! 545 mile ride from SF to LA raises money & awareness for HIV & AIDS services

My legs hurt just thinking about this: more than 2,225 riders and 550 volunteer “roadies” began a seven-day journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles this morning with AIDS/Lifecycle, a 545-mile bike ride that is the world’s most successful HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

The participants have raised a whopping $12.6 million for the HIV/AIDS-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation and they are earning that money hard way – by pedaling for it.

There was hardly a dry eye in the house this morning when the riderless cycle, commemorating all those who have been lost to AIDS, began its ride to the stage along a path lined with Positive Pedalers.

There is a press corps traveling along with the riders and I will be featuring some of their work here on Greg In Hollywood and Gay Star News this week. The riders will be completing their journey on Saturday, June 9.

Special Offer for next year: Are you thinking about riding next year? Well, AIDS LifeCycle has created special discount codes so readers of Greg In Hollywood can register for next year’s ride (AIDS/LifeCyle 12, which takes place June 2-8, 2013) for just $45. That’s a savings of $40! The codes will work through Monday, June 11 only.

It is case-sensitive. The code is: GIH

Each AIDS/LifeCycle rider commits to raising at least $3,000, but most go beyond that commitment. Riders have raised an average of more than $5,000 each. Supporters can still make donations all week at aidslifecycle.org.

“AIDS/LifeCycle embodies the true spirit of our community—people coming together and giving their entire heart, mind, and body to such an important cause,” said Neil Giuliano, CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “Right now in the history of the AIDS epidemic, we are truly at a place where we can envision the end of this disease. But with vital programs facing budget cuts at all levels of government, AIDS/LifeCycle plays a critical role in ensuring we can continue to provide services that are reducing new HIV infections and ensuring everyone living the disease has access to proper care.”

Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, added: “People ages 18 to 83 have come from nearly every state and a record 16 countries to be a part of the ride. They come from all different backgrounds and walks of life to form a wonderful community united by the common goal of fighting HIV. Recent medical advances have given us great hope for turning the tide in the fight against HIV, but the reality is that the epidemic is not over. That’s why AIDS/LifeCycle is so important; it funds services that are critical to serving those living with HIV and to stopping the spread of the disease.”

Why raising funds is still so important: Despite the remarkable progress that has been made since the epidemic began in 1981, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is far from over. In the U.S. alone, 1.2 million people are living with HIV. Every nine and a half minutes someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV. That means in the seven days it will take the cyclists to reach Los Angeles, more than 1,000 people—many of them gay or bisexual men of color—will become infected.  Especially alarming is the fact that one in five people living with HIV don’t know it. The money raised by AIDS/LifeCycle supports vital, and often life-saving, HIV/AIDS-related services.

Presenting sponsors of AIDS/LifeCycle 11: FedEx and Shopoff Properties. Contributing sponsors include: Abbott Labs, Charles Schwab, Gilead, LabCop, and Wells Fargo. Instinct magazine is the official media sponsor.