As 2,500 riders prepare to pedal, Los Angeles County has proclaimed June 5-11 ‘AIDS/LifeCycle Week’

It’s great to see civic leaders getting behind such an important cause: Earlier today, the county of Los Angeles issued a proclamation – sponsored by County Supervisor Gloria Molina – declaring June 5-11, 2011, AIDS/LifeCycle Week.

The 2,500 riders and 600 volunteer “roadies” will set out from San Francisco’s Cow Palace and begin their journey toward Los Angeles on Sunday, June 5—exactly 30 years since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its first report about the disease later known as AIDS.

“For 30 years, we have been under attack by HIV—and the fight is far from over,” said the LA center’s Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean. “Too many people, including those in the LGBT community, believe that AIDS in the U.S. is no longer the problem that it is. Yet the infection rate for gay and bisexual men continues to climb. The Center and the AIDS Foundation work every day to make a difference in this fight. We’re able to do this thanks to the riders and volunteer roadies of AIDS/LifeCycle, who not only raise millions to support our vital work but also raise awareness that the fight against AIDS is not over.”

At a special presentation by Supervisor Molina, the proclamation was presented to Jean, who was accompanied by: Quentin O’Brien, the Center’s Director of Health and Mental Health Services; Center Director of Development Bart Verry; Doreen Gonzales, the only person to ride in every AIDS/LifeCycle and its precursor, the California AIDS Ride; and Joseph Legaspi, a volunteer roadie on this year’s event who benefits from the Center’s HIV medical services.

Since the first San Francisco to Los Angeles Ride in 1994, the event has raised nearly $140 million for HIV/AIDS-related services and prevention. The Center and the Foundation predict that this year’s ride will break the previous fundraising record of $12.3 million, set in 2008. For more information about AIDS/LifeCycle, please visit www.aidslifecycle.org.