Be A Part Of AIDS/LifeCycle 2008

 

Inspired by an adventure of cycling to Los Angeles with a gaggle of gay men and lesbians? Feel like you're missing out on all the fun? Register for AIDS/LifeCycle 7 as a roadie or cyclist and hit the road June 1-7, 2008.

AIDS/LifeCycle is co-produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and is designed to advance their shared interests to end the pandemic and human suffering caused by AIDS.

“Our participants are a living example of the commitment, courage and community support that let us imagine a future without AIDS," said Mark Cloutier, executive director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “A personal connection to the epidemic has always fueled both the money and the muscle behind HIV/AIDS services. More than a million people are living with HIV in the United States, and millions more of us are personally affected by it.”

Riders train for months in advance of the ride and commit themselves to raising at least $2,500 each to support HIV-related services at both organizations. Meeting the physical and mental challenges of the ride serves as an example that encourages people to make healthy choices regardless of HIV status, organizers said.

In addition to being a momentous physical challenge for the riders, AIDS/LifeCycle is a major logistical feat. Each day, crews of hundreds of volunteers set up and break down a "city on wheels" of tents, mobile kitchens, bathroom and shower facilities and support gear. These volunteers perform myriad other duties, including posting directional signs, staffing rest sites, serving meals, repairing bikes and providing first aid.

It is estimated that 151,000 Californians are living with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are unaware of their infection. In California, HIV/AIDS has had a particularly severe effect on the gay community, with more than 74 percent of all cases occurring among gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, compared with 58 percent of AIDS cases nationally.

Communities of color, including gay and bisexual men, have been disproportionately affected as well. In 2005, for example, African Americans represented12 percent of the U.S. population, yet they accounted for half of the AIDS diagnoses; Latinos represented14 percent of the U.S. population while accounting for nearly 20 percent of AIDS diagnoses. aidslifecycle.org