BNA Magazine

The AIDS LifeCycle is a seven day bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angles intended to raise awareness and fundraise for HIV/AIDS treatment.  It is the world’s largest fundraising event that takes place every June.  This year, 3000 participants raised over 10 million dollars for various programs benefiting Centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It is estimated that there are 1.1 million Americans living with HIV.  This number represents the highest number in the history of the epidemic since it was first reported almost thirty years ago in 1980.  One-third of all new infections in the United States are among teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 29.  Minority communities are also disproportionately affected by this pandemic.

In the seven days it takes to ride to Los Angeles, more than 1,000 people in the United States and 50,000 people around the world will be infected with HIV.  That is the main reason that AIDS LifeCycle exist: to pass on to the next generation of young people the necessary education and the prevention means to end the pandemic.

The tale behind AIDS LifeCycle is a story about a group of people who come together for a week and peddle down to Los Angeles from San Francisco, a 545 miles journey.  People from almost every state and eight countries come together with a story.  It is about the promise, the hope and a common commitment in ending HIV.  And most of all, it is about humanity, love and caring for those living with the virus.

This year I had the opportunity to participate in this event.  The first challenge was to raise $3,000 in sponsorship. The next big challenge was to bike 545 miles down the coast past some of the most beautiful scenery California offers.  I biked pass rolling surf, strawberry fields, lush farmland across the California coast.  It was a challenging experience and at times a difficult task but I did it. There is something wonderful and uplifting when as part of a group effort you achieve a goal. Getting up at 4:00 a.m. every morning in the freezing cold and riding 100 miles in the fog, drizzle, wind and sunshine is no laughing matter.  But determination can conquer the inevitable when there is a true commitment to a cause.  For me I was inspired to change my life, to give back and revive the discussion of AIDS in my community.

The ride from big cities to small towns is truly beautiful.  There were many empowering moments that inspired the riders to press on. There were the cheers from the crowds, the handwritten motivational signs and the words of encouragement from school children standing on the streets passing out power bars. 

In every community that we passed through, the discussion about AIDS was a class project.  When we stopped in the town of Bradley with a population of 120 people, the entire town cooked for the riders and the riders bought the food.  All the money raised from this stop funds the school district's physical education and the arts programs for the entire year.   However, if there was one moment that was the pinnacle of emotion and empowerment, it would be the candlelight vigil on day six on the beach in Ventura.  Everyone gathers, riders and family members, for a moment of silence and simply reflect on what this undertaking means to them.