Pedal Pushers by john solleder
or one week in June, more than 2,800 people will participate in an event which can only be described as life changing for both the participants and thousands of other Californians. AIDS/ LifeCycle is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS Fundraiser. Now in its 19th year, the event has raised
more than $86 million for HIV/AIDS services benefiting the people in our state. The 545 mile, seven-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles attracts people of all ages and backgrounds.
AIDS/LifeCycle director Greg Sroda describes the
event as not just a seven-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but something that those involved will remember for the rest of their lives. “For our participants, it creates this amazing community and experience—it’s a life changing occurrence,” he said. The diversity of people who take place in the ride
is amazing. People from 44 states and 16 countries participate, as well as people of all ages. Sroda explained, “We have all sorts of people on our ride. They range from 18-years-old to, I believe our oldest rider is 83 this year.”
Each participant pledges to
raise a minimum of $3,000 each and the AIDS/LifeCycle organiza- tion has many resources and sug- gestions to help new riders reach that fundraising goal, which many
easily do. Last year 2,300 riders raised $13.3 million, which works out to an average of almost $6,000 per rider. The money is desperately needed in the ongo- ing fight against HIV/AIDS and this year’s goal is to raise at least $11 million. “Although we’ve seen great strides in the fight against HIV and recent medical advances show great promise for turning the tide, today the epidemic rages on, more than three decades after it began,” says Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. “There are 1.1 million Americans living with HIV, with gay and bisexual men dispro- portionately affected, in California alone, as many as 7,000 people become infected each year. That’s
why AIDS/LifeCycle is so important; the services it supports are critical, both to serve those living with HIV and to stop the spread of this disease.” The thought of a seven-day, 545-mile, bike ride
may seem daunting at first, but almost anyone can do it. Organizers stress that it is NOT a race and rid- ers can proceed at their own pace. Each day’s route varies from 50 to a little more than 100 miles, with each day’s ride broken up into manageable pieces, rest stops approximately every 15 miles and more than 600 volunteer “roadies” are on hand to help riders and to man the rest stops with food and (very important) drinks. Furthermore, if a rider absolutely can’t complete a
ride, for whatever reason, the roadies are on hand to transport them the rest of the way. “We always say, ‘you ride every mile that you can,’” Sroda explained. “It allows people that might not be in the best shape or might struggle with a full day of the event or the full seven days, to participate. It allows them to ride every mile that they can.” According to Sroda, you only have to participate
once to understand the attraction and success of the event. “If it’s something you’ve thought about doing, sign up and experience the community,” he said “It’s an amazing group of people to be a part of and once you get involved in it, you will stay involved for many years to come.” Although we have come a long way in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we still have a long way to go. New drugs are extending the lives of people living with the disease, but the drugs are expensive, the side ef- fects can be daunting, and they are only a treatment, not a cure. We still have a long road ahead of us, and many miles to ride, before this is over.
BERNICE DETIG, 45 FROM LONG BEACH Last summer, first-time rider Bernice
Detig, was diagnosed with the lung disease, that took her mother’s life just a couple of years before. When the doctor gave her the news, she sat in stunned silence and thought, “This can’t be my life.” Detig, who has been sober for 18 years,
turned to her friends from Alcoholics Anonymous—including several who are HIV-positive for support. They helped her work through “tears, fears and every- thing” and accept that she could live with a chronic condition. When one of those friends asked her to ride, she agreed, even though she hadn’t been on a bike in about 20 years.
DWAYNE CARL, 48 FROM REDONDO BEACH Dwayne Carl, a first-time AIDS/LifeCycle
rider, has been living with HIV for 10 years. In addition to struggling with severe health problems related to HIV, Carl faced rejection from his family and friends. He lost his job and was nearly evicted just because of his HIV-positive status. Not only was there “hate and vitriol and venom” from society as a whole, but even in the gay community Carl saw HIV being stigmatized. He is self-publishing a book, Out of My Second Closet, about his experi- ences living with HIV.
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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2012
RAGE monthly | JUNE 2012
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