AIDS/LifeCycle 9 - Just passed my goal!

Three years ago I rode in the AIDS/LifeCycle: a 545 mile journey on a bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles. What an amazing experience. (Recap and pics here and here).

This year I'll be volunteering as a member of the medical team; I got my EMT-Basic certification just in time. So excited to be a part of the ride in this new capacity.

While roadies don't have to raise any money, I set a goal of $2000. And the response to my Mother's Day plea for contributions just put me over the top, woo hoo!

So... I've raised my goal to $2500. :-)

Today's fundraising email:

Hello, again,

In less than a month AIDS/LifeCycle 9 will begin. This month I became certified as an EMT, and I'm proud to be volunteering as a memberof the medical team for this year's ride. I'm writing today to ask for your support in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The 545 mile ride begins June 6th and runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles. AIDS/LifeCycle benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. I was a rider in 2007, and it's truly an experience that I'll remember for a lifetime. It's an opportunity to meet amazing people, and I was repeatedly humbled by how far people would go to make a difference: rising before dawn, cycling up and down hills mile after mile, overcoming what they thought were their limitations, and sharing their stories of living with HIV or of the friends and family members they had lost to the disease.

I've commited to raising $2,000, and I'm writing to ask you to make a contribution in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS. I still have quite a ways to go to meet that goal with only a few weeks left.

One of the most amazing stories I heard on the ride in 2007 was shared by the head of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Lorri Jean. In the early days of the ride, she was riding in one of the vans that picks up riders who are injured. The van was parked next to a field in the vast Central Valley. Eventually one of the field workers, a migrant laborer, came over and asked what was happening. Lorri explained that the riders were cycling from SF to LA to raise money and awareness about HIV and AIDS. Less than an hour later, the field worker came back with a few dollars in change, money she had collected from the other laborers. That story about giving what you can still gives me the chills. Every dollar really does count.

I have far too many friends who are living with HIV, and every day more people are infected. After living with this epidemic for 20 years, it is easy to forget the impact the disease has had not only in the U.S. but worldwide. The LifeCycle serves not only to raise money but also to raise awareness of the ongoing toll of HIV on our communities.

Your contribution will be used to provide services to those with HIV/AIDS and to fund prevention programs. The SF AIDS Foundation is also actively involved in developing and promoting effective policies at the federal, state, and local levels to support efforts to reduce HIV transmission and provide support and services for those already infected.

To visit my LifeCycle home page which provides more information about the ride and a link to the SF AIDS Foundation, click here. To make a tax-deductible contribution, click here and then on the orange "Donate to Support Michael" button on the right midway down the page.

Every dollar counts; your generosity does matter.

I appreciate your support! Together we will make a difference.

Gratefully,
m