AIDS Ride Planners Sue San Francisco Charity over New Race

The Southern California company that operated the California AIDS Ride for the past eight years is suing the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) in an attempt to stop it from having its own cycling event in May. Los Angeles-based Pallotta Teamworks filed suit last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court against SFAF and another longtime beneficiary of its ride, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, both of which have announced plans to have a separate charity AIDS ride in May.

The two former recipients of AIDS Ride proceeds, which are intended to help people living with HIV/AIDS, severed ties with Pallotta in October, citing cost overruns and the fact that only 50 cents of every dollar raised was directly benefiting AIDS patients. A representative for Pallotta could not be reached for comment. "It is extraordinary that a company that claims to care about people living with AIDS and HIV should try to stop a benefit to provide life-sustaining services to those very same people," said Pat Christen, executive director of SFAF.

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