California: 1,600 Set Out on 2 Wheels for Weeklong AIDS Ride, Additional 400 Tag Along With Cyclists on 585-Mile Trek

On Sunday in Daly City, 1,600 bicyclists and 400 support personnel began the 585-mile, weeklong AIDS/LifeCycle marathon organized by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. During the four years the two organizations have sponsored the bike ride, it has raised more than $19 million.

"We've raised $6.8 million and grown to 1,600 cyclists this year -- that's a 33 percent increase in both categories from 2004," said Mark Cloutier, executive director of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. "When you consider how the AIDS infection rate in San Francisco is up and federal funding is down, this is a very loud statement of support."

The AIDS/LifeCycle event came about after an earlier fundraiser, the California AIDS Ride, ended over a monetary dispute between the charities and the promoter Pallotta TeamWorks. While AIDS Ride California regularly registered 3,000 bikers in the late 1990s, AIDS/LifeCycle had only 700 riders in its first year.

The cyclists in this week's ride had to raise or donate $2,500 each to register for the event, which is divided into daily increments with rest stops and food breaks along the way. Day one was to end in Aptos, east of Santa Cruz.

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