Record Kick-off for ALC 6

AIDS/LifeCycle, the 545-mile bicycle ride raising funds to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, jump started its sixth year with characteristic vigor at a kick-off party on January 7, 2007, at the Hotel Nikko. More than 1,000 guests joined LifeCycle veterans and SFAF staff to register a record-breaking 255 new riders and 43 volunteer roadies committed to supporting SFAF's programs for people infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

The party's most moving moment came when keynote speaker Jeannie White-Ginder, who lost her 18-year-old son Ryan White to AIDS, encouraged LifeCycle riders to help in her ongoing efforts to raise awareness in the 16 years since Ryan's death. "Numbers are just numbers," said White-Ginder, "but real personal stories of this AIDS epidemic help people relate to the epidemic better. That's what I do and what I encourage. Please share your story."

Joining White-Ginder at the microphone was Chris Cole, AIDS/LifeCycle's Director, who announced the sponsorship of NBC11 and introduced the Cannondale Limited Edition Special ALC bikes. Positive Pedaler Gabriel Rocha told the crowd how a friend's participation in the ride had sustained him through an AIDS-related illness until he was ready to become a participant himself. And Dr. Judith Auerbach, SFAF's Deputy Executive Director for Science and Public Policy, committed herself, and her partner, Jim, to riding in ALC6.

To be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, register today to be a cyclist or a roadie, or call 415-581-7077.