WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE? In May 2002, I'll be participating in a new cycling event called AIDS/LifeCycle and will ride my bicycle 600 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In terms of driving distances, that's the equivalent of going from New York to Boston... then back to New York... and back up to Boston again! Here's the astonishing part: I'll be pedaling that distance over hilly California terrain in one week. In the evenings, I'll be recharging in a tent camp amongst hundreds of other riders and event staff ... oh joy! Why subject myself to such torture all over again? The reasons are so many. But, to sum it up best, I've been blessed with the power to do it -- to turn my physical abilities into a vehicle to help nurture back a world as we knew it -- without the infliction of HIV and AIDS. As one of the designated training volunteers for this event, I also get to share the invaluable lessons I've learned from my previous ride to inspire others to believe in their own abilities in the name of our common cause. I've been fortunate to meet many people in the AIDS/LifeCycle community. Many of them have never participated in an event like this before and are scared out of their wits about it -- I remember the feeling well. A notable number of the riders are HIV-positive, yet stare down the road to LA with incredible determination. Their fortitude and spirit is awe-inspiring. To me, they personify the means and cause by which we continue to fight -- and hold high hope in doing so -- the world's worst human disease pandemic in history. The four days I spent last Summer, riding from New York to Boston in the Northeast AIDSRide, and the 7 days the year before on the California AIDSRide, were some of the most enriching (and exhausting) I've experienced in my life. I remember having been grateful daily to those who prepared me physically and mentally for those adventures. I was even more grateful for the financial and moral support I received, which made my participation truly meaningful, let alone possible. I'm appealing to you to make that difference this year by helping me accomplish a fundraising goal of $5,000 before I embark on this journey. HOW CAN YOU HELP?
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