AIDS/LifeCycle
{{Short description|Charity cycling tour in California, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
AIDS/LifeCycle (ALC), formerly known as California AIDS Ride from 1994 to 2002, was a seven-day cycling tour through California, starting in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles. Since its start in 1994, the program has raised over $300 million for HIV- and AIDS-related services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The final ride occurred in 2025.{{cite web | url=https://www.aidslifecycle.org/why-we-ride/about-the-ride/ | title=About the Ride • AIDS/LifeCycle }}
Description
AIDS/LifeCycle is a charity event to raise money for HIV/AIDS services and raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Participants (riders, roadies, and staff) raise money throughout the year. In the first week of June, the riders cycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles with the support of the roadies and staff. For seven days, ALC passes through communities in California as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS and as an event to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Each day of riding can range from 40-100+ miles. At the end of each day of riding, cyclists arrive in a camp to eat, shower, and rest before riding out again the next morning. Currently (as of ALC 6-8) the route is a total of about 545 miles. Mileage may change due to route/road constructions and availability of campsites.
History
In 2002, AIDS/LifeCycle was started by former Pallotta Teamworks Vice President Kevin Honeycutt, replacing the Pallotta Teamworks California AIDSRide after it was mired in controversy.[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/05/03/WB243046.DTL The big wheel / Critics don't faze Dan Pallotta, who has helped raise big bucks for AIDS research - and his company]
Logo TV produced a multiple episode show for its network called 'The Ride: 7 Days to End AIDS', which highlights the experiences of several cyclists, both those who have lost family and those who are HIV survivors.{{cite web|title=7 Days to End AIDS|url=https://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Ride-7-Days-to-End-AIDS/70212987|website=Netflix|access-date=September 24, 2016}}
In 2008, AIDS/LifeCycle closed registration early because of an unprecedented number of registrants.{{cite web|last1=Diaz|first1=Gill|title=Registration closes months early for world's annual AIDS fundraiser|url=https://lalgbtcenter.org/about-the-center/press-releases/registration-closes-months-early-for-world-s-annual-aids-fundraiser-aids-lifecycle-on-track-to-break-records|website=Los Angeles LGBT Center}}
In 2024, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles LGBT Center announced the final year for the ride as 2025, due to increasing costs and the lack of funds as well as support to keep the event going each year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a large drop each year in attendance and fundraising costs.{{cite news | last = Lim | first = Samantha | title = The SF-to-LA AIDS/LifeCycle Ride Is Ending, But the ‘Love Bubble’ Community Lives on | newspaper = KQED | date = September 12, 2024 | url = https://www.kqed.org/news/12004482/the-sf-to-la-aids-lifecycle-ride-is-ending-but-the-love-bubble-community-lives-on | access-date = February 3, 2025}}{{cite news | last = Kane | first = Astrid | title = End of the LifeCycle? Beloved AIDS ride from SF to LA is heading in wrong direction | newspaper = The San Francisco Standard | location = San Francisco | date = August 9, 2024 | url = https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/09/aids-lifecycle-ridership-is-down/ | access-date = February 3, 2025 }}
Totals by year
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Participants !Miles Ridden !Amount Raised |
| 2025
|TBD |560.5 |
| 2024
|1,349 cyclists 547 roadies |537.3 |$11,300,909 |
| 2023
|1,457 cyclists 561 roadies |536.9 |$11,860,000 |
| 2022
|2,226 cyclists 573 roadies |545.9 |$17,800,000 |
| 2021
|1,961 | - |$2,637,795 |
| 2020
|3,738 | - |$8,432,538 |
| 2019
|2,200 cyclists 647 roadies |546.1 |$16,797,717 |
| 2018
|2,307 cyclists 659 roadies |552.1 |$16,685,008 |
| 2017
|2,231 cyclists 698 roadies |552.5 |$15,309,609 |
| 2016
|2,372 cyclists 620 roadies |542.8 |$16,262,694 |
| 2015
|2,401 cyclists 645 roadies |532.01 |$16,675,273 |
| 2014
|2,348 cyclists 589 roadies |532.25 |$15,490,142 |
| 2013
|2,205 cyclists 596 roadies |542 |$14,511,424 |
| 2012
|2,209 cyclists 568 roadies |542.6 |$12,802,110 |
| 2011
|2,362 cyclists 579 roadies |540.7 |$13,357,701 |
| 2010
|1,903 cyclists 542 roadies |559.2 |$10,099,209 |
| 2009
|2,158 cyclists 555 roadies |559.2 |$11,059,923 |
| 2008
|2,480 cyclists 531 roadies |538.6 |$12,365,325 |
| 2007
|2,343 cyclists 473 roadies |556.8 |$10,685,176 |
| 2006
|1,773 cyclists 395 roadies |546 |$8,031,000 |
| 2005
|1,611 cyclists 390 roadies |544.6 |$7,156,000 |
| 2004
|1,200 cyclists 378 roadies |574.7 |$5,105,000 |
| 2003
|1,009 cyclists 339 roadies |579.5 |$4,258,000 |
| 2002
|668 cyclists 251 roadies |601.7 |$4,735,000 |
| 2001*
|2,812 |585 |$11,583,000 |
| 2000*
|2,664 |585 |$11,295,000 |
| 1999*
|2,965 |585 |$11,607,000 |
| 1998*
|2,612 |585 |$9,832,000 |
| 1997*
|2,485 |585 |$9,442,000 |
| 1996*
|2,183 |585 |$7,929,000 |
| 1995*
|1,859 |585 |$5,349,000 |
| 1994*
|478 |585 |$1,540,000 |
See also
References
External links
- [http://www.aidslifecycle.org AIDS/LifeCycle]
{{Health-related Charitable Events in the US}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:AIDS LifeCycle}}
Category:Health-related fundraisers
Category:Health charities in the United States
Category:Medical and health organizations based in California