For three decades, thousands of bicyclists have trekked hundreds of miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money and bring awareness to AIDS and HIV. Now, it's all coming to an end.
The seven-day bike ride, dubbed the annual AIDS Lifecycle Ride, was established as an innovative way for the community to raise money to help care for those living with the virus. But over the years, it's become too expensive to organize.
"You could see the pain that lived back there. And I thought, 'I wish there was something I could do. I can't fix that, and I'm not a doctor, and I'm not a scientist, so I can't help in that way. But I can ride a bike, and I can raise money.'" he said.
Peterson, who started riding after hearing his friend's brother died of the disease, said he was planning on not riding next year. But after hearing that 2025 would be the last ride, he changed his mind.
"There is no other event that I can think of that brings the community together in the same way," he said.
Over its 30-year lifespan, the ride has raised more than $300 million for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles LGBTQ Center.
However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, participation has declined, and so has fundraising.
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"Especially after the last few years, that what's left after we pay those costs, it doesn't rise to the level of what we believe in our industry is an ethical way to run a fundraiser," said Tyler TerMeer, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Organizers and participants met Thursday to explore other ways to keep the community engaged. Peterson said he's open to other options.
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"I think it would be an incredible shame if we lost this event, but I also understand that everything has a purpose," he said. "A diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is not the same thing as 30 years ago."
