AIDS/LifeCycle HomepageAIDS/LifeCycle

  • Login

Alex's Fundraising Page

Donate Now

I NEVER EXPECTED TO LIVE THIS LONG!

Certainly not to be in the unique situation I’m in today.

In 1985 I came to terms with my sexuality, and was pretty sure I wasn’t going to live long. Time Magazine’s cover featured “AIDS the Growing Threat”. I moved away from my hometown in '89 to distance myself so I could figure the gay thing out, and live an authentic life. I realized quickly that the friends I made soon were dying off at an alarming rate. Faces I saw regularly were disappearing. I quietly wondered,

"When will it be my turn? When will my face no longer be around? Will someone notice that I am no longer in attendance?"

It was a very dark time, not just for me, but for many of us. At that time, it took a week to get our AIDS test results, and those were the longest 7 days of our lives. Education was all about safe sex and levels of risk.

20 years later I was in a relationship with a man who is positive. We had a condom malfunction and I found myself in the ER being asked embarrassing personal questions, being treated poorly, sex shamed, and talked down upon for my perceived indiscretion. I smiled politely so I could be placed on the “Post Exposure Treatment” program. I was grateful even if I knew the likelihood of transmission was small. However, the exchange at the ER affected me: I was made to feel dirty and careless for expressing love for a man I cared about. For the next 30 days I experienced waves of nausea and flu-like symptoms from the medication. Knowing how I was treated at the ER I vowed to myself that this experience would stay with me until my grave...until now. The experience changed me profoundly.

30 days later I left on a trip of a lifetime - diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I got the test results from my doctor when I landed halfway around the world. I was Negative. The stress all boiled over and I was a puddle. I could no longer contain myself.

I was contacted by The San Francisco AIDS Foundation letting me know that because of my potential exposure, PREP (PreExposure Prophylaxis “Truvada”) was available to me if I wanted to participate in a study.

I said Yes… For the first time since coming out I was living without fear or question about HIV/AIDS.

However, for my friends living with the HIV stigma and misinformation, it is real and still painful.

People ask me why I ride, and my answer is usually superficial… To end AIDS... The answer is so much deeper. I ride for all of those who are no longer with us. I ride for all my friends living with HIV/AIDS. I ride to provide education to prevent someone from being exposed. I ride to provide awareness to end the stigma. I ride to provide services to those in need. I ride with 3,000 of the most incredible Riders, Roadies, Volunteers, & Staff... TO END AIDS!

I’m asking for your support to help me raise $15,000 before I ride. I’m asking you to donate as generous as you possibly can. (And to spread the word about my journey and this cause.)

The people who rely on these services to survive, every dollar counts, and every dollar brings me one step closer to hitting my goal.

Thank you for making this personal goal a reality for me and for being the support that I need to cross the finish line on June 9th. Together, we can make a difference.

With love and gratitude,

Rider 1566 ROLLING!!!

View More
Donate Now
SF Baes
Personal Progress:
of Goal
$12,342 Raised
$15,000.00
Fundraising Honor Roll
- Apple Matching Gift Program
$257
- Genentech Employee Giving Program
$130
- Levi Strauss Foundation
$100
Alexandra Schoenfeldt
$100
Alison G
Alison Teoh
$150
Anonymous
$515
Anonymous
$500
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
$250
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
$100
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
$100
Anonymous
$75
Anonymous
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
Anonymous
$20
Anonymous
Anthony Basinger
$110
Audrey
$100
Bharat Mediratta
$250
Blake G
$515
Brett and Jimmy
$154
Buster Bear
$50
Cara W
$50
Cheryl Porro
$250
Danielle Casey
$50
David & Gary Mendelson-Varela
$154
David Raduziner
$200
Debbie
$154
Doug & Lynda Porter
$51
Earl Matchett
Elizabeth Claitor
$103
Equinix, Inc.
$490
Eric Tingom
Erin Boyle
$515
Erin Daley
$100
Gap Foundation Matching/Employee Gift Program
$100
Genevieve Shiffrar
$200
Jacqueline C Acuna
James Seay
$515
Jennifer Monahan
$75
Jenny Sanders
$150
Jerome Calder
$50
Jethro S. Busch
$103
Joe Miller
$133
Karen
$103
Kathy Aunkst
$50
Kristin Seeger
$154
Kristin Steuerle
$63
Laura Fase
Laura Tommasi
$25
Lauren Gould
$50
Leanne Rigosu
$51
Leslie Stafford
$103
Lisa Yang
$25
Lorna Smith
Louise Ginneh Cornelius
$150
Margaret Thomson
$206
Matthew Chapman
$257
Michele F
$154
Mr. Alex Talon
$350
Ms. Dianne Bates
Ms. Kristine Stratton
$100
Penny Loftesness
$278
Peymon Khaghani
$100
Phyliss Rosenberg-Feliciano
$100
Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc.
$250
Rev. Jeff Bert
Reveal Diagnostics
$150
Ron Leonardi
$103
Rose K.
$100
Ruby Baatar
$69
Sajida
Sandra Louie
$100
Steve Sherman
$51
Tom Goss
$25
Yuki S Murata
$50

©2019 AIDS/LifeCycle   ·
  • Privacy Policy
  • Staff Contacts

Contact Us
AIDS/LifeCycle ⋅ (866) 245-3424 ⋅ info@aidslifecycle.org
Southern California Office ⋅ (323) 860-7380
Northern California Office ⋅ (415) 581-7077

AIDS/LifeCycle benefits, and is jointly produced by, San Francisco AIDS Foundation (Tax ID # 94-2927405) and Los Angeles LGBT Center (Tax ID # 95-3567895), each of which is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation recognized as tax exempt under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). Donations to AIDS/LifeCycle are deductible for income tax purposes, to the extent permitted by law.