20th Annual Cycle for the Cause Raises Nearly $800,000

A large crowd of supporters came together on W. 13th Street in New York City on the afternoon of Sunday, September 21 to welcome home the 150 riders of 20th Annual Cycle for the Cause, a Boston to New York charity bike ride. The riders raised nearly $800,000 for The LGBT Community Center's HIV/AIDS programs and services.

"This ride, this family, the work we all did together is just incredible," said Center Executive Director Glennda Testone, who participated in the ride again this year. "Technically, this journey was 275 miles on a bike, but it actually starts way before that. We ask people to fundraise for The Center's HIV/AIDS services, to tell everyone they know about this disease, about the epidemic that is still here, still happening, there is no cure."

"We do this because we don't talk about this issue enough. It's in our DNA at The Center; it's how we were founded, we think about it every day. We think about the people living with this disease," said Testone, tearing up. "And we think about the fact that it's preventable. We have the power to end this epidemic, to work together as a community to stop this disease. We can do it."

Testone thanked the bikers, the crew, including the medical team, masseuses, bike techs and front guard, the friends and family who came out to support the riders, and the sponsors, among them 718 Cyclery, Al's Cycle Solutions, Chipotle, Coors Light, GM, Goldman Sachs, Google, One Lucky Duck, PepsiCo and Poland Springs.

"The really fabulous thing about this is when you do the ride, it actually gives you more than you gave. It's the only thing where we ask people to raise money and ride all these miles and sweat and get dirty and feel sore and people thank me for doing it," she said.

Cycle for the Cause: The Northeast AIDS Ride was held from September 19-21, with riders starting in Boston and pedaling roughly 275 miles to New York City. The event raised $782,849 for Center programs.

"Every day the Center provides testing, support, prevention, education and counseling to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS," said host Former New Zealand Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup. "And it is because of the dedication of the riders that these programs stay alive."

The Center provides 1,800 counseling and group sessions for people living with HIV/AIDS. These funds also help provide health and wellness programs for youth and adults; arts, entertainment and cultural events; parenthood and family support services; substance abuse treatment and support; and affordable meeting rooms and event space.

Testone brought to the stage two riders, new rider Tony Magner, who marked 30 years living with HIV, and Maireni Soriano, the youngest person on the ride, at 19 years old.

"I tried to remember those days when I felt alone and confused, and paralyzed by fear by what lied around the next bend in the road," said Magner. "But because of my family and friends and organizations like The Center, I'm able to live my life fully and make strong decisions that are not based in fear. And even if I do fall, I know there are people who will pick me up."

Testone said that the event was the largest to date, with a total of 150 riders and 50 crew members. And she vowed that the event would continue until it was no longer needed.

"We're not going to stop doing this ride until we see the end of HIV/AIDS, until we're able to tell a story about a time when there was a terrible disease that in particular impacted gay men, young gay men, men of color, trans women, and continued to infect us at incredibly high rates," said Testone. "We're going to keep doing this ride until that happens."