Sean Walling & Soulcraft Bikes supports the Bike Monkey - Mountain Biking for AIDS & Hunger

bikemonkey.net

WHAT DO I DO?

raise money

ride

On Saturday, March 25th of 2006 Bike
Monkey will hold its first ever cross-country event at Boggs Mountain in
support of Food for the Hungry and their ongoing AIDS relief effort in
Africa.

This charity event will raise funds to support medical and educational
projects designed to help with the terrible pandemic that is racing across
the African continent.


WHAT?

8-Hour Solo and 3-Person Relay

Male, Female, and Co-Ed


WHEN?

Saturday, March 25th, 2006

8:30am to 4:30pm


WHERE?

Boggs State Demonstration Forest

Cobb, CA

FACTS

Aids will kill more than one third of young
adults in some parts of Africa



Aids kills some 6,000 people each day in Africa - more than wars, famines
and floods.



Every day, around 1500 people are infected with HIV in South Africa where
over 4 million people have HIV - over 20% of the population.



In Botswana, a boy aged 15 has an 85% chance of acquiring and dying from
AIDS in his lifetime.



One of the greatest contributors to the spread of HIV is a lack of
education.

A Voyage of Hope - The Goree Challenge - Karma Yoga in Action

A Voyage of Hope - The Goree Challenge

In March 2006, Victor Mooney will begin his Solo trans - Atlantic Row from "The Door of No Return" (Goree Island, Senegal) to The Brooklyn Bridge, New York to encourage Abstinence, AIDS Education and Prevention in a 24' oceanrowboat. Mooney looks also to raise money for AIDS Charities. All funds raised over the estimated budget for Goree Challenge [$200,000] will benefit HIV/AIDS service organizations locally and worldwide.
Mooney will also pay homage to all Africans that died during the Middle Passage and those that surived and lived on Plantations in the Americas and Carribbean.




With an emphasis for youth - at risk, using satellite communication and computer on-line services such as the World Wide Web, Mooney will have the ability to link between the vessel, educators and students, which will not only provide inspiration and an engaging, interactive educational experience, but will also illustrate a strong sense of practical application for the students with respect to their lessons.




In four consecutive years, Victor Mooney (41), has battled the seas around Long Island and Manhattan. His cause came from after loosing loved-ones and a desire to continue the work of the late New York City Cardinal John O'Connor, who helped those with the terminal disease. Awareness, not fund-raising dollars, is Mooney's goal.

"HIV/AIDS is 100% preventable, says Victor Mooney."





Victor Mooney is a communications officer for ASA: The College for Excellence, located in Brooklyn, New York. Mooney also serves as the founder and executive director of South African Arts International.




See what you can do for the fight against AIDS. And thank you Victor!

An invitation to Harpo Productions,The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Oprah Winfrey

A bike ride event in San Francisco? Amgen - Tour of California

AEG Announces Route Details of 2006 Amgen Tour of California

World Class Cycling Field to Compete Across 600-Miles of California Roadway In Eight Day Stage Race

LOS ANGELES, January 17, 2006 – AEG, one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment presenters, today announced route details of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California (UCI 2.1) which will make its way from San Francisco to Redondo Beach, CA along a demanding 600-mile course. Also announced today, 16 international and domestic teams will traverse the state from north to south in this eight-day professional cycling stage race modeled after the Tour de France. The Amgen Tour of California is scheduled to take place from February 19-26, 2006.

Sanctioned by the UCI (Union Cycliste International) and USA Cycling, the Amgen Tour of California is one of the most anticipated events on the international cycling calendar. Between the opening Prologue in San Francisco and the finale in Redondo Beach, the race will visit ten host cities for official stage starts and finishes while the many communities along the route will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite bicycle racing. Host cities for the eight daily stages include: San Francisco, Sausalito, Santa Rosa, Martinez, San Jose, Monterey, San Louis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach.

Prologue: Sunday, Feb. 19

At 11 a.m., riders will open the competition with a short, intense Prologue through the streets of San Francisco. Starting by the Ferry Building at Pier 1, the 1.9-mile course will run along the Embarcardero until making the sharp left onto Bay Street that will bring the riders up the tight and steep climb through Telegraph Hill to the finish at Coit Tower.

Stage One: Monday, Feb. 20

With the start on the Marin side of the San Francisco Bay, Stage One will cover roughly 84 miles from Sausalito to Santa Rosa. On its way up Highway 1, the course will run through the Marin Headlands, flanked on both sides by national parkland, before leaving the Point Reyes National Seashore for the race’s first sprint competition line in Point Reyes. After crossing into Sonoma, spectators can watch the race for the stage win unfold as the field completes three laps of a technical finishing circuit in downtown Santa Rosa.

Stage Two: Tuesday, Feb. 21

The race will next turn south toward two decisive days in San Jose. After neutral parade laps in the start city of Martinez, the stage is a hilly ride through the East Bay that will bring the race over its first significant climb. Coming 22 miles before the finish line in downtown San Jose, the Sierra Road climb east of the city center will be the first Category One (highest ranked in order of difficulty) ascent in the King of the Mountains competition.

Stage Three: Wednesday, Feb. 22

A 17-mile Individual Time Trial on the outskirts of San Jose will test the cyclists on an undulating course along the Chesbro and Calero Reservoirs.

Stage Four: Thursday, Feb. 23

The “Queen Stage” of this year’s race begins in Monterey and follows scenic Highway 1 where the mountains run into the Pacific Ocean. At 130 miles, this is the longest stage of the 2006 race and will test the riders on consistently hilly and technical terrain. The six-hour day will see the athletes go through the community of Big Sur and by Hearst Castle before shifting inland toward the finish in San Luis Obispo.

Stage Five: Friday, Feb. 24

Starting in Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo, Stage Five to Santa Barbara will follow the central coast until the sprint city of Guadalupe, where the field will leave the flatlands and head east to the Santa Ynez Mountains via the Solvang area. The riders will then face the four-mile Category One climb to San Marcos Pass before descending to a beachfront finish in Santa Barbara.

Stage Six: Saturday, Feb. 25

This shorter stage with a hilly profile from Santa Barbara to Thousand Oaks features four KOM climbs in the 80 miles that precede three laps of a three-mile circuit in Thousand Oaks that will cover the stage’s final ten miles before finishing at title sponsor Amgen’s corporate campus.

"Amgen staff are excited about welcoming the race to our corporate headquarters in Thousand Oaks and highlighting our Breakaway from Cancer initiative, a partnership with The Wellness Community to support cancer patients and their caregivers," said Daly.

Stage Seven: Saturday, Feb. 26

The race will culminate with a circuit race in Redondo Beach. The stage will be active as the riders compete on ten laps of a 7.65 mile circuit along the Redondo Beach Esplanade and through an intermediate sprint line in Riviera Village before returning to the start/finish line on Harbor Street. Thousands of spectators will be able to watch the race develop as the cyclists vie for the honor of winning the final stage of the first Amgen Tour of California.


For complete Google course maps and elevation profiles for each stage, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com

Hope to see you out there with your Cow bell ...wishing the best of all possible worlds, AIDS/LifeCycle Cyclist, tony eason

An invitation to Harpo Productions & The Oprah Winfrey Show

The San Francisco Bay Guardian -Donation Yoga Classes

Recently, Amamda Davidson of the San Francisco Bay Guardian was gracious enough to write up about the upcoming rise in Donation Based Yoga Classes in San Francisco.

By Amanda Davidson
biztips@sfbg.com

An optometrist-cum-nomad, a life coach, a photographer, and a yearling yoga teacher stand in a disheveled semicircle, grinning. We've just taken Jonathon Reynolds's Meditation Vinyasa class at Yoga Mob, a new yoga studio operating as a sort of speakeasy out of a Mission District artists' warehouse. Everyone is sweaty and happy and emanating that high-on-endorphins glow that follows a great class. Another reason for our contentment? We've all paid only what we could afford. No questions asked.

Get ready to stretch! Donation-based yoga teachers have arrived.

A few days after that Yoga Mob class, I catch up with Reynolds and fellow donation-yoga movers-and-shakers Catherine Levy, Jaime Lindsay, and Steve De Cosse to discuss the emerging movement.

With nothing but a small sign taped up outside the front door, Yoga Mob is not a typical yoga studio. Stepping off the noisy street into the warehouse feels like entering a combination home, art studio, and sanctuary — albeit a funky one.

"We have a chicken now!" says Yoga Mob founder Levy, pointing to a rubber chicken on a kitchen table just inside the front door.

Levy brews a pot of mint tea, and we move into the living room, an open, brick-walled space replete with a fish tank, TV set, and couches. In the yoga studio, which opens off of the living room, electric guitars hang above a sprung floor.

It's a far cry from where Levy first took yoga. "I was a computer professional," she says, settling into a couch. "My first yoga class was a corporate introductory session at an office."

When Levy left that job in 2002, she could no longer afford yoga in the Bay Area, where the average cost of a drop-in class is $15 and rising. After a good dose of soul searching mixed with several months of travel, Levy returned to San Francisco and put a call out on Tribe.net for collaborators; soon the Yoga Mob project was under way.

Yoga Mob is one of many local projects offering yoga classes on a pay-what-you-can basis, although as Lindsay points out, "calling it a movement is a little weird 'cause it's not organized." Still, the idea has definitely gained critical mass in recent months. Lindsay, who began offering a donation-based class at Grace Cathedral almost 10 years ago, shifted to an entirely donation-based teaching schedule in 2004. This fall, two dedicated by-donation studios opened: Yoga Mob offered its first class in November, and in September, De Cosse opened Ritual Yoga, a by-donation studio in the Marina District. And individual instructors such as Lindsay, Rusty Wells, and Tony Eason offer pay-what-you-can classes at rented studio spaces throughout the city.

These yoga teachers see donation yoga as an antidote to the exclusivity and sense of commercialization that come along with the rising price of yoga classes. "Yoga means unity," Reynolds explains. "Anything that separates is not yoga."

De Cosse points out that by-donation yoga classes refocus the practice on community rather than commodity. "People want to serve, be generous, give. They want to be part of something," he says.

It's the something-more that these teachers want to put out there by removing financial barriers to yoga. "I actually believe the world is better when people are doing yoga," Lindsay asserts, an idea that's emphasized by all present. When I ask him to elaborate, he says, "It gives people quiet minds, space between impulse and action, freedom to actually make a choice — and better orgasms."

"Better orgasms," everyone agrees.

"I've really got to get that on my Web site soon," says Lindsay. *


TONY EASON
http://ynottony.com


JAIME LINDSAY
http://jaimelindsay.com


JONATHON REYNOLDS
http://www.learningtolisten.info

RITUAL YOGA
http://www.ritualyoga.com


RUSTY WELLS
http://www.rustywells.com


YOGA MOB
http://www.yogamob.org

AIDS LifeCycle - A Sneak Preview - Roadies & Cyclist - San Francisco

Susan Parish's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
Four years ago, when the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center decided to produce their own ride, my immediate reaction was "I want to help!" I came on board as a Cycle Buddy for AIDS/LifeCycle 1, and since that time I have enjoyed the most rewarding work of my life.
I have participated in several rides over the past seven years, including ALC3, and have raised over $20,000 for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Prior to joining the staff of AIDS/LifeCyle, I had ridden in two California AIDS Rides (CAR 5 & 7), and crewed twice (CAR 6 & 8). I also rode in the first Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride (brrrrrr!). In July 2002, I embarked on my own personal challenge, riding my bike from Seattle to Portland, 200 miles in one day. In 2003, I did it again (why? I don't know--it's a question I still ask myself). I did both of these rides as fundraisers for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

AIDS/LifeCycle is much more than a bike ride. When I rode in my first AIDS ride back in 1998, I was sure that I would only do it once. I looked at it as a personal challenge, to be completed once and stored in my memory as one of life's great experiences. And as I struggled through months of training and fundraising, my mantra became, "I'm only doing this once, I'm only doing this once..." But something happened to me on the ride. Or more precisely, many things happened. I experienced a sense of true community like I had never experienced before. I discovered that if people care enough, they truly can make a difference. And I met many, many individuals with HIV and AIDS. I knew I had to ride again.

Since then, AIDS has become a much more personal issue for me. When I first rode, I did not have any close personal friends who were affected, and AIDS seemed like of a distant problem, something I read about in the papers. Today, I have many close friends who are HIV positive, or living with AIDS. I continue to ride for them. I continue to ride for the people I meet almost every day. And I continue to ride for the millions of people I haven't met, and possibly never will. It's no longer a choice for me. To give up is unimaginable.

"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
- Etienne de Grellet




Thomas Hellevig's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
During the first week of June 2004, in order to fulfill a personal challenge, I rode the AIDS Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Not knowing what to expect, I was open to, what proved to be, one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Not only did the ride galvanize my love for cycling, it opened my eyes to how much an individual can make a difference towards helping fight a worldwide scourge. The experience was so moving that in 2005 I did it again.

In those two years, I managed to raise a humble $7000.00. It is with mounting excitement that I registered to ride in the AIDS/Lifecycle 5. Much of that excitement stems from that fact that with friends that I've met on the previous two rides, I am riding on the inaugural season of the Atlas Café bicycle team. Along with myself, Chick Pipher (rider #2628) and Kyle Rich (rider #6139) have added the Aids Lifecycle 5 to our riding and racing calendar. The Atlas Café has made a very generous financial and gear donation towards our efforts. Even with the help of the Atlas Café's contributions (www.atlascafe.net) I still need more help. Fundraising has never been my strong suit and every bit helps. With the money raised, who knows, maybe we'll be having an end of Aids/HIV Cure Celebration ride soon. Thanks so much for all your help.




Kyle Rich's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
I have a lot of friends that are sick. And, I know that medications cost a lot of money. The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is making sure that affordable drugs are available. My friends can’t do the ride. But, I can. …

AIDS Life Cycle …….. is the official cycling event of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. It is the only long distance cycling AIDS fundraiser in California produced by the organizations that will benefit from the funds raised by the event, which ensures that focus will remain firmly on maximizing net return.

AIDS Life Cycle ……..is about HIV & AIDS, and about raising money to help the continue to provide the critical services and education needed to meet the growing needs of the community.

AIDS Life Cycle ………provides a reminder that the rate of HIV infection is increasing, particularly in communities of color and in individuals under the age of 25, and that in California alone there are more than 47, 000 people living with AIDS, and another estimated 94,000 to 130,500 living with HIV.

AIDS Life Cycle ….will take place June 4 – 10, 2006, as 1,500 cyclist and 400 volunteers will travel 585 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Each cyclist is required to raise a $2,500.00 pledge minimum.

So with your help,
I can do my part …so they can take part in life.

I'm Riding to End AIDS



Ben Armstrong's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
This is the third time I have particpated in AIDS Lifecycle, the 7-day, 585-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.
I first started riding because of the personal challenge but after my experience on ALC3 I vowed to get more involved. Last year I volunteered to be a Training Ride Leader and set up the first CAT 2 series, a set of rides designed to help beginner rides prepare for the event. It was an enormous success and so I am doing it again. Starting January 29th I'll be out every Sunday, whatever the weather. Check our the link below to get details of the rides. One of the success factors of the series was the weekly newsletter I sent out to the riders who participated. I am going to be posting that on my blog here too so keep checking back as the weeks progress.

I also really want to raise $5000. I have tried the last two years but never quite made it. The first year I raised $3500 and the second time I raised $4500. If your reading this why not hit the donate button? Any amount is OK and it really is appreciated.




Patti Segarini's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
***NEWSFLASH***11/16/05: Today, my employer, Helix Medical Communications, has committed to match all my donations, up to $2500, dollar for dollar!!!! See your donation double instantly!!! Thank you Helix!***
When one of my former training buddies, the Honorable Donna "Hulk Sister" Groman (Superior Court, Office #69), did one of the first AIDS rides from SF to LA in 1995, I was impressed, but never thought it was something I could do. Being a new parent at the time, I saw all kinds of complications and barriers to training, not to mention the physical challenge. At that time I made a promise to myself that I'd do it in 10 years when I'd be approaching 50, if I could still ride a bike. I had naively hoped that science would have eliminated the disease by then, and I could go on with my life. Well, 10 years has passed lightening quick, my 50th birthday looms on the horizon (not until 2006, thank you very much) and the AIDS epidemic hasn't gone away.

How has AIDS touched me? In 1987, my graduate school buddy Dale Hansen lost his 5 year battle with the disease. We barely knew what the initials stood for when he was diagnosed in 1982. He outlived the predictions of the day, and most of his friends. Scott Falkenthal, another graduate school friend, was ramping up a promising career as a faculty member at Ohio State University. Scott died in 1990, and his former department, Molecular Genetics, now awards a promising student in his memory each year. Keith Hollings, a talented artist and designer, had escorted me to my high school senior prom. In 1992, almost 2 decades after graduation, our paths crossed briefly through a mutual friend. We promised to stay in touch, but six months later I learned that Keith had passed away due to complications from AIDS. And there are numerous acquaintances I've lost as well--all talented, wonderful, young men that passed on in the prime of their lives.

But this is just my experience; AIDS is not a disease that affects only talented, wonderful, young, white men. At the end of 2003, the CDC estimated that in the US more than 400,000 people were living with AIDS; 36% White, 42% Black, and 20% Hispanic. Seventy seven percent are men; 23% are women, and 2/3 of the women were infected by a male partner.* Worldwide, women now account for 50% of all people infected with HIV. The good news is that people with AIDS are living longer, and that's why resources are so greatly needed.

I've sewn quilt panels, donated money, and raised awareness amongst my friends and family. Now I want to try something different, something that challenges me physically with the spiritual. I'm a little scared, but I'm determined to accept and complete this challenge with the love and support of my family, friends, and community. Please reach into your heart and send me a message of support (psegarini@earthlink.net). And if you're willing and able, please reach into your wallet and help me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can.





Chick Pipher's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
From June 4-10, 2006, I'm bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 585-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.
Help me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past.





Shivie Cook's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage

Shivie Cook's
AIDS/LifeCycle 2005 Blog

Because I dare to dream...

of a world where HIV and AIDS is a thing of the past. I remember the world before HIV and AIDS and I want to know it after. We have committed to riding 585 miles in seven days from San Francisco to Los Angeles until we are free of the AIDS pandemic. Each of us has committed to raising at least $2500 to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.
Let's get real...people are hurting. It's that simple...we are raising money because people are hurting and we can help. By supporting me on this journey you have a chance to make a difference. AIDS LifeCycle is about more than just raising money - it does that and so much more. Last year we raised $7.2 million - 1600 riders, 400 roadies and a mobile camp. For seven days we were a community with a common cause. Of course in the months leading up to the ride we were fostering the concept of community during our weekly training rides. AIDS LifeCycle builds community and supports those in need. But they cannot do it alone. So I am committed to riding my bike and spending weekends in spandex putting in the miles but I cannot do it alone. I, we, need your help.

We must not let HIV and AIDS become comfortable in our future - we must fight the pandemic and together we WILL make a difference. Pledge online by credit card, mail in a check or have the donation split over 10 monthly payments - just DO IT - PLEASE...

And please feel free to pass this around to anyone in your circle that would be interested in supporting us on this ride for life...AND for every dollar you pledge we have an anonymous Angel who has pledged to match your donation dollar for dollar up to $2000 - so c'mon let's make this a good year and I will keep you updated in my blog about the training...

And go ahead, join me in daring to dream of a world without HIV and AIDS.

one love

Shivie #1940

This liquid gold light we ride fantasies framed in blissful delight sanity sold out reality spurned dangers hidden reality spinning out of the cycle of needin' and greedin' forgiveness given hurtful deeds hunger driven slide down paling into the vast memory of Reality numbing the senses awakened by the light emanating blissful delight dare to dream or dream to dare the wonders, the mysteries





Mr. Rio Fonseca's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
It is time to stop and reflect to think on one question: what really keeps us from acting and doing more? I can think of a number of "good" reasons: work load, school work, personal life, this or that doesn't affect me, lack of time in general, and of course money. I am sure you have yours too: some will be the same, some will be different, and they are all valid reasons. However, when I see one person, just one individual that can walk, breath, get services and medications, and have a better quality of life as a result of our efforts, all the "good and right" seem to pale and vanish by comparison. Look at the numbers: HIV/Aids is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the US, as of 2004, the CDC estimates that 415,193 people were living with AIDS. No one is exempt -- the CDC estimated that 3,927 children were living with AIDS at the end of 2004. In San Francisco, for the same time period, 26,000 cumulative cases of Aids have been diagnosed. It is expected that approximately 1,000 will become infected in the next 12 months; over 200 in San Francisco County alone will die. In light of this, I will be acting by participating in the AidsLifecycle 5, from June 4-10, 2006. I am particularly excited this year -- Team Brasil will have a large and strong contingent. In addition to The Dynamic couple Mary Elizabeth and Bob, I welcome the new members: Bill Taeusch, Tom Hellevig, Toni "yoga meister" Eason, Charles Piper, Jenni Rowley, and the return of Bob Whitney. Some of you may not know, but this is a cycling event where I will be riding 600 miles in 7 consecutive days, from SF to LA, to raise money and awareness for HIV/Aids related services. What's keeping you from acting NOW? I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP. Please consider making a fully deductible contribution. Last year we were able to break the $5,000 mark, so this year my personal goal is to raise $5,500. If all of you, loyal supporters, just add $10 to your past donation, we already have it. This is a huge commitment. When you pledge, be brave and step outside your level of comfort. As Pema Chodron says, "usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear". Acknowledge what is keeping you from acting now, consider all that it is involved, and be brave -- do it in spite of it. Remember that countless individuals will be personally touched by your caring action. Thank you again for commitment and generosity to those in need. You continue to make a difference and I admire you for your genuine efforts.
With love,
Djalma Fonseca, RN Rider # 1195





Annabel Zammit's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
From June 4-10, 2006, I'm bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 585-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.
This will be the fourth time I have done the ride, and having had to stay home last year, I am very happy that I will be able to take part again. However, after a few months out of the saddle dealing with domestic stuff, my enthusiasm for getting up early on those relatively cool winter mornings to start the serious training has sapped away. This is when I remind myself what the whole endeavor is all about. I know I will enjoy the experience in the end and feel pleased to once again be in good shape, but what really makes me drag myself out for month after month when I really don't feel like it, is knowing that I am helping raise incredible amounts of money that will make a huge difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. After five years of being involved in this ride and this cause, I just can't stop right now.

Help me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past.




Jens Meier's
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
My 2nd Ride to End AIDS
From June 4-10, 2006, I'm bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 585-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.
Help me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past.





AIDS LifeCycle Cyclist - Nate Maton's Blog
AIDS LifeCycle Cyclist - Nate Maton's Homepage

After my senior year of high school, at the age of 18, I chose to move across the country from Washington D.C. to San Francisco and experiment with life. Through the encounters and experiences that I’ve had in the brief moment since then I am reminded of and feel grateful for how lucky I am to be healthy, able to choose my path and walk it. As I look around the world, I feel it’s all been a privilege that makes me want to give and share as I can.

So now, I sit writing to you with the intentions of assisting individuals who are in need of new solutions and continued support. I have chosen (along with 1,500 other cyclist) to partake in a 575 mile, 7 day, cycling event to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation & The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center titled AIDS/LifeCycle.

Your support will fuel the good intentions of 1, 500 individuals as they bike 585 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles in one week. It will empower the bikers and help AIDS patients whose lives have been altered by bad luck or one reckless action.

It’s so tragic that one action can be irreparable. Yet, it’s a great action to help those who have just had a run of bad luck. For truthfully, how many of us can honestly say that we’ve never committed a reckless action? I feel lucky to be alive after some of the thoughtless choices I’ve made.

So take this moment and think about how good fortune comes about? Is good fortune only some random act or is there a component created by humans? I would say there is a component created by humans, as we’ve all experienced good fortune appearing from another human being’s generosity.

Well enough speculation. Today you have the opportunity to create that good fortune for individuals challenged by AIDS You may in fact create good fortune that will prevent another human being from contracting AIDS. This is your opportunity to create that good fortune by inspiring AIDS victims worldwide as they taste a glimpse of hope from seeing thousands of us ride. And this is also your opportunity to create good fortune by helping me empower myself through the difference that I am making.

Now if you feel that you could create a positive change by opening your pocket books or aiding my journey through gear/product sponsorships, please do so. If you feel guilty for not giving please don’t. We each have our own cause and we are all bombarded by solicitations which sound similar to mine. I don’t want to create any kind of pressure for you.

Gandhi once said that the success of any of his campaigns or actions was mathematically proportional to the purity of the commitment. With all of that in mind, I wish you a great day. And encourage you to support my intentions of promoting good fortune.




Tony Eason's AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage
Sometimes we want to help others, but we are so overwhelmed by all that needs to be done in this world that we don't know where to start. We hope that tomorrow or next week, when everything calms down, we will be able to become the actively compassionate human beings we know we can be. We put off goodness like we put off going on a diet.

On 01 January 1994, I realized that there was more to life than: guzzling an expensive bottle of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay, being the belle of the ball, speaking of what others need to work on, and/or sitting daily in the same pose. So, I bought a 10 year old, Bianchi Road Bike. And, I began a 6-month intense cycling training for a cycling event called the California AIDS Ride #2.

In May of 1994, I left San Francisco with $3.00 in my pocket, no idea of how I was going to return, a questionable bike, the fear of failure, and began to cycle (along with 1500 other cyclist) toward West Hollywood.

Seven days, 575 miles later, I arrived in West Hollywood. At which point, I realized it is possible to step outside of your normal routine. I realized it is possible to empower yourself while assisting others. I realized that I wasn't alone in my ideas of creating a better world. And, I realized that miracles could occur (after all, I made it back home with $3.00 in my pocket) .

In June 2006, for my 9th Year, I will participate in an event to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation called AIDS/Lifecycle #5. Over the years, I have personally raised over $35,000.00 to assist in research, and AIDS services for individuals in need.

Each year, I cycle 575 miles (from San Francisco to Los Angeles). Each year, I must raise a minimum of $2500.00 to participate. And each year, I complete the ride knowing I did the right thing.

I believe that World History is a reflection of the actions, thoughts, and words of Human Beings. Therefore, I have chosen to be a positive addition to Humanity. Thus, creating a better future for everyone.

If you would like to assist in: relieving the suffering of others; promoting AIDS research and treatment; empowering yourself; or encouraging AIDS education; then, ..do it!

"Giving of yourself" is a wonderful empowerment.




Associate Director of AIDS/Life Cycle, Stephen Cadby's Homepage
My first day at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation was in the fall of 1996. I became a volunteer on the California AIDS Hotline. Two days a week I would answer calls from people who had fears. Fears that something they did might result in an HIV infection. Fears that someone they knew and loved might die from AIDS. And though the questions came in many forms they were all based around fears of not knowing what to do. They didnﾒt know how to proceed, or help, or in many cases, understand. While some would say that taking these calls takes a lot of courage, I would say that I believe I received more from the callers then I was most likely gave them. My journey that brought me to the hotline is like many others. I had been to too many memorial services. I had lost friends and loved ones to this disease. I was numb and I was grieving. Being able to use my counseling skills and in many cases just listen and console my callers I was also allowed to silently work through my own issues of feeling helpless. It was during this period that I discovered the AIDS Ride. The idea seemed ludicrous to me when I was first approached by someone who would become a mentor to me. But I prevailed and completed my first ride. It was hard---hard to train--hard to raise money. I canﾒt even count the days before the ride that I wanted to give up. But on those two days per week that I took calls, I quietly acknowledged that if I gave up on me then all the counseling I gave others not to give up, would make me a hypocrite. I realized after that year, that for me, I needed to do more. After my first ride my life was more focused. I realized what was important to me. I made the decision that I would leave the for-profit world and devote my life to helping to see an end to this pandemic. It took me another year and applying for different positions until I finally landed a job here at the Foundation. I continued to ride each year and when we took over production of the ride in 2001, I knocked on everyone's door here at the Foundation to let them know I had to be part of the production. For me it continues to be an honor to part of the AIDS/LifeCycle staff.
I am asked on many occasions what creates our success. It's simple, it's our participants! Some people live there lives on the sidelines, others are not satisfied with watching life go by, they must be part of it, they must be able to effect change in themselves and those around them.

You will have many struggles in the months to come. You will achieve so much that the struggles will fade in your memory. The successes will propel you the rest of your life. You will learn that the success of physically enduring a 585 mile ride (a monumental task all its own) will be only one small part of your success. What you will discover through the months of training and during the 7 days of the event about yourself, will affect everything you do from that day forward. You are in for a journey of a lifetime, one that I believe will continue and impact every decision you make for your future.

I look forward to seeing you on the road. And on behalf of all the people we serve at the Foundation, I thank you. You are giving each of them MORE LIFE

An invitation to Oprah Winfrey & Harpo Productions

Coretta Scott King - Karma Yoga in Action

"Coretta Scott was born in Heiberger, Alabama and raised on the farm of her parents Bernice McMurry Scott, and Obadiah Scott, in Perry County, Alabama. She was exposed at an early age to the injustices of life in a segregated society. She walked five miles a day to attend the one-room Crossroad School in Marion, Alabama, while the white students rode buses to an all-white school closer by. Young Coretta excelled at her studies, particularly music, and was valedictorian of her graduating class at Lincoln High School. She graduated in 1945 and received a scholarship to Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. As an undergraduate, she took an active interest in the nascent civil rights movement; she joined the Antioch chapter of the NAACP, and the college's Race Relations and Civil Liberties Committees. She graduated from Antioch with a B.A. in music and education and won a scholarship to study concert singing at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.




In Boston she met a young theology student, Martin Luther King, Jr., and her life was changed forever. They were married on June 18, 1953, in a ceremony conducted by the groom's father, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. Coretta Scott King completed her degree in voice and violin at the New England Conservatory and the young couple moved in September 1954 to Montgomery, Alabama, where Martin Luther King Jr. had accepted an appointment as Pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

They were soon caught up in the dramatic events that triggered the modern civil rights movement. When Rosa Parks refused to yield her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white passenger, she was arrested for violating the city's ordinances giving white passengers preferential treatment in public conveyances. The black citizens of Montgomery organized immediately in defense of Mrs. Parks, and under Martin Luther King's leadership organized a boycott of the city's buses. The Montgomery bus boycott drew the attention of the world to the continued injustice of segregation in the United States, and led to court decisions striking down all local ordinances separating the races in public transit. Dr. King's eloquent advocacy of nonviolent civil disobedience soon made him the most recognizable face of the civil rights movement, and he was called on to lead marches in city after city, with Mrs. King at his side, inspiring the citizens, black and white, to defy the segregation laws.




The visibility of Dr. King's leadership attracted fierce opposition from the supporters of institutionalized racism. In 1956, white supremacists bombed the King family home in Montgomery. Mrs. King and the couple's first child narrowly escaped injury. The Kings had four children in all: Yolanda Denise; Martin Luther, III; Dexter Scott; and Bernice Albertine. Although the demands of raising a family had caused Mrs. King to retire from singing, she found another way to put her musical background to the service of the cause. She conceived and performed a series of critically acclaimed Freedom Concerts, combining poetry, narration and music to tell the story of the Civil Rights movement. Over the next few years, Mrs. King staged Freedom Concerts in some of America's most distinguished concert venues, as fundraisers for the organization her husband had founded, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Dr. King's fame spread beyond the United States, and he was increasingly seen not only as a leader of the American civil rights movement, but as the symbol of an international struggle for human liberation from racism, colonialism and all forms of oppression and discrimination. In 1957, Dr. King and Mrs. King journeyed to Africa to celebrate the independence of Ghana. In 1959, they made a pilgrimage to India to honor the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of nonviolence had inspired them. Dr. King's leadership of the movement for human rights was recognized on the international stage when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. In 1964, Mrs. King accompanied her husband when he traveled to Oslo, Norway to accept the Prize.




In the 1960s, Dr. King broadened his message and his activism to embrace causes of international peace and economic justice. Mrs. King found herself in increasing demand as a public speaker. She became the first woman to deliver the Class Day address at Harvard, and the first woman to preach at a statutory service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. She served as a Women's Strike for Peace delegate to the 17-nation Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in 1962. Mrs. King became a liaison to international peace and justice organizations even before Dr. King took a public stand in 1967 against United States intervention in the Vietnam War.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Channeling her grief, Mrs. King concentrated her energies on fulfilling her husband's work by building The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change as a living memorial to her husband's life and dream. Years of planning, fundraising and lobbying, lay ahead, but Mrs. King would not be deterred, nor did she neglect direct involvement in the causes her husband had championed. In 1969 , Coretta Scott King published the first volume of her autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King Jr. In the 1970s, Mrs. King maintained her husband's commitment to the cause of economic justice. In 1974 she formed the Full Employment Action Council, a broad coalition of over 100 religious, labor, business, civil and women's rights organizations dedicated to a national policy of full employment and equal economic opportunity; Mrs. King served as Co-Chair of the Council.




In 1981, The King Center, the first institution built in memory of an African American leader, opened to the public. The Center is housed in the Freedom Hall complex encircling Dr. King's tomb in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of a 23-acre national historic site that also includes Dr. King's birthplace and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he and his father both preached. The King Center Library and Archives houses the largest collection of documents from the Civil Rights era. The Center receives over one million visitors a year, and has trained tens of thousands of students, teachers, community leaders and administrators in Dr. King's philosophy and strategy of nonviolence through seminars, workshops and training programs.

Mrs. King continued to serve the cause of justice and human rights; her travels took her throughout the world on goodwill missions to Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia. In 1983, she marked the 20th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington, by leading a gathering of more than 800 human rights organizations, the Coalition of Conscience, in the largest demonstration the capital city had seen up to that time.

Mrs. King led the successful campaign to establish Dr. King's birthday, January 15, as a national holiday in the United States. By an Act of Congress, the first national observance of the holiday took place in 1986. Dr. King's birthday is now marked by annual celebrations in over 100 countries. Mrs. King was invited by President Clinton to witness the historic handshake between Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Chairman Yassir Arafat at the signing of the Middle East Peace Accords in 1993. In 1985 Mrs. King and three of her children were arrested at the South African embassy in Washington, D.C., for protesting against that country's apartheid system of racial segregation and disenfranchisement. Ten years later, she stood with Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg when he was sworn in as President of South Africa.

After 27 years at the helm of The King Center, Mrs. King turned over leadership of the Center to her son, Dexter Scott King, in 1995. She remained active in the causes of racial and economic justice, and in her remaining years devoted much of her energy to AIDS education and curbing gun violence. Although she died in 2006 at the age of 78, she remains an inspirational figure to men and women around the world."





The King Center - Press Release - 01 February 2006

A Wish List to Harpo Productions & Oprah Winfrey

AIDS LifeCycle - Logo - The Ride - Seven Days to End AIDS

Follow the stories of a diverse group of cyclists taking part in the seven-day, 585-mile race AIDS/Lifecycle 4 annual race, as they struggle in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This reality/documentary series offers an in-depth look at some of last year's participants, the reasons they've chosen to undertake this challenge, and the important and inspirational people in their lives who serve as their inspiration. Premieres Monday, March 13 at 10:00pm EST






What is Logo?


Logo is the newest channel from MTV Networks, the force behind channels like VH1, MTV, TV Land and SpikeTV. Logo is entertainment programming for lesbians and gays and just about anyone who enjoys a gay point of view. Logo is for us, our friends and our family. Logo is originals. Logo is movies. Logo is documentaries. Logo is news. Logo is specials. Logo is the channel for Gay America. Finally.

What is on Logo?


Logo is starting off 2006 with a fantastic mix of series, documentaries, films, reality shows and specials. In January, we are proud to present Armistead Maupin's award winning Tales of the City series, shown together for the first time only on Logo. In March, we are inspired by the true story of a group of diverse cyclists taking part in the seven-day, 585-mile Lifecycle race, to help the fight against HIV and AIDS in The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS.

Our music series are the only place to find the top LGBT music videos each week. NewNowNext Music pulls together all kinds of music that speaks to the LGBT community, and stays alternative by focusing exclusively on the material that our audience can't find elsewhere. The Click List: Top 10 Videos is where the best Pop, R&B and Dance videos live each week, seen from the unique perspective of the LGBT community.

Our eyes are opened to the true diversity of our community through our documentary series, Real Momentum, which strives to tell the stories from every corner of the LGBT world, including gay politicians and farmers, the world of "voguing" and an all transgender cast of the "Vagina Monologues" in Beautiful Daughters, this February.

We've scoured the globe to bring you the definitive library of lesbian and gay films - over 200 titles in all. These are the critically-acclaimed movies from brilliant directors and producers that tell our stories, including Chuck And Buck, Party Monster, Wilde, The Broken Hearts Club, Thelma & Louise, M Butterfly and more.

Support the networks that support the community.

Wishing the best of all possible worlds,
Iyengar Yoga teacher, tony eason

A Wish List to Harpo Productions - The Oprah Winfrey Show & Oprah Winfrey