CHERISHING OUR VALLEY 2013
Jerry's AIDS Lifecycle poster 2013 - (click on the image to enlarge it.)
During the AIDS Lifecycle Ride, I did this poster of magical dwellings for any rider, "roadie", visitor or park worker who came up to my table. The drawing gave me the chance to talk with people about their day, encourage them to sign up for next year's ride or just answer their questions about where lost and found was located.
How moving it was to meet young people from the People's Republic of China riding for American AIDS care and HIV treatments. A San Francisco science teacher wanted his place on the poster - he had been up since 3:30 am to volunteer in the food services tent. A New Jersey mom, who worked in the camp store, paid her own way to California to support her son on his first ride. How proud I am of my wife who got us up a 4: am to make sure her "sweep vehicle" was ready to rescue riders-in-need. Then there were women from Santa Barbara who supplied our information tent with possibly the world's very best strawberries.
From pirate ships to flying saucers, people were marvelously inventive about their stores, palaces or tree houses on the poster. And, the riders and roadies raised $14.2 million dollars for HIV medications, education and care in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.
Many of the riders are from the San Fernando Valley, and lots of the training rides for the great San Francisco to Los Angeles bicycle ride begin or end in our great Valley. Who knows, maybe a little more magic just might work for our world - bike paths do.
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