Lending a hand to those with AIDS/HIV

When you’re living with a serious medical condition such as AIDS or HIV, the costs associated with managing that condition can be astronomical. If that condition affects your ability to work, affording treatment can be downright impossible.

That’s where events such as the AIDS/LifeCycle step in to help.

“In California alone, there are 151,000 people living with HIV,” said Carol Hyman, a Bodega Bay resident who has been participating in the AIDS/LifeCycle fund-raising bicycle ride for the past four years. “Access to life-saving drugs, clinical trials and state-of-the-art treatment helps those with the disease live a longer and better- quality life. AIDS/LifeCycle helps those living with HIV/AIDS gain greater independence and get the treatment and care they need.”

The AIDS/LifeCycle is a seven-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that raises money to help people living with HIV and AIDS. This year’s ride is being held June 6-12.

“There are about 2,500 riders and 500 roadies who participate,” said Hyman. “We average about 82 miles a day and camp out overnight. It’s a very well supported, incredible event. It’s very inspirational.”

To participate in AIDS/LifeCycle, bicyclists must raise a minimum of $3,000. In an effort to support local cyclists participating in the ride, Hyman is co-organizing Taste of Spring, a fund-raising event set for Saturday, March 20 at Pelican Art Gallery.

“There’s a group of us here in Sonoma County who have being doing this ride for years and thought we would get creative about raising funds,” said Hyman. “It gets harder and harder to raise money, but we have wonderful friends here at Pelican Art Gallery and it’s a beautiful venue for this event.

Taste of Spring will feature live music by Bad Transfer, appetizers, live and silent auctions and a free raffle. There will also be a tasting of wines from around the county.

“Everyone was so generous in donating goods and services to help us put on this event,” said Hyman. “The main goal is to let people know that AIDS is really a problem we all need to think about — and not be complacent about.”

Proceeds from Taste of Spring will go directly to HIV/AIDS services through the cyclist-organizers of the event and help support the arts in Petaluma through the Pelican Art Foundation.

The newly formed foundation is the creation of Pelican Art Gallery owners Linda Postenrieder and Donna Hinshaw.

“We just received our 501(c)3 status,” said Postenrieder. “We’ve been working on this for some time and are ready to formalize our community giving through the foundation. Taste of Spring is not only our first event, but it’s also going to help us in our cause to support art in schools and in the Petaluma community. It’s a great collaboration for two really important causes.”

Taste of Spring begins at 7 p.m. at Pelican Art Gallery, 143 Petaluma Blvd. North. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door. For more information and tickets, visit www.alctasteof spring.org.

(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@arguscourier. com)