Record-Breaking AIDS/LifeCycle Pedals into Los Angeles, Raising AIDS Awareness, $11.6 Million for HIV/AID...(le to succeed -- whether we are gay or s...),Health

Over the course of the week-long event, the cyclists -- sometimes outnumbering the populations of the communities they rode through -- were greeted by local residents of eight counties. This year, organizers distributed free premium condoms -- in packages emblazoned with the message "Ride Safe" -- to HIV/AIDS organizations and community clinics along the route to emphasize the message of personal responsibility and prevention.

It is estimated that 160,000 Californians are living with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are unaware of their infection. In California, HIV/AIDS has had a particularly severe impact on the gay community, with 73 percent of all cases occurring among gay and bisexual men, compared with 59 percent nationally. Communities of color, including gay and bisexual men of color, have been disproportionately affected, as well. For example, although African-Americans comprise only 6.7 percent of California's population, they account for nearly 19 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in the state.

AIDS/LifeCycle is supported by presenting sponsors Gilead Sciences, Shopoff Properties Trust and FedEx.

Additional information about the history of the event, details regarding the benefiting organizations, and profiles of individuals participating in the event and their personal reasons for doing so can be found on the AIDS/LifeCycle website press room at http://www.aidslifecycle.org/press.

Photographs from the AIDS/LifeCycle Closing Ceremony will be available for downloading at 8 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, June 7 at http://www.aidslifecycle.org/press/.