Join Ryan on the Red Ribbon Ride — August 17, 2012
It’s hard to overstate the passion that I have for HIV prevention, advocacy, and care. I serve on the Clare Housing Board of Directors, and used to be the Lead Caregiver at one of the agency’s community care homes. I also work at the Minnesota AIDS Project, helping to stop the spread of HIV in young gay and bisexual men struggling with chemical dependency.
Although I’m involved in the HIV community in many different ways, the most personally rewarding and exciting part of my involvement has been participating in AIDS/LifeCycle and the Red Ribbon Ride each year. These two long-distance bicycle rides are major fundraising events for HIV organizations in California and Minnesota. AIDS/LifeCycle is a 545-mile, 7-day journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and the Red Ribbon Ride is a 300-mile, 4-day loop through southern Minnesota.
These rides aren’t just amazing fundraising opportunities for the beneficiary agencies. They are truly transformative experiences for all of the participants. Pedaling for between 50 and 100 miles a day pushes past all of my boundaries—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every time I think, “I can’t do this,” another rider or roadie is there to tell me, “Yes, you can.” At the end of each day, I’m tired, sweaty, and dirty, but I’ve accomplished something that only a few years ago, I never thought I would be able to do.
As a person living with HIV, participating is also a way for me to prove to myself and to others that this disease doesn’t have to limit me. I’m a member of the Positive Pedalers, a national organization of HIV-positive cyclists whose mission is to eliminate stigma through positive public examples. By being open about our HIV status on these rides, and telling our stories to the people we meet both on and off the ride, we help to dispel misconceptions and myths about what it means to live with the virus.
Most of all, the emotional high that comes from being a part of such an amazing community is something that I carry with me year round. Everyone in the “traveling bubble of love” (as the ride communities are known) has a story about why they are riding or crewing. These stories are moving and inspiring, and they’re all different. Even people who aren’t participating in the ride get swept up by the emotion. Hundreds of people in small towns across California and Minnesota come out to line their streets, cheering us on and keeping us going. It’s an amazing feeling, to be surrounded by such love and such joy in the face of this horrible disease.
So, for most of the year, as I fundraise and train, I’m looking forward with giddy anticipation to these two rides, which have become the annual highlight of my summer. When I’m on my bike, I’m making lifelong friends, seeing amazing scenery, and enjoying the glow I get from knowing that I’ve made a major difference in the fight against HIV.
Why not join me out on the road next year?
The Red Ribbon Ride mission is to educate the public about HIV and to raise funds and awareness to support eight Minnesota AIDS service organizations, including Clare Housing. Each July, hundreds of riders and volunteers spend 4 days and ride 300 miles to raise crucial dollars for these agencies. For more information on the Red Ribbon Ride visit – http://www.redribbonride.org