Tomorrow is going to come way to quickly. it's a little after 9:00pm, but I'm about to go to bed so I can wake up at 4:30am tomorrow morning and start a 7 day, 545 mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles on AIDS/LifeCycle 7.

During nearly four hours of check in (which alternates between standing in a line and hugging every friend you can spot on the way to the next line) I heard a rumor AIDS/LifeCycle has already raised over $12 million, with many more donations and matching donations still to be counted. I'll be one of a record 2,500 riders winding our way through California to remind people AIDS is still a life threatening disease which claimed the lives of 2.1 million people last year alone and has left over 12 million children orphaned.

I'm riding to put an end to that though. This year I've raised over $5,000 with the donations of my friends and family. With my friends on Team Funky Monkey we've raised over $400,000! The San Francisco Monkeys raised over $250,000 which will fund the live saving work of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Here's a good explanation of what the SFAF is doing to fight AIDS:

"Committed to ending the pandemic and human suffering caused by HIV, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation develops innovative solutions, combining scientific evidence with community experience to fight HIV/AIDS and promote health. Established in 1982, the Foundation provides direct services to thousands of people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS and supplies information to thousands more about HIV prevention and treatment through programs that include the California AIDS Hotline (800-367-AIDS). The Foundation promotes HIV awareness in the community and advocates for sound HIV/AIDS policies at all levels of government."

It's time for bed because I've got a long day ahead tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, and so on. I will be posting updates and photos along the way and you can follow official AIDS/LifeCycle blog.