The ride
From the official ride website:
On July 27, 2008, 500 courageous individuals will embark on an incredible journey. For six days, our riders will cycle over 600km from Toronto to Montreal with the support of a fabulous crew, and in doing so will raise thousands of dollars for men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS. The experience promises to have a profound impact on the lives of each and every participant.
The Friends For Life Bike Rally has been a huge success since it began nine years ago. It is the largest fundraiser for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and last year’s gross of over $815,000 set a record.
In Toronto, thousands of people are living with the virus that causes AIDS - approximately one-quarter of Canada’s HIV positive population live and access care here. The Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA) is the largest direct support service agency of its kind for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. The challenges facing people living with HIV are numerous and complex: episodes of illness, various transitions, discrimination, financial difficulties, social isolation, side effects from medications and long term effects from the virus - to name but a few. PWA provides services geared to help all people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada’s largest city. Our response is inspired by the voices and experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS. Providing services is what we do best.
