18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com End of the Rainbow The AIDS/LifeCycle ride ends 30 years of a life-saving tradition, but its legacy lives on. By Nicole Naquin FORUM On a hot and sunny Monday morning on June 2, roughly 2,500 cyclists took a few minutes to recuperate at a rest stop in Windy Hill Park in Marina before continuing south. The next day, they pedaled out of San Lorenzo County Park in King City. They were just beginning a weeklong, 545-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles with a shared purpose: to honor and support the HIV/AIDS community. Since the annual ride began in 1994, AIDS/LifeCycle participants raised over $300 million to support programs run by the host organizations: the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. However, due to rising costs for hosting the event, along with declining ridership and fundraising outcomes, the ride became financially unsustainable. More than 30 years in, this was the final ride—but its impacts will continue. “We are incredibly proud of the impact the ride has had on our local communities and the HIV epidemic nationally,” Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner said in a statement. “Funds from this event helped change the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic. No longer is HIV the death sentence it was when the ride began thanks to the advancement in treatments.” Decades of advocacy and fundraising events like AIDS/LifeCycle have made HIV/AIDS far more manageable and survivable. The two host organizations alone provide tens of thousands of clients with comprehensive HIV treatment, HIV and STI screenings and access to PrEP, among other resources, every year. Programs and research have dramatically reduced the spread of HIV in California and improved the quality of life for those that live with it. However, funding for HIV and AIDS research and treatment is falling victim to local and federal budget cuts. Los Angeles County recently announced its termination of HIV and STI prevention contracts ahead of expected federal cuts to those same services. “We’ve worked so hard for the past three decades to get HIV and AIDS to a place where it’s manageable. I feel that progress is at risk,” says Manuel “Manny” Apolonio, a fouryear AIDS/LifeCycle rider and board member of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. He recommends that people continue to support organizations like these, even without the iconic bike ride: “These foundations really have their finger on the pulse of what’s most needed.” He also shares the value that AIDS/LifeCycle brought to its participants, “When you have a real-life event like this, it gives people so many opportunities to have connection, and I think that’s what gives people the joy that this ride is meant to produce.” AIDS/LifeCycle is unsure as to whether the event may return. “The work remains as important as ever,” says Tyler TerMeer, CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “We look forward to working with the AIDS/LifeCycle community to find meaningful ways to continue the ride’s legacy.” Nicole “Nikki” Naquin is a freelance travel writer based in Marina. OPINION “The work remains as important as ever.” I TRADED MY QUIET RETIREMENT IN CARMEL FOR A VIBRANT SOCIAL LIFE IN A 55+ RESORT COMMUNITY THIS IS AN ADVERTORIAL BASED ON ACTUAL CUSTOMER FEEDBACK FOR TRILOGY SAN JUAN OAKS After owning a thriving scrapbook store and scrapbook retreat company, I sold the business and retired in 2023. I had been living in Carmel for years, and after retiring, I knew I wanted a more active lifestyle. Carmel is beautiful, but it’s a little quieter than what I was looking for. When I first visited a Shea Homes Trilogy community in La Quinta, where my daughter lives, I loved the whole vibe and what they offered. The facilities were beautiful, and everything was maintained so well. It was clear the people who lived there had a zest for life and wanted to get out, do things, and have fun— which is easy because at Trilogy communities, they bring the entertainment to you! So, after retiring, I was sitting in my condo in Carmel, and I thought; let me see what Shea Homes is doing around here. When I discovered Trilogy San Juan Oaks, I knew it was where I needed to be. I moved into my new home in December 2024, and I am loving life. I’m less than an hour from the ocean, and it’s easy to visit and see my friends there. But I’ve met so many new friends here too. And now I’m bringing so many people out to look at the community, to hopefully join me out here! I’ve truly found a community of people with a zest for life, in a similar age group (I’m 61). Last year Shea did a welcome dinner for a group of us who bought the first 24 homes. I first met other homeowners here at a dinner for new members, and found we had similar interests, and were at similar stages in our lives. Several of us stayed in touch through the whole build process. We would meet for dinner, and some even invited me and the construction crew for dinner. It was great going through the process together. Everyone is super friendly. I recently saw a new neighbor and pulled over to introduce myself out the car window, because I know what it’s like to be a new homeowner! Life here is only going to get better. My home is important, but to me, my life outside the home is even more important. I encourage anyone—singles, couples, those looking for a rich and full life in their retired years to check out Shea Homes Trilogy communities. And if you end up at Trilogy San Juan Oaks, I look forward to welcoming you! To learn more about this community visit Trilogy55Monterey.com or call 831-784-8872. Sales: Shea Homes Marketing Company (CalDRE #01378646); Construction: SHALC GC, INC. (CSLB #1062050). Homes at Trilogy® San Juan Oaks are intended for occupancy by at least one person 55 years of age or older, with certain exceptions for younger persons as provided by law and the governing covenants, conditions and restrictions. This is not an offer of real estate for sale, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state or province in which registration and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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