Thousands of cyclists pedaled into Santa Cruz Sunday night, as they completed Day 1 of the seven-day AIDS LifeCycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to support the search for a cure for AIDS.
On Sunday night, the riders were camping out near Santa Cruz. Hundreds of cyclists have been riding in and say they are very happy to finish the first day, an 82-mile ride from San Francisco to Santa Cruz And they've raised a record breaking $16.3 million.
More than 2,300 cyclists are riding this year to raise awareness about HIV and raise money to provide services for people living with HIV and AIDS.
A big chunk of that $16.3 million raised will go to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
"It's important and soon or later it's going to impact every community, so its better that we fight it. sooner is better," Mark Tindall said.
Everyone is riding for a different reason. One man said he has done this ride for 19 years to pay tribute to a friend who died of AIDS. In California, 151,000 people are living with HIV. On Sunday night, the cyclists will sleep in a giant tent city run by 600 volunteers. Then, they'll hit the road at 6:15 Monday morning. Next stop--King City.
By next Saturday, they will be rolling into LA. Maybe a little sore, but certainly with a lot to be proud of.
