Actor Chad Allen spend seven days on a bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles as one of the participants in the annual AIDS Lifecycle event. He tells in his own words what the experience meant to him:
"I was devastated when my friend and long time mentor, Craig, died. I watched him suffer needlessly thanks to a lack of adequate health insurance and a system of health care that works only for those who can afford it. In addition Craig left us believing that his sexuality meant he deserved to suffer. I vowed that night, as I watched my friend struggle for life, that I would do whatever it takes to prevent even one more person from ever having to die believing they were less than perfect in the eyes of GOD."
"Training and riding 585 miles seems almost a joke when its placed next to the many painful miles those who have suffered with AIDS have walked since this plague took its first victim so many years ago. But its something, and its what we can do TODAY to stand up and SCREAM that those we loved will not be forgotten and this thing is not over yet. There will be an AIDS/lifecycle until there is NO AIDS. And until there is no AIDS I will be peddling or walking or roadying or just plain screaming but I promise.... I will not stop." This is one of the most amazing things a group of humans do to help each other. I'm SO proud to be participating in this event as a rider for the second year."
Chad and the Team Lazzari did helped to raise over $17,000.