One week from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

One gear to push.

One end to strive for.

 

From May 31 to June 6, 2009, Team One will once again participate in a 3000-member travelling community known as AIDS/Lifecycle. This 7-day, 560-mile bike journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles raises critical funds for services that make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.

 

In 2007, we raised a total of $7,000 for this cause and successfully completed the journey to L.A. on fixed gear bikes. One gear in constant motion, all the way from San Francisco to LA.

 

 

In 2008, we passed up the chance to ride our bikes in the event and volunteered as "roadies", discovering that our duties in our respective roles were far more exhausting than the ride itself, but uplifting and rewarding in so many ways words can't even describe.

 

2009 marks the seventh year in which Alfie has been a participant in this event; it is Lisa's third.

 

Team One: Background

 

We, Alfonso Estrada and Lisa Lestishock, started Team One with the idea of participating in this event in a slightly different, more pronounced way. For starters, we aimed to complete (and did!) this long journey on fixed gear bicycles. These bikes are set up with only one gear and don't allow you to freewheel or coast... at all. This means no shifting regardless of the terrain, and constant pedaling beginning to end.

 

It challenged us to new lengths, reminded us of our fragility, and in the end rewarded us with a new personal landmark in our fitness. More significantly, it reminded us that, no matter how arduous, how painful, or how exhausting our pursuit ever was, our ordeal still never compared to the pain suffered by our brothers and sisters with HIV and AIDS. We drew inspiration from their courage to finish what we started, and we were fueled by the support of our sponsors, friends, and every bit of encouragement and admiration we got on the road.

 

In 2009, we hope to do it all again. How? With a lot of perseverance and with your support.

 

Our participation in AIDS/Lifecycle is our vehicle to support domestic services related to preventing HIV/AIDS, as well as the treatment and counseling of populations inflicted by it. However, we also care deeply about the international AIDS crisis -- especially in the poorest nations -- and hope to build awareness of a campaign that addresses what we believe to be a big part of the solution.

 

We hope to continually inspire you and everybody we meet during our travels to believe that what we do is a big deal. Please assure us that it is.

 

Team One's Mission: Two-Fold

 

1. Raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, a model organization leading the fight from many angles to end AIDS, while providing life-essential services to a still-growing population of HIV+ individuals. We’re committed to raising $10,000. In these tough economic times, it will be doubly challenging for us to meet this goal. Please help us meet this goal by making a contribution. (click here to make your pledge online.

 

2. Raise awareness and promote interest in the One Campaign, a nationwide, multi-denominational rally to end global poverty, which fuels the continued rapidfire spread of the AIDS pandemic.

 

Special Note: Lisa and Alfie have self-pledged an amount equivalent to more than the estimated cost of supporting themselves on this week-long journey, so that every other penny raised by Team One through pledges to AIDS/Lifecycle will be put to use entirely for the services of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. None of these funds will be used for our personal and travel expenses.

 

Our Beneficiaries

 

THE SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION
(www.sfaf.org)

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is a non-profit, community-based organization that is committed to ending the pandemic and the human suffering caused by HIV. The agency provides a comprehensive array of services - including financial benefits counseling, client advocacy, housing assistance, HIV prevention efforts, needle exchange, and the California AIDS Hotline (800-367-AIDS) - that directly serve over 100,000 individuals. The agency reaches over 1.5 million others through community outreach, public policy efforts, prevention campaigns, and the Web.

THE ONE CAMPAIGN
(www.one.org)

The namesake of our team endeavor, the ONE Campaign is an effort by Americans to rally Americans -- one by one -- to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE derives its name from the belief that allocating an additional one percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries. The campaign also calls for debt cancellation, trade reform and anti--corruption measures in a comprehensive package to help Africa and the poorest nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty.

The ONE Campaign is not asking for your money, they're asking for your voice.