Kickstand up for the

NYCDC AIDSResearch RideSept.12-15, 2009330 miles - NYC toDC

Furthering the cutting-edge HIV/AIDS researchof George MasonUniversity’s Dr.YuntaoWu

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Share the facts

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Give what you canwhen you can

February 19, 2009Dear Friends,

September 11, 2008 – Alone in lower Manhattan, I moved with thecrowds to pay my respects at the World Trade Center site, making my way back to rest on the steps of Federal Hall. Gazing across at WallStreet, I marveled at the flag-draped New York Stock Exchange and witnessed the changing of automatic rifle-toting guards in front of itsornate doors. The next day at dawn, 26 riders left Wall Street on theinaugural NYC-DC AIDS Research Ride. Before we’d pedaled our way into Washington, DC, Lehman Brothers had closed its doors and thecrumbling of Wall Street had begun.

The economic downturn affects us all so why would I come back yetagain to humbly ask you to contribute your hard-earned resources toend HIV/AIDS? The answer lies in how I spent the off-season. Last December, I traveledto San Francisco with our Ride Director, Marty Rosen, to present a checkfor over $70,000 to the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF. The intimateevent was attended by the ARI’s top scientists including Dr. Jay Levy, co-discoverer of HIV. Dr. Levy tells a story of how his discovery wouldn’thave happened without a small $1000 grant needed to buy a crucialpiece of equipment. The ARI has learned that every penny counts and isvery excited about the many breakthrough opportunities that $70,000will afford.Soon after, Marty and I met on the other coast to hand $65,000 to thePresident of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. That donationallowed Dr. Yuntao Wu to hire a respected researcher to build on hisimportant discovery of how HIV breaks a protective barrier to get insidea T cell, eventually causing the cell to die, leading to full-blown AIDS.Design of a novel drug to keep HIV out of the T cell could keep an HIV-infected person from ever progressing to AIDS. Imagine that. Yesterday I went to the State Capitol to talk to my elected officials aboutpreserving funds for vital HIV/AIDS services and was saddened by theirobvious distress at having to cut programs that will rewind the clock onprogress made.Until we stop HIV, millions more people will die. The rate at which peoplewill die is directly proportional to the resources we can afford to put intoprevention, treatment and services for the infected. I won’t stop doingwhat I can to end AIDS, in good times or bad. I may need to get creative,as with my grocery budget, but trust you’ll do the same to get informed,share the facts, stay protected and give what you can, when you can toyour local AIDS service organizations or in support of my 2009 ride.Bringing hope to the journey, Tracy Daugherty

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