AIDS/LifeCycle 11 - Dan Jahner

Donate. Pretty please.

I guess I could leave it at that, but some people may want more explanation, so here goes. AIDS/LifeCycle 11 will be my fourth year of cycling in ALC. I had a great time the last three years, peddling my butt off, so I decided I need to do it one more time.

I signed up for ALC8 on a whim because I thought the memory of cycling down the coast would last a lifetime. It will, but there was something else that I took home as well. Every evening, shortly after gorging at dinner, the camp had announcements, videos, client testimonials, and other random entertainment. The client testimonials really got me. It sounds cheesy as hell to tout our great accomplishments in fundraising and saving lives - until you meet the people whose lives were saved. When that happens, it becomes a real tangible goal.

One of the most moving speeches was a very personal story by Michael Cox, which he ended with a Native American parable that I think applies to the spirit of ALC.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

One is evil - he is greed, anger, hatred, envy, sorrow, arrogance, and ego. The other is good - he is love, joy, peace, hope, humility, kindness, and generosity.

The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is a great place to donate money. The services they provide are invaluable. I am one of my own top donors with good reason.

I am HIV negative. Others aren't as lucky. Let's help.

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