Names in red scroll up the side of the website for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. They are not names of victims but of the people participating in a bike ride spanning 50 miles through the winding roads of Central Texas.
A number tallying the amount of dollars raised by each member moves along with it. A click of their names takes you to their personal web pages and you get a peek at the people who will jump on a bike in the name of HIV.
Man of Austin.com sat down for a conversation with one of the riders returning for his sixth trip through the hill country. He shares his years of making friends, shedding tears and the secret to making it over the hills and through to the finish line.
It is estimated that over 4,000 people in Austin are living with HIV. While medication has changed the face of the disease, the virus is still draining - emotionally, physically and financially. Worse yet, death from it has not been ruled out. But there is hope.
Events like the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which has raised over 2.5 million dollars in under nine years, enable people living with HIV and AIDS to obtain treatment, medication and living assistance, such as an electric bill or rent.
Volunteer or sign up for the ride at www.hillcountryride.org
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Check back with Man of Austin.com after The Hill Country Ride for AIDS on April 26th for photos from the event and a conversation with a rider crossing the finish line for the first time in his life.
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