$1,781.25

Over the last couple of years, I've thought about signing up for the Friends for Life Bike Rally, but every time I found an excuse not to -- family visits, job instability, and so on. This year, I was a bit fed up with all the excuses and decided to finally commit to the cause.

I've been involved in many fundraisers over the years, and twice a year I climb the CN Tower as part of the United Way and World Wildlife Fund campaigns. I've also volunteered with the Stephen Lewis Foundation on several occasions. After attending the Foundation's Race Against Time 20-year celebration, where I learned more about the scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, I began looking more closely into HIV/AIDS globally and in Canada.

What surprised me most was the contrast between how far we've come medically and how much work still remains when it comes to access, support, and stigma:

• ​More than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, including an estimated 65,000+ people in Canada.
• In 2024, Canadians aged 25–39 had the highest rates of first-time HIV diagnoses of any age group.
• Toronto accounted for more than 44% of Ontario's first-time HIV diagnoses in 2023.

At the same time, progress has been enormous. With effective treatment, people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives, and someone who maintains an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV — Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

The circumstances may look very different from one community to another, but one thing that continues to trouble me is how easily people who are already vulnerable can be overlooked. The stigma surrounding HIV has not disappeared, and neither has the need for practical support. For many people living with HIV, that can mean access to food, healthcare, housing support, counselling, peer support, or simply a welcoming place where they can feel safe and supported.

That's why I've decided to take part in the Friends for Life Bike Rally and raise funds for organizations providing this kind of support.

I hope you'll join me in supporting the cause. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps make a difference.