$3,212.18

Hello everyone and welcome to my Friends for Life Bike Rally page!

I remember the first time I read about HIV/AIDS. I was maybe 11 years old and the headers on the newspapers were scary and hopeless. Men were dying of an unknown disease and all of them had something in common: they were all gay men. There was no way to diagnose it, and even worse than that, there was no cure.

It didn’t take long before I knew of some family friends diagnosed with HIV. The strongest feelings I remember having were of being afraid and powerless. I was still an adolescent but the stigma of a “gay cancer” was strong and growing. However, since that moment I knew that I would take any opportunity to make it better and help in any possible way.

Then, on my last year of college I volunteered with “Acción Solidaria”; an NGO in Caracas to provide callers with information about HIV/AIDS and to assist people with support in whichever way they needed it. Sometimes it was as easy as telling callers which hospitals and clinics did testing, pricing, and scheduling.

Some other times it was very hard, some stories were cruel and strong, and it really put me to the test. I still remember the voice of this grandma that called to ask for help. Her son in law had passed away of AIDS complications, her daughter had been diagnosed with HIV as well as her oldest two grandchildren (11 and 8 years old) and she did not have enough money to test the youngest, who was only 5 years old. That was the moment I realized this was not exclusive to gay people and that HIV did not discriminate. This time, innocent children were affected, and I felt even more powerless.

Today, 26 years later, I get this amazing opportunity to help and contribute once more to make a difference. I am so excited to be part of the Friends for Life Bike Rally in support of people living with HIV/AIDS. But I cannot do it all alone. I need your help.

I hope you'll join me at the Friends for Life Bike Rally and help support my fundraising efforts with a donation.  

This event is important to me because the money raised goes to help people living with HIV/AIDS. People who need food, wellness care, peer support or just to be in a place that is welcoming and safe for them.

You can help support me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. 

This cause is close to my heart, and I hope you can join me in supporting it! Please keep in mind that the battle is not over yet. There is still a lot to do, and you can join me to make a difference.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Rainer