Terry Asten Bennett, whose family has been running Cliff’s Variety since 1936, continues to be a tireless and dedicated ally for the LGBTQ community. She recently, for example, served as a Roadie for the 2023 AIDS Life/Cycle where bike riders rode 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
“It was an amazing week filled with hard work and so much love,” Asten Bennett told the San Francisco Bay Times. “It takes me a few days to recover after the ride, but it is all worth it. The work I do to give back to my community pays me back tenfold in love and joy.”
She shared photos showing how she and others during the ride “build and breakdown a moving city down the coast,” such as when they create the Lifecycle Village. The Captain of the Village she said was Raoni, who with others worked side by side with Asten Bennett’s team.
On day 4, Asten Bennett and the other participants arrived in Santa Maria, which is just past the halfway point to Los Angeles. There is a park in the city with a well-known Pirate Ship Play Structure that inspires plenty of pirate-themed antics. Asten Bennett said, “My small but mighty info services team celebrated [there].”
She also shared photos of her Bus Liaison, Tom, as he drove to the Santa Monica Pier. His birthday festivities took place during the event. Asten Bennett said, “Tom has participated in every AIDS/LifeCycle as either a cyclist or a Roadie.”
When she reached the finish line, Asten Bennett was full of emotion. “[I felt] so happy and sad, all at the same time,” she said. Thanks to her efforts and those of the other riders, volunteers, donors, and more, AIDS/LifeCycle 2023 raised $11,711,785 to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and The Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Since its founding in 1994, the ride has raised more than $300 million for HIV and AIDS-related services. It raises awareness about the ongoing epidemic and the need for continuing HIV testing, prevention education, care, and more.
The San Francisco Bay Times is proud to support the fundraising efforts of Roadie Terry Asten Bennett, who serves as President of the Castro Merchants Association in addition to her work at Cliff’s. As of this writing, she has raised $9,244 this year with a goal of $10,000. You can help her to reach that goal by contributing any amount: https://tinyurl.com/bdev3he2
https://www.aidslifecycle.org/
Published on June 22, 2023
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