2025 marks the final year of AIDS/LifeCycle, which for over three decades has raised more than $300 million for the life-saving work of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF). Coming in 2026 and helping fill the void are two new cycling fundraising events for the queer community and allies. The Castro Country Club will host the Recovery Ride to support the LGBTQ recovery community in September 2026. The SFAF, in turn, will host a 3-day cycling event in spring 2026. Funds raised by each event will support the programs and services of each respective agency.
“We are excited to share with our communities the news of a series of SFAF endurance events that answer the long-awaited question of ‘what’s next’ after the final AIDS/LifeCycle. And, we are thrilled to make our announcement in tandem with a beloved community partner,” said Tyler TerMeer, PhD, CEO of SFAF. “As funding for HIV, LGBTQ+, and equity-based prevention work continues to be at risk—or to be abruptly cut—it is more important than ever before for us to come together in partnership to support and protect the programs, services, and needs of our community.”
“There are so many inspiring examples from LGBTQ+ history of how our communities achieve more when we come together to lift one another up and fight to protect each other,” said Billy Lemon, Executive Director of the Castro Country Club. “From the Stonewall uprising, to examples of community care and mutual aid during the HIV crisis, we are inspired by the resilience and strength of our queer community and allies. Together, we will continue to fight for the lives, and the health, of us all.”
The Recovery Ride by Castro Country Club, September 11–13, 2026, will be a round-trip bike ride from Sausalito to Guerneville. The event will be fully-supported with rest stops and meals provided, camping overnight in Guerneville, and a fundraising minimum of $1,500. The second day of the event will be spent off of bikes, in a day of fellowship with meetings, speakers, and other activities.
The SFAF fully supported 3-day spring ride will start in San Francisco, include a day of riding through Sonoma, and will end back in San Francisco. The community is encouraged to vote on the event’s name–or submit their own idea. SFAF will also produce a one-day ride event in fall 2026 and will bring back the Big Gay 10K run in spring 2027.
Community members may indicate interest in SFAF’s event and vote on the event’s name at https://bit.ly/438kzBj
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