Jeremy Crabb, UCA Operations Support and Compliance Commander, will embark on his second AIDS/LifeCycle ride in June.
The 545-mile ride will begin in San Francisco on June 5 and end in Los Angeles on June 11. Crabb first saw an ad for the ride in 2006 when he was on a subway in San Francisco.
“I just knew I wanted to do that,” Crabb said.
He was drawn to the cause of the ride and the physically challenging aspect. He first rode in the AIDS/Life Cycle event in 2013. During that first ride he initially thought “What am I doing here?”
But as the ride went on his passion for the organization only deepened.
“It’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done,” Crabb said. The AIDS/LifeCycle ride is the product of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Their goal for this event is to “improve the health and well- being of people who are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and to prevent new HIV infections.”
“It’s not about cycling anymore. It’s about making a difference in people’s lives. I want to help make an impact to help people and fight HIV,” Crabb said.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center advocates for homeless teens in the area, which is one of the reasons Crabb supports the organization. “You don’t have to be LGBT to receive help from the Center,” Crabb said. He got to see the organization at work firsthand in 2013.
Crabb said they have impacted so many individuals and their families and are nationally recognized for their work in research, education, and advocacy. “It really touched my heart,” he said.
Crabb stresses that it is important to publicly advocate for these organizations to help people.
“We as a community need to stand up and support, without prejudice, those who are affected by HIV and AIDS.
Crabb’s participation in the upcoming ride is his way of increasing awareness, fighting stigma, and supporting research and education. Crabb said his support system in preparation for the ride has been amazing.
From his coworkers to friends and family, everyone constantly encourages him to work toward his goal of completing the ride. Another important part of Crabb’s job when he registers for the race is to raise money for the organization.
Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $3,000. “My goal is to raise $5,000,” Crabb said.
Donations are welcome from anyone and can be made through tiny.cc/jcrabb and for more information visit www. aidslifecycle.org.
Jeremy Crabb works for UCAPD and can be contacted by calling them or walking into the building for more information.
image via thecabin.net
