A ride for life A ride for life (April 09, 2004)

Sister gear up to support AIDS services

By Dan Stapleton

Sisters Tilmin and Kelly Hudson have lived together in Mountain View for eight years. During the week, Kelly is CEO of Rich's Business Directories in Palo Alto, where Tilmin serves as sales representative. But on weekends they are two members of Team Pie, an 11-member bike riding team gearing up to ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles for charity.

"Team Pie came about because when we all first started riding, we would ride to Shoreline and have pie, so we decided to call ourselves Team Pie. Michael's has excellent apple pie, by the way," said Tilmin Hudson.

Together with the other nine members of Team Pie, the Hudsons have been training on weekends since September, riding between 30 and 50 miles per day on their Trek Hybrid 7500 bikes. By June they hope to be able to ride between 125 and 175 miles per week.

Team Pie is participating in the third annual AIDS/Lifecycle ride, which will take place from June 6 to 12, traversing 585 miles. The ride is organized by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to raise money for HIV and AIDS services. Last year the event drew 1,010 riders and raised $4.3 million

"We are very excited about this event," said San Francisco AIDS Foundation spokesman Redge Norton. "It is a vital event for AIDS services, and in a time of budget cuts, it's essential to keep these services going and keep people alive and healthy."

Budget cuts could be devastating to many low-income individuals living with HIV and AIDS, the sisters said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal involves capping enrollment in the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which helps provide life-saving drugs.

This is the second year Team Pie is participating in the Lifecycle ride. "We got involved because we had lost two friends to AIDS," said Tilmin Hudson. "Originally we signed up as crew members to help set up, but then decided to ride ourselves. We were not athletes, but we felt it is important to raise money because this problem is not going to go away."

Last year, the sisters raised a combined total of $8,000 by sending letters to friends and family asking for donations.

"It's an amazing experience. The sense of community is amazing. It really just gives you a kind of belief in the human spirit," said Hudson.

This year, the Hudsons have set the fundraising bar at $7,000. With two months remaining, they have raised $1,100 with the help of Chevys restaurant. The next Chevys fundraiser is scheduled for April 19. Show your server this Voice article, and Chevys will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from your table to the Hudsons' fund.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in the AIDS/Lifecycle bike ride, call (415) 581-7077 or go to www.aidslifecycle.com.

E-mail Dan Stapleton at dstapleton@mv-voice.com

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