Riding Bikes for AIDS and the Sexist Band in San Francisco: Candy from Strangers

June 4-June 11th, 2000 cyclists from 9 countries, age 18 to 77, will be riding from San Francisco to L.A. as the AIDS Life Cycle. And I should think many of them are looking forward to being pandered to with water and snacks by The Lovely Ladies of Rest Stop 4. Ruby, the scintillating singer of Candy for Strangers is regularly very involved in this, and she promises to do her pandering in heals.

The goal of the event, and its producers, is to increase awareness about the services offered, and to increase activism, and provide a positive experience for people with HIV. Each cyclist must raise 2,500 dollars to be able to participate in the Life Cycle. The Life Cycle involves nearly 2000 cyclists, over 400 roadies, and is expected to raise over five million dollars for the AIDS serves of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 

Pauli Gray, lead guitarist, and song writer, for Candy from Strangers, has put on benefits regularly for AIDS Life Cycle, and the recent benefit raised a lot of money for the event. April 27th, 2006 was the AIDS Lifecycle benefit, at San Francisco's self professed dive, Thee Parkside, at 17th and Wisconsin. There was a lovely mobile kissing booth with a girl sporting it whose sexy punk outfit included a fetching gashed mesh top. Sponsors had donated goodies such as tickets to Burning Man and a guitar, for the silent auction. A large contingency of the crowd was creatively gender bending, and they felt freer to express themselves more as the music warmed their blood during the course of the evening. Many people involved in this show have passionate ties to the cause of fighting AIDS. Pauli supervises the California AIDS Hotline, and works with the Needle Exchange, trains and speaks on the subject of AIDS.