>> Cycling for a good cause with the
Friends for Life Bike Rally

by ANDREA ZANIN

As the streets fill with the after-work crowd heading to the Gay Village for an evening of fun, it’s not unusual to see the occasional cyclist among the cars and pedestrians. On Friday, Aug. 3, the crowd will swell to thousands as people aim to claim a spot at Divers/Cité’s Sunset Party. There will be at least 350 cyclists in the crowd, riding straight into the heart of the celebrations.

For the ninth year in a row, the Friends for Life Bike Rally will spend six days on the road, with participants leaving from Toronto and cycling all the way to Montreal in an effort to raise funds for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (TPWAF). Divers/Cité will welcome them to Montreal with a ceremony at Émilie-Gamelin park. Scott Cheslock, the Foundation’s special events coordinator, says, “Generally we always try to arrive in Montreal in time for Divers/Cité so people can enjoy the festivities. And we arrive right into their licensed beer garden, which is wonderful.”

Pamala Beavis, director of development, describes TPWAF as “the largest direct service agency in Canada. We offer wellness promotion, treatment programs, resources, a Food for Life program that provides meal delivery for people who are home-bound, a food bank and more.”

Cheslock explains: “We’re not here for education or prevention; we actually raise money for people who are already infected. When people find out they have HIV, we help give them dignity and support.” The organization operates in Toronto, but they also run a speakers’ bureau through which they train other organizations in Canada and the U.S. to run similar programs. The Foundation has only 14 paid staff members; they rely on hundreds of volunteers to run their services. For the bike rally, that means the entire support crew—which includes massage therapists, acupuncturists and more—and the organizing team, Cheslock being the only paid staff person involved.

Drag racing

“We are already having a record-breaking year in terms of both participants and funds raised,” Cheslock enthuses. They have passed the $700,000 mark, and are expecting to reach $800,000 by the time the riders arrive in Montreal. “Last year, we raised $60,000 during the ride itself. People donate when they see us on the route. It’s phenomenal.”

“You don’t have to be HIV-positive to do the ride, but it does show that people who are can still be in good health and do amazing things,” Cheslock says. Among others, the Foundation’s executive director Murray Jose—HIV-positive for 15 years—takes part in the ride every year.

The cyclists rally just outside Montreal at 3:30 p.m. and cruise into town at 5, where Divers/Cité awaits. “We welcome them with water and beer,” festival director Ian Abinakle says. “Generally, they take the beer.”

After speeches and congratulations, the entertainment begins. This year, that includes a performance by singer Émily Bégin and a full contingent of dancers, followed by a set from DJ Tracy Young. After that, Rio de Janeiro’s most well-known DJ, Ana Paula, takes to the turntables for the first time in Canada with electro-samba and house, and dancers from Viva Brasil. “And Cantelli, the best samba dancer in Montreal, will be performing in drag—he’s a man who dances the girl’s role to perfection. The show is gonna groove,” promises Abinakle.

“Divers/Cité has been really great in supporting our event and partnering with us,” says Cheslock. “They’ve always gone beyond our expectations; they recognize the value of the work we do for people who have HIV/AIDS. They bend over backwards for us. And forewards, and sideways.”

The love seems to be mutual. Abinakle gushes, “It’s absolutely wonderful and amazing what they do. They take action, they do things. They’re the second largest AIDS fundraiser in Canada but they have no pretensions, they’re doing it for the right reasons. We’re very proud to welcome them here. Every time they come to the festival, it’s a magnificent moment full of emotion and joy.”

At Parc Émilie-Gamelin (Berri and Ste-Catherine E.)
on Friday, Aug. 3. Cyclists arrive at 5 p.m., Sunset
Party starts at 6. For more info, visit www.diverscite.org.
For details on the Friends for Life Bike Rally, visit www.bikerally.org