AIDS Ride

The Times has missed an exiting story about people raising millions of dollars to help other people here in Los Angeles. Even Mayor Richard Riordan knows of the California AIDS Ride; he has participated in the ride for the past two years by riding the last day of a weeklong bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The Times had a photo (May 21) of sleeping people, referring to the California AIDS Ride event. But, who is Di Barker and why is she so tired? The answer is not merely that she was a rider in this event. Di Barker is a staff member who worked tireless hours to help get more than 1,700 riders from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a safe manner. The bicylists raised over $5 million to support the services of the Jeffery Goodman Special Care Clinic here in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Aids Foundation.

This event is important to the Los Angeles community because of the commitment of more than 1,700 individuals to a worldwide health crisis that is impacting our population here in Southern California.

CAROL A. GROSVENOR

Los Angeles