Complementary LGBTQ+ Cycling Events Announced by Castro Country Club and San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Contact: Emily Land
SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, 2025–Two San Francisco-based LGBTQ+ organizations are proud to announce new cycling fundraising events for the Queer community and allies coming in 2026. Castro Country Club will host the “Recovery Ride” to support the LGBTQ recovery community in September, 2026. San Francisco AIDS Foundation will host a 3-day cycling event in Spring, 2026, upon the conclusion of AIDS/LifeCycle which ends after the June, 2025 event. Funds raised by each event will support the programs and services of each respective agency.
“We are excited to share with our communities the news of a series of SFAF endurance events that answer the long-awaited question of ‘what’s next’ after the final AIDS/LifeCycle. And, we are thrilled to make our announcement in tandem with a beloved community partner,” said Tyler TerMeer, PhD, CEO of SFAF. “As funding for HIV, LGBTQ+ and equity-based prevention work continues to be at risk–or to be abruptly cut–it is more important than ever before for us to come together in partnership to support and protect the programs, services, and needs of our community.”
“There are so many inspiring examples from LGBTQ+ history of how our communities achieve more when we come together to lift one another up and fight to protect each other,” said Billy Lemon, Executive Director of Castro Country Club. “From the Stonewall uprising, to examples of community care and mutual aid during the HIV crisis, we are inspired by the resilience and strength of our Queer community and allies. Together, we will continue to fight for the lives, and the health, of us all.”
The Recovery Ride by Castro Country Club, September 11 – 13, 2026, will be a round-trip bike ride from Sausalito to Guerneville. The event will be fully-supported with rest stops and meals provided, camping overnight in Guerneville, and a fundraising minimum of $1,500. The second day of the event will be spent off of bikes, in a day of fellowship with meetings, speakers, and other activities.
SFAF will host a fully-supported 3-day cycling event in Spring 2026. The ride will start in San Francisco, will include a day of riding through Sonoma, and will end back in San Francisco. The community is encouraged to vote on the event’s name–or submit their own idea. SFAF will also produce a one-day ride event in Fall, 2026 and will bring back the “Big Gay 10K” run in Spring, 2027.
“Castro Country Club and San Francisco AIDS Foundation are two community organizations that have meaningfully benefited my life,” said Jaime Robert Peruffo-Gambale, a long-time AIDS/LifeCycle participant and one of this year’s top fundraisers. “As a person who has lost a parent to the epidemic, and who has had my own journey with substance use, I know that these issues affect many in our community and go hand-in-hand. It’s important for me to step up and give back so that these organizations are able to continue to deliver care and services. I ride for all of the people we’ve lost to HIV, for those of us who have battled addiction, and to end the shame and stigma.”
Find additional information about the Recovery Ride here or email [email protected].
Community members may indicate interest in SFAF’s event and vote on the event’s name at sfaf.org/biketour.
