Let's Be Social for a Cause

Posted by maureen on June 04, 2008 at 07:53 AM

As I drove to work today down a beautiful stretch of M-22 overlooking Lake Michigan, I thought about whether or not I could bike the 10 whole miles to work. Phew! Seems like a lot of energy. And then I remembered that today is the fourth day in a 545-mile biking trip in California. That's bicycling, the kind that requires physical work and lots of pedaling.

While that may be a little too much for me (I once threw my bike down in despair at the thought of having to ride it up a hill), a record 3,000 people are participating in this year's Aids/Lifecycle. In addition to increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS, the San Francisco to Los Angeles bike ride helps raise money to provide critical services to people living with HIV and AIDS. And I'm proud to say that Oneupweb has sponsored a rider: John Morin.

I wondered how John was doing, and how far along he was on his ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Thanks to the internet and many of the cyclists' adept use of social media, I simply visited Aids/Lifecycle 7. There, I can read blogs from the road, check out pictures of cyclists in action, watch video podcasts and more. Social media has also provided a way for me to interact with the riders, as I can post messages of support on their blogs and in a way, experience this life-changing ride with them.

I know how important and reassuring it is for families who have cyclists on the road to be able to read about their experiences as they happen. It's fun to catch a glimpse of loved ones in action and let them know that they are being thought of at home. I have a sibling who is also pedaling like mad, only he's going from Alaska to Colorado. I keep in touch with him through his blog, as I am doing with the Oneupweb-sponsored rider in Aids/Lifecycle 7. And I am constantly reminded, from Alaska, California and Michigan, how small a world it truly is.

Good luck to all of the Aids/LifeCycle riders. I'll be following you along the way - right here, from my computer.

Image: cattv

Update: View photos of Oneupweb sponsored rider John Morin during this year's Aids/Lifecycle on our Flickr page.