13 times, I have cycled 7 days, 575 miles, from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a cycling charity event called AIDSLifecycle. In route to Los Angeles, I (and 2,000 of my best friends) cycle thru Montecito, CA. ( Montecito is the home to Oprah Winfrey).
Each Year, the locals of Montecito - Santa Barbara gather and create their own "Paradise Pit Stop" for the approx. 2,000 AIDSLifecycle Cyclist & 400 Volunteer Crew members. There you can find: chocolate bars, organic strawberries, vegan ice cream, corn dogs, Twinkies, coco cola, massages, and then some.. ... ALL YOU CAN EAT ...GRATIS!
Years ago (as I ate my strawberries and homemade ice cream), I asked several Montecito residents: "Where is Oprah?"
- Responses:
1. "She is not here. "
2. "That's a funny question. . . . ."
3. "Can I be in the picture ?"
4. " Oprah can be found shopping in the local Montecito Von's."
5. "Who's Oprah?"
6. "Great Idea!"
As I left the "Paradise Pit" in Montecito, I thought:
"Imagine ... How wonderful and empowering it would be .. . .. "
1. To see 3,000 cyclists cycling down the Montecito / Santa Barbara Coast line wearing jerseys that say . . " Harpo Studios " . . . .
2. To invite Oprah & Harpo Studios to ride with and/or sponsor a cycling team in the fight against the AIDS Pandemic - "Team O".
3. To invite the Oprah Winfrey Network to produce a show about the fundraising organizations of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation:
4. To invite Oprah Winfrey to speak about AIDS at the AIDSLifecycle Closing Day Ceremonies in Los Angeles.
5. To invite Oprah Winfrey to participate in any way that she can . . ...
HIV/AIDS in 2005
-
According to the 2000 census, blacks make up approximately 13% of the US population. However, in 2005, blacks accounted for 18,121 (49%) of the estimated 37,331 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [2].*
-
Of all black men living with HIV/AIDS, the primary transmission category was sexual contact with other men, followed by injection drug use and high-risk heterosexual contact [2].
-
Of all black women living with HIV/AIDS, the primary transmission category was high-risk heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use [2].
-
Of the estimated 141 infants perinatally infected with HIV, 91 (65%) were black (CDC, HIV/AIDS Reporting System, unpublished data, December 2006).
-
Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were black [3]. "
-
- Center for Disease Control & Prevention
My Mother always says: "If you want something, ASK FOR IT!" So!
"The Letter"
- 1. Please double click on "The Letter."
- 2. Microsoft Word will open a letter to Oprah Winfrey
- 3. Print /Sign the letter and mail it to Harpo Studios.
- 4. Show your support by taking a picture of you with the invitation /or/ with a "O Magazine" & posting it on my FaceBook Wall:
- 5. I'll post your support on my Oprah Winfrey Flickr Photo Page
"Today humankind has the potential to turn this planet into a paradise and live in beauty, just as it has the potential to destory itself, the Earth and all living things. At stake in this game is our own individual existence, and the existence of humankind as a whole." - - On the Warriors Path by Daniele Bolelli
