This year we were both moved by a story that our Y2K compliance consultant told us. In August, he will participate in a 500-mile bicycle race from Fairbanks to Anchorage in an event entitled, “Pallotta Team Works’Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride”. Over 1200 cyclists will be riding to raise money for three maverick research teams working towards the eradication of AIDS. Dr. David Ho at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York, Dr. Rafi Ahmed at the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, and Dr. Irvin Chen at UCLA AIDS Institute, are all doing cutting edge, outside-the-box research trying to find a cure for this disease. The riders hope to raise over $7 million for these leading science teams that are slow to receive funding from traditional sources. With over 33 million people estimated to be infected with AIDS in 2000, we thought this was a worthwhile use of the funds you have so generously donated. Needless to say, we have matched those funds in our contribution. |