Hanzo Is Going For It!!

Dear Friends & Family,
From June 5-11, Hans will be bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7 day, 545 mile bike ride from SF to LA to make a difference in the lives of people living with HIV & AIDS.
His first goal is to raise $3000, he is asking for your donations to help achieve this. $3000 may seem a lofty goal but if we all pitch in a little we can make it happen and hopefully surpass this goal.

If You've got an extra Lincoln or Hamilton or Jackson send over his way. Click on Your favorite picture of Hans or the banner below to see his progress and kick in a few duckets.

In the United States...

• Since the AIDS epidemic began in 1981, 1.7 million Americans have been infected with HIV and more than 617,025 have died of AIDS-related causes.
• 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS, representing a slight increase over time as people are living longer with HIV disease and new infections remain relatively stable.
• An estimated 21% of people living with HIV are undiagnosed.
• Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV.
• Gay and bisexual men accounted for 53% of new HIV infections in 2006, and are the only group for which new infections are on the rise.
• African-Americans and Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS. Blacks accounted for 45% of new HIV infections in 2006 and 47% of those living with the disease, yet they make up only 12% of the U.S. population. Latinos account for 17% of new infections yet comprise 15% of the U.S. population, while whites represent 35% of new infections and account for 66% of the total population.
• The AIDS diagnosis rate for African-Americans is more than 9 times that of whites, and the HIV rate is 7 times greater among blacks than whites. Survival after an AIDS diagnosis is lower for blacks than any other racial/ethnic group.
• Young adults and teens between 13 and 29 represent 34% of new HIV infections, the largest share of any age group. Black teens are disproportionately affected, representing 68% of reported AIDS cases among 13 to 19-year-olds in 2007.
• Women now account for 27% of HIV infections, with 280,000 women living with HIV and AIDS. Black women accounted for two thirds (64%) of new AIDS diagnoses among women in 2009; Latinas represented 18% and white women, 15%.
• 71% of all AIDS cases reported since the beginning of the epidemic are concentrated in 10 states or territories. While the District of Columbia has the highest AIDS case rate (119.8 per 100,000 in 2009), the states of New York (17.7%), California (14.2%) and Florida (10.7%) have the most cumulative AIDS cases.

In the World...

• Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 60 million people have contracted HIV and 25 million have died of AIDS-related causes.
• An estimated 33.3 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
• In 2009, an estimated 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV.

That's not enough? Shit, make it about Health Care, make it about being a Responsible World Citizen, just make a small donation. Make a $6 donation and think of it as buying Hans a beer. Do it and I'll buy You a beer next time I see you.

AIDS has directly affected my life.
And it sucks.