California AIDSRide Registrants Down; Pallotta TeamWorks Seeks Court Order to Stop ‘Splinter’ Event From Proceeding

The San Francisco Chronicle today examines the "bitter feud" surrounding this year's California AIDSRide and how the controversy has resulted in lower participation for the event to date (Ness, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/10). Pallotta TeamWorks, the for-profit promotion company that has organized the California AIDSRide for seven years, is suing the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, which both benefitted from the AIDSRide, for withdrawing from their contract and organizing a competing bicycle event, AIDS/LifeCycle, scheduled for this summer. The two groups said that Pallotta has "mismanaged" the event and increased overhead costs so that the organizations received only 50 cents of every dollar raised in last year's ride (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/20/01). The case between Pallotta and the two organizations will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. The Chronicle reports that the controversy surrounding the ride has caused "[t]housands of loyal riders and potential new blood" to become "confused" and "disillusioned," and rider turnout for this year's California AIDSRide has dropped. This time last year, 4,000 riders had signed up for the 2001 AIDSRide, but only 400 have joined this year's event, which will benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. AIDS/LifeCycle has attracted 700 riders (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/10).