For the second year in a row, members of the Cal community used their bicycles to support the fight against AIDS. The Cal Team in this year's California AIDS Ride -- a 580-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles -- was comprised of 40 Berkeley students, staff, alumni and friends. In the months leading up to the late spring event, the team, which often coordinated via e-mail, met regularly to train and raise the required funds.

Altogether, about 2,500 cyclists raised close to $10 million for various AIDS and HIV organizations. The Cal Team alone raised $130,000 in pledge money -- about $1,000 more per rider than the minimum amount required.

"For the Cal Team, it was a real experience of mutual support," said Karen Rhodes, editorial director of Development Communications and a member of the 1998 team. "It wasn't a race. The objective was to get everyone through the ride."