Cop To Honor Mom In AIDS Bike Ride

One of Concord's police officers is making the gruelling, trip-of-a-lifetime bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles — for the second time.

Todd Nunn, 43, of Concord Police Department's K9 Unit, will cycle 545 miles as part of an AIDS LifeCycle fundraiser taking place from June 2 to June 8.

Nunn's motivation is his mother, who died when he was in his early 20s. Claire Nunn contracted the disease through a blood transfusion and went through a "terrible" six-year demise, Nunn recounted to the Contra Costa Times before last year's ride.

"I remember the fear and confusion my mother and our family felt when she was diagnosed with HIV," shares Nunn on his AIDS LifeCycle page. "It was the late 80's and there were many false rumors about how it was spread."

Until Nunn's mother could prove she was infected by a blood transfusion, worker's compensation refused to pay her treatment costs, according to Nunn. It took years of court battles.

"Unfortunately, my mother lost her battle with AIDS in 1995 approximately one year after the court found in her favor," explains Nunn. 

"I am doing this ride in the hope that others will not have to suffer with the same fear, shame and worry about how they will be able to afford the care and medication they need to stay alive," he says.

Last year, Nunn raised just shy of $6,000. In 2013, he hopes to meet a $5,000 goal — and has $1,420 in the kitty so far.

Support Nunn's journey by making a donation online here. Money raised funds programs and services at two of the nation’s largest HIV/AIDS organizations, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

Do you have a message of support for Nunn as he prepares for his second Lifecycle bike ride? Share your thoughts in the comments below.