Cycle For The Cause, a ride to end HIV and AIDS, came through Newtown on September 22 while on its three-day ride from Boston to New York City.

The 275-mile bike ride was organized by [naviga:u]The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center [/naviga:u](The Center), based in Manhattan, which offers a variety of services for the LGBTQ+ community, including free walk-in HIV testing.

The public was invited to cheer for the riders at Holy Cow Ice Cream Shop, where cyclists could be seen pedaling uphill toward Main Street.

Over on Berkshire Road, in the parking lot of The Graceful Planet, riders and crew set up a rest stop location where refreshments and sandwiches were available. There, members of The Center and its supporters were dressed head-to-toe in red — red tutus, red dresses, red lipstick — to create a united “ribbon” of red.

Barry Brown, who works in The Center’s finance department, told The Newtown Bee at the rest stop on Saturday that Cycle For The Cause “means a lot to me because I have friends who are HIV positive. This ride is for them.”

For more information about Cycle For The Cause and to learn how to donate, visit cycleforthecause.org.