Kiehl’s LifeRide to benefit amfAR to end at Fashion Valley Mall
By Catherine Spearnak
More than a dozen Harley-Davidson motorcycles will roar into Fashion Valley Mall at noon on Saturday, Aug. 15 when riders in Kiehl’s LifeRide complete their sixth annual journey benefitting The Foundation for AIDS Research, or amfAR.
“Kiehl’s has supported HIV/AIDS organizations since the epidemic came to light, and we’ve had a long and wonderful relationship with amfAR,” said Kiehl’s president Chris Salgardo, who is leading LifeRide. “At the conclusion of this year’s ride, Kiehl’s will have raised $1.27 million for amfAR since 2010, funding seven cure-related research projects.”
amfAR has just launched “Countdown to a Cure for AIDS,” initiative, with the goal to find a cure by 2020.
“I know they’ll be successful,” Salgardo said. “It’s an incredible thing to be involved in research to find a cure, and we will ride until the cure is found.”
Kiehl’s was founded as an old-world apothecary in New York’s East Village neighborhood, said Kate Smyth, a media representative for Kiehl’s. It sells fine lotions and salves.
“Kiehl’s represents a blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal and medicinal knowledge developed and advanced through the generations,” she said.
The event at Kiehl’s in Fashion Valley on Saturday will feature a chance to meet several celebrities who participated in the LifeRide including actors Vanessa Marcil (“90210” and “Las Vegas”) and Gilles Marini (“Sex & The City” and “Brothers & Sisters”), and musician Chris Kael.
The 12-day ride for HIV/AIDS research began Aug. 4 in Denver, winding through Colorado, Utah, southern Nevada including Las Vegas, and Southern California. The Kiehl’s stores in Santa Monica, Costa Mesa and in San Diego at University Towne Center were stopping spots during the ride.
“Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR is about making noise to keep HIV/AIDS awareness in the forefront of the public consciousness. We make noise on our motorcycles, we make noise in the media, we make noise at our stores, all to ensure that the public is aware of amfAR’s goals, and hopefully, to encourage them to contribute to those goals,” Salgardo said.
“This year, for the first time on LifeRide, we’ve launched a partnership with CrowdRise.com, so our supporters can easily donate to amfAR by visiting CrowdRise.com/LifeRide2015. At the end of this year’s ride, Kiehl’s alone will be donating $150,000 to amfAR, and through CrowdRise, we hope to raise even more from our supporters. Every mile on these Harley-Davidsons is a mile closer to finding that cure.”
The Kiehl’s LifeRide event started in San Diego in 2010, and the sixth ride is ending on Harley-Davidsons in America’s Finest City, including a stop at San Diego Harley-Davidson on Morena Boulevard.
“Motorcycles have been part of Kiehl’s history since our earliest days, when one of the Kiehl’s founding family members displayed his personal motorcycle collection in the Kiehl’s flagship store in New York’s East Village,” Salgardo said. “Myself, I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 13, and about seven years ago, we started talking about how we could take the motorcycles out of the stores, and put them to work in support of one of our charitable pillars. That’s where Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR began.”
In celebration of LifeRide, every customer who visits one of these stores on the event day will receive a 15 percent discount on all purchases. Kiehl’s will donate that 15 percent to amfAR.
Kiehl’s customers nationwide can join the fight against HIV/AIDS through the purchase of Kiehl’s Limited Edition Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, a jumbo-size of the brand’s classic formula. One hundred percent of net profits from the sale of this product, up to $25,000, will benefit amfAR. The Limited Edition Ultimate Strength Hand Salve is adorned with a red cap and will be available for $28.50 at all Kiehl’s retail stores, Kiehls.com and specialty store partners nationwide.
—Catherine Spearnak is a San Diego-based freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
