Picture it: Encino Hospital, 1971. A golden haired baby boy came into this world during a commercial break in the Captain and Tenille Show. They called the little baby Brendan, and took him home to begin his avocado-green and harvest-gold life in Northridge, California.

Soon after, baby Damon joined the family, and they became the American Dream. Two kids, a dog (Hugo), a Country Squire station wagon... the whole shebang. But Brendan grew up marching to the beat of his own drummer, and always felt like he was different. Though he struggled to find himself socially, Brendan excelled in school and consistently made the honor roll.

Towards the end of high school, Brendan met his lifelong best friend, Eliott. Eliott helped Brendan to "come out" and the two became inseperable. The two friends developed a special love for Idyllwild, California, where Eliott owns a cabin and their friends often gather.

It was Eliott who first introduced Brendan to cycling and the AIDS Ride charity bike-a-thon. After nearly losing a dear friend to AIDS in 1997, Brendan signed up for the AIDS Ride to celebrate that friend's recovery. Little did Brendan know that the Ride would become such a huge part of his life.

In 2001, Brendan purchased a flower shop on Encino's tony Ventura Boulevard. It was a hectic business, but Brendan loved the crazy pace and the constant creativity. Focusing on weddings and events, Brendan's business quickly "blossomed", and before long he had a staff of five. In fact business got so good that Brendan recruited his Mom and Dad to help run the place.

Though it's always a challenge for Brendan to find the time and the money (especially at the same time), he loves to travel. Thanks to his Dad, who dragged him around for months at a time, Brendan has visited 44 of the United States as well as much of Europe and Asia. His favorite city? "Paris!", Brendan exclaims. This Francophile hopes to visit again this summer for the Tour de France.

During his first AIDS Ride experience, Brendan discovered that he'd tapped into something amazing... a community... a cause... a passion... And he was hooked! Right away he registered for the following summer's event, and that year, cycling, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, and the fight against AIDS/HIV became integral parts of Brendan's life.

Ten years have passed now since Brendan's first AIDS Ride. The name has changed - it's now the AIDS/LifeCycle - but Brendan is as active in the Ride community as ever, and continues to be deeply passionate about the incredible things AIDS/LifeCycle achieves. Not only does Brendan raise money and ride; he is now a volunteer training ride leader for the event, leading weekly rides out of the San Fernando Valley, his lifelong home.

Brendan gets a big kick out of telling people where he was born. "Yeah," explains Brendan, "I was born about a mile from here". After attending college in Santa Cruz, living in his swingin' West Hollywood condo, and a brief stint in a vintage Hollywood duplex, Brendan realized that the Valley, is in fact, home. "I can always find a parking space out here," he jokes.

In addition to his many training rides, Brendan also represents AIDS/LifeCycle at many community outreach events, like the one pictured here. You can also find him volunteering at the "ALC" office in the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center several times a month. He invites his friends to join him. "They rely heavily on volunteers, so please come help out," he explains.