A cocktail reception and check presentation was the perfect way to dole out record-setting loot from this year’s two-day, 200-mile bike ride for Emory Vaccine Center’s fight against HIV.

The Sunday event at the gay-owned Bill Lowe Gallery celebrated nearly $300,000 raised during Action Cylcing Atlanta’s big gay annual AIDS Vaccine 200 ride in May (view photos). Besides the art, DJ beats and camaraderie, the riders, beneficiaries and guests were also privy on Sunday to some heartfelt words about the cause.

Jerusalem House collected $35,000 in AV200 booty, while Positive Impact accepted a donation of $2,500. Those amounts came in addition to the primary beneficiary check for $260,000 to the Emory Vaccine Center, which just last week enjoyed a $7 million windfall as part of a big-money federal plan to find an HIV vaccine once and for all.

But they weren’t done handing out honors during Sunday’s event. Doctors who completed their fellowships as part of last year’s AV200 donation collected certificates of accomplishment, and the vaccine center presented two plaques thanking Action Cycling that will be displayed prominently at the center.

Photos by Sher Pruitt