The annual Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR, an eight-day motorcycle trek across the country to raise AIDS funds and awareness, doesn’t kick off until July 31. But the skin care company’s efforts got an early boost thanks to pop star Charli XCX, a supporter of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

The British singer, best known for the international hit “Boom Clap” and this summer’s “Boys,” won’t be hitting the road on a Harley Davidson; instead, she stars in a public service announcement in which she shares statistics about HIV among young people.

As amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost notes in a press release: “Nearly 40,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. in 2015, and more than 40 percent were under the age of 30. We need to do a much better job of reaching young people in ways that empower them to make good decisions regarding the risks of HIV, particularly since 50 percent of HIV-positive young people don’t know they’re infected and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others.”

Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR is helping to advance “Countdown to a Cure for AIDS,” amfAR’s research initiative aimed at developing a scientific basis for a cure by 2020. Specifically, the proceeds from this year’s LifeRide will help fund the research of Daniela Fera, PhD. Fera is the recipient of one of amfAR’s Mathilde Krim Fellowships, which support young scientists doing innovative work in the field of HIV/AIDS. Fera is reengineering HIV proteins so that they lose their protective shield and elicit a more effective response from the immune system.

This year’s LifeRide will be led by Frost and Chris Salgardo, the president of Kiehl’s USA. Other riders include:

Ian Bohen, actor, Teen Wolf
JR Bourne, actor, Somewhere Between
Anthony Carrino, cohost, Kitchen Cousins
Gilles Marini, actor, Switched at Birth
Tyler Posey, actor, Teen Wolf
Grant Reynolds, host/producer, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Luke Wessman, tattoo artist, Miami/NY Ink

Riders will travel from Minneapolis to Nashville in seven days, from July 31 to August 7. If you can’t make it to one of the stops along the route, you can still support the cause. Here’s how:

  • Share a selfie with a heart made from your hands, tag @Kiehls, @amfAR and hashtag #LifeRide8. Kiehl’s will donate $1 for every Instagram post, up to $25,000, to amfAR to help fund a cure for HIV/AIDS.

  • Share the amfAR PSA featuring Charli XCX!

  • Purchase the Limited Edition Ultimate Strength Hand Salve that benefits amfAR: 100 percent of your purchase up to $25,000, will benefit amfAR. The Limited Edition Ultimate Strength Hand Salve will be available for $28.50 at all Kiehl’s retail stores, Kiehls.com and specialty store partners nationwide.

  • Donate in-store. All Kiehl’s retail stores nationwide will be accepting donations for amfAR. To find your closest store, please visit the store locator on Kiehls.com.

To learn more about LifeRide and to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, click here. And to read more about the Mathilde Krim Fellowships, click here.