A-LISTS community by randy hope
AIDS Walk San Diego:
A TEAM EFFORT WITH PERSONAL IMPACT Our largest local funding source is as important now as ever.
While the face of HIV/AIDS has changed in recent years, AIDS Walk San Diego remains
an integral organization in the fight, not only raising awareness, but also much needed funds that directly benefits those infected and affected locally. Nearly three decades after the first reported case of what became known as HIV/AIDS grim numbers drive home the personal importance of the fundraising event. “The organization and event remains important and relevant because last year $52 million in government funding was cut from HIV/AIDS funding and many of the nonprofit organizations in San Diego have suffered drastically,” said AIDS Walk San Diego team coordinator Ian Johnson. As the largest funding source in San Diego County, 21 years after its inception the
essential relevance of the organization and fundraising event is underlined in the fact that still no cure or vaccine exists for the virus which is diagnosed in somebody new every nine-and-a-half minutes. Now team coordinator for the organization, Johnson began walking four years ago when he formed a team for Martinis Above Fourth where he is also a server. With less than a month until the Sunday, September 26 event, the Martinis Above
Fourth Team is the top-ranked participating team—having already raised more than $9,000. Last year the Martinis Above Fourth team brought in more than $18,000 for the event, Johnson said. “It looks like we’re well on our way to reach that mark again and hopefully add to that number, raising even more, as we have done every year since forming a team.” Martinis Above Fourth’s team currently has 50 team members—a number which Johnson said will likely double. “Last year we had 80 team members, which is really good considering Martinis Above Fourth does not have a huge staff. We are a small business and our team mainly consists of our customers, friends and family members. But anybody is welcome to join. This year Three Olives Vodka has sponsored our AIDS Walk team so that we can get AIDS Walk shirts made for the entire team. As an incentive, those raising $100 by the day of the walk are invited to a post-walk party at Martinis with food and cocktails as a “thank you” for their participation and for what they have given back.” Team participation accounts for 70 percent of the raised funds raised. “That’s why
team participation is so important to the success of the event and the benefitting organizations,” Johnson said “Part of the value of being a team member is the matter
of competition it gives participants which help them to succeed. The goal this year is to have 350 participating teams—a month away from the event date, 184 teams have signed up. Still you don’t need to be part of a team to participate. Individual walkers are also encouraged and must only pay the $35 registration fee, which directly benefits lo- cal HIV/AIDS service organizations in need of such support like those served by Mama’s Kitchen. “When you see organizations that are awarded grants from AIDS Walk San Diego, with thousands of individuals who benefit from the money raised, you realize the impact of the organization,” said Mama’s Kitchen Executive Director Alberto Cortés, who sees the everyday influence such funds have on those most affected. The dollars that Mama’s Kitchen received from AIDS Walk San Diego last year went
toward the purchase of food and containers for the home food delivery program at Mama’s Kitchen for people living with HIV/AIDS, according to Cortés. “Over the years that has translated to tens of thousands of meals delivered to clients,” he said, noting they have had to get creative with budgets, which reveal that the drastically cut gov- ernment funds account for 20 percent of the organization’s budget. Both Johnson and Cortés agree that there are many people in the community who can make a difference and want to do something to give back. “They just don’t know where to go or how to do it,” said Johnson. “If we all teamed together we could make a large difference in everybody’s life.” Cortés admits he still gets emotional every year when he realizes the difference made by the individuals who make up the AIDS Walk Teams. “They are examples of the passion the event brings. Everybody has a reason to walk. I walk for people who I’ve lost and friends who are still fighting today,” he said. “HIV/AIDS has not gone away and if we’d all just make the effort to put one foot in front of the other it would go such a long way in the lives of not only beneficiaries or clients, but in everybody’s life who participates.”
The largest one-day HIV/AIDS fundraiser in San Diego steps off on Sunday, September 26, in Balboa Park. Registration opens at 6:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 7:00 a.m. The 10K Run starts at 8:00 a.m. followed by the 5K Walk at 8:05 a.m. Registration is available at
AIDSWalkSD.org. For more information about AIDS Walk & Run, forming a team, fundraising ideas and more, call 619.291.9255 or via e-mail
dluehring@thecentersd.org.
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2010
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