September 17, 1999

communitygroups

AIDS Walk Cleveland is shorter, will have quilt panels

Cleveland-The Lorain-Medina chapter of the Names Project will display six 12-foot by 12-foot quilt panels at the 1999 Dr. John Carey Memorial AIDS Walk.

The AIDS Walk will be held Sunday, September 19 at Edgewater Park. It is Cleveland's largest annual fundraiser for HIV and AIDS.

Begun in 1987 as one community's response to a devastating illness, the Names Project Quilt has grown into the largest community art project in the world.

The quilt panels, memorializing Clevelanders and other Ohioans lost to AIDS, will be on display throughout the event, which begins at 9:00 a.m. with registration. The opening ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. and the walk officially steps-off at 11:00a.m.

AIDS Walk participants are asked to make a donation themselves or to seek out sponsors. A $5 registration fee will be required for those who wish to participate, but have not collected pledges.

Walk organizers have made the event more "walker-friendly" this year. The walk route has been cut in half, from ten to five kilometers, just over three miles.

The walk steps off from Edgewater Park and heads west on Edgewater Drive as in past years. At West 117th St., walkers will go south to Clifton Blvd., and follow Clifton back to Edgewater Park. In past years, this "turn-around" has been at Lakewood Park, 11⁄2 miles farther west.

Teams of ten or more are encouraged to participate. Those interested in forming an AIDS Walk team may call the AIDS Walk hotline at 440-735-9255 to request a team packet.

Organizers of the AIDS Walk expect the event to attract more than 3,000 participants and raise $300,000 this year.

Funds raised from the AIDS Walk support the HIV and AIDS service programs of ten

agencies: the AIDS Housing Council of Cleveland; the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland; the Center for Families and Children; the Cleveland Treatment Center's Project SAFE; the Free Clinic of Cleveland; the

"Unfortunately there is

a misconception across the country that the AIDS

crisis is over."

Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center, the Urban Minority Alcohol and Drug Abuse Outreach Project of Lorain, the Open House; Planned Parenthood; and the Women's Center of Cleveland.

Despite misconceptions and a decline in support of AIDS fundraising events nationwide, organizers of the annual Dr. John Carey Memorial AIDS Walk are working hard to ensure the success of the ninth annual event.

"Unfortunately there is a misconception across the country that the AIDS crisis is over," said AIDS Walk steering committee chair Martin Hiller. "Fundraising events for AIDS have suffered nationwide, yet the reality remains that no one has been cured or successfully vaccinated, and HIV continues to spread at an alarming rate."

Although the amount raised by walkers in 1998 remained at about the same level as the previous year, corporate support of the AIDS Walk by Cleveland companies has increased over the past three years.

"Cleveland is lucky to have a corporate community that is extremely generous in

Akron's first AIDS Walk to benefit three organizations

Akron-Three organizations dedicated to the care of families affected by HIV in Summit County will host the first Akron AIDS Walk.

The one-mile fun walk to benefit Community AIDS Network, Ohio AIDS Coalition, and Violet's Cupboard will take place on Sunday afternoon October 3. The proceeds from this event will help sustain vital programs and services designed for people living with HIV in northeast Ohio.

The event consists of a one-mile walk through the streets of downtown Akron, stepping off from Cascade Plaza at 3 pm. Walk teams will compete for awards in three categories:

• The team with the largest number of participants;

• The team with the most pledge dollars collected;

• The team with the most volunteers at the event.

"The first annual AIDS Walk is a vital event in our community and a tremendous opportunity for our community to get directly involved," said Jonathan Adee, executive director of Community AIDS Network and co-chair of the Akron AIDS Walk. "We rely on it to not only raise funds to support our programs benefiting families in Summit County, but also to raise the awareness of HIV in our community, a disease that is as big a killer as ever."

Participants collect pledges from supporters in advance of the event. Registration is free and begins at 1:30 pm at the entrance to Cascade Plaza from Main Street. From 1:30 until step-off there will be entertainment for children and adults, a health fair, and food and merchandise.

Marshall McPeek of WKYC Channel 3 will be master of ceremonies.

To obtain a registration form, please call 330-375-2000 or 330-375-2159 or visit our web site at www.rainbow-akron.com/ can to download your form.

Many volunteers are also needed for this event. If you are interested in volunteering for the Akron AIDS Walk, please contact Community AIDS Network, Ohio AIDS Coalition, or Violet's Cupboard for more information. All volunteers will receive an Akron AIDS Walk T-shirt.

Community Groups

The "Community Groups" columns on these pages are published by the Gay People's Chronicle free of charge, as a public service. They are written by members or officers of each non-profit organization, reflecting the views of their group.

If your organization would like to submit a column for this page, contact the Chronicle at 216-631-8646, toll-free 800426-5947 e-mail

supporting efforts such as the AIDS Walk," said Hiller.

Funds raised through corporate sponsorships are also used to cover the cost of producing the event. Because of the corporate community's support, every dollar raised by walk participants over the past three years has remained in the Cleveland area, with 100% of those funds going directly to support the HIV and AIDS programs and services of the ten benefiting organizations.

In an effort to battle a potential decline in walker support this year, organizers focused their effort on recruiting corporate teams,

made up of ten or more walkers.

"Forming a corporate team is a very visible way for a company to become involved in an important cause" explained Hiller. "We've had great support in the past from a wide variety of companies and decided to focus on building that element of the Walk."

Through personal contact with local companies, the committee has signed up more than 200 corporate teams this year. By comparison, the AIDS Walk attracted 83 teams last year and raised a total of $250,000 for the event in 1998. The goal is to raise $300,000 this year.

AIDS Walk Cincinnati moved to Sunday, with a run added

Cincinnati-AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati has some changes in store for the upcoming AIDS Walk Cincinnati.

The biggest news is the addition of a run to the annual walk.

"We've had requests from runners for several years" says walk organizer and AVOC board president Kathy Nardiello. "I'm happy to say that beginning this year, they'll be able to run for the cause and help us in our fund raising efforts."

The other big change is the day of the walk. While it is traditionally held on the last Saturday in September, downtown road and stadium construction has pushed the event to the last Sunday, September 26. Nardiello sees that move as both good and bad.

Come In Today, Drive Today!

Bad Credit,

No Credit, No Problem!

"Of course, anytime you take a successful event and tinker with it, it makes you nervous," said Nardiello. "The good news is that for years we've heard complaints from people who work in certain retail and service businesses who simply could not participate on a Saturday, and now we're eager to have them join us for a Sunday AIDS Walk and Run."

am,

Registration and sign-in will begin at 8 with the run starting at 8:30 and the walk at 9:30. As always, the event starts and ends at Sawyer Point in downtown.

For registration information and AIDS Walk + Run kits, individuals or team representatives should call the AVOC office

at 513-421-2437.

Come in and see a family member you can trust.

12201 Detroit, Lakewood

Bev Briggs J.D.

216-521-4300 (BYRIDER

Getting a car and credit is only a phone call away

Weekly Sunday Buffets

Muggs

Sunday Buffets start at 3pm!

OPEN:

KARAOKE EVERY THURSDAY!

DJ on FRIDAYS!

Claudia on Saturdays!!

•

5:30am Mon.-Sat. • 9:00am Sun. · 5:30am-7:00pm Happy Hour 3194 W. 25th St. • Cleveland · 216-398-7012