Because You Can, Walk for Those Who Can’t
HIV/AIDS became a part of our world thirty years ago, when doctors in Los Angeles first reported cases of otherwise healthy young gay men experiencing fungal infections and rare pneumonias. Doctors originally called it “Gay-Related Immune Deficiency”; the popular press called it “gay cancer.” Patients with similar symptoms were identified across the country, even in Delaware. In fact, the same year that HIV/AIDS was identified (1981), Delaware experienced its first AIDS casualty, when a man died at the Wilmington Medical Center of what was later diagnosed as AIDS.
From the beginning, the LGBT community has been a leader in the response to HIV/AIDS. Three years into the AIDS epidemic, Delaware’s first AIDS service agency, the Delaware Lesbian and Gay Health Advocates (now known as AIDS Delaware), was formed. A short three years later, the first Delaware AIDS Walk was held in Wilmington. That first event was called “A Walk for Life.”
This year marks the 25th annual Delaware AIDS Walk, a milestone in more ways than one. “This historic event is not only the state’s largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser, but also Delaware’s largest HIV/AIDS awareness campaign,” claims Peter Houle, Executive Director of the Delaware HIV Consortium. “Although we’ve made great strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we are still combating this silent epidemic. Currently, over 1.2 million Americans are HIV-positive, including over 3,500 Delawareans. Delaware also ranks in the top 10 states for per capita HIV infections. Every 9½ seconds someone in the United States becomes newly infected with HIV. That is unacceptable.”
The Delaware AIDS Walk expanded several years ago to include Walks in all three Delaware counties, and Rehoboth Beach is again this year the site for the Walk in Sussex County. The Walk will be held on Saturday, October 8, beginning and ending at Grove Park. Walker check-in begins at 9 a.m., and the Walk itself begins at 10 a.m. The 5-kilometer walk takes about an hour to complete, and the route includes part of the Boardwalk. For many walkers, the emotional highpoint of the walk is the opportunity to remember loved ones who have lived with HIV disease. Walkers place red carnations, supplied by Windsors Flowers on Coastal Highway, in front of a metal sculpture of an AIDS Awareness Ribbon. The sculpture was created by Rehoboth Beach artist Ward Ellinger.
Raising money is just as important as raising community awareness, particularly in these financially challenging times. “HIV/AIDS programs across the state are experiencing significant funding cuts,” explains AIDS Delaware Executive Director John Klein. Monies raised by walkers will make a big difference. AIDS Walk donations may prevent HIV/AIDS services from being curtailed or eliminated completely. “Fortunately the AIDS Walk website makes it easy to register for the Walk and to raise money. Walkers can send an email to their friends and family members that directs them to the website. Once there, people can put their donations on their credit cards, using our secure payment feature. Of course, checks and cash are always good, too!”
CAMP Rehoboth will have its own team again this year at the AIDS Walk in Rehoboth Beach. CAMPsafe Director Sal Seeley is the team captain for “G.O.O.F.Y.”, which stands for “Gays, On Our Feet, Y’all.” A portion of the monies raised by G.O.O.F.Y. walkers will go directly to CAMP Rehoboth to help fund the CAMPsafe Program. Health services provided by CAMPsafe include condom distribution, HIV counseling and testing, and HIV/AIDS education. Walking on the G.O.O.F.Y Team is a great way to support CAMP Rehoboth and to join in the fight against HIV/AIDS. To get more information about CAMP Rehoboth’s team, call Sal Seeley at 302-227-5620.
There has been tremendous advances in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in the past thirty years, but some things have not changed. The best—and the most consistent—response to the AIDS epidemic comes directly from the community. The earliest HIV/AIDS services were not provided by state or local governments. They were provided by grassroots organizations. They were provided by neighbors helping neighbors, friends helping friends. America’s answer to the HIV/AIDS epidemic was ordinary people, doing ordinary things, with extraordinary results. What is more ordinary than taking a leisurely walk on a Saturday morning? Make it extraordinary! Sign up for the Delaware AIDS Walk today!
Glen Pruitt is the Associate Executive Director of the Delaware HIV Consortium and a member of the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors. He is also the local coordinator for the AIDS Walk in Rehoboth Beach. Email Glen Pruitt or call him at 302-562-2553
AIDS Walks in Delaware will take place in Wilmington on October 1, Rehoboth Beach on October 8, and in Dover on October 15. More about all the 2011 AIDS Walks.