FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2001
"Pierce County AIDS Walk to top 2000 receipts"

The Pierce County AIDS Foundation announced today that the receipts from the 2001 AIDS Walk have exceeded the amount raised to date in 2000, and are very likely to surpass the 2000 efforts.

The Pierce County AIDS Walk is the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in the community. Now in its 10th year, the Walk provides financial support to care and education programs both at the Pierce County AIDS Foundation and to other organizations providing care and education programs in Tacoma Pierce County. This year, grants will be made to AIDS Housing Association, Brother to Brother Tacoma, Diaz Art for Youth, Bridges Center for Grieving Children, REACH Ministries, Community Health Care, and Planned Parenthood.

Last year, the AIDS Walk raised $88,600. To date this year, the Walk has raised $87,328 in cash and corporate commitments. While the amount raised on the day of the Walk itself was approximately $5,000 less than last year, additional corporate sponsorships and individual contributions prior to and after the Walk have accounted for the remainder.

The top fundraiser for the 2001 Walk was PCAF's office manager, Margie Abels, who raised $2,830 in memory of her brother Garth Wall, who died of AIDS in 1991. The top team was the "Steamrollers" a five member team of family and friends led by Lita Nomellini of Lakewood.

Jill Rose, Walk Coordinator, encouraged all those who had not turned in their pledges to do so. "The Walk serves as the safety net for people with HIV/AIDS," she said. "We are anticipating additional government cutback in 2001, and the Walk is the one way Pierce County AIDS Foundation can assure that critical programs continue."

This year, the Walk featured several elements to reflect the impact that terrorist attacks have had upon all Americans: a collection booth was set up to benefit families of fire fighters and custodial workers impacted by the World Trade Center attacks, and walkers signed a mural greeting card to victims of the terrorist attacks.

The first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in Washington State in 1982 and in Pierce County in 1983. Community based organizations began to provide services to people with AIDS in the early 1980's in some large cities, but until 1987, Pierce County had only a volunteer task force struggling to address this health crisis. Since then the Pierce County AIDS Foundation has served nearly 1,300 people who are living with HIV disease, and provided prevention education, advocacy and public awareness to thousands more. Nationwide, 40,000 people continue to be infected with HIV every year, half of them under age 24. There is no cure for AIDS.