2010 Aids Walk/Run
Race Details
August 28, 2010
Registration at 8 am
The walk and run are 5k in length
Download 2010 Aids Walk Run Pledge Sheet (PDF, 184kb)
2010 Aids Walk/Run Facebook page
This year marks the 18th AIDS Walk in Grand Rapids. Last year, despite the slowing economy in Michigan, we had over 300 walkers raise nearly $17,500.00 for care and prevention programs for the Grand Rapids area.
Organizations who benefit from the Walk/Run include:
- A.I.D.S. (Advocacy, Information & Diverse Services, Inc.) community outreach in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention in urban Grand Rapids.
- Ama Tu Vida outreach initiative in the Hispanic/Latino community, focusing on persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- The Grand Rapids Red Project improving health, preventing HIV, reducing risk.
- St. Mary’s Health Center providing medical, pharmaceutical, dental, and vision care for person’s living with HIV throughout ten counties of western Michigan, who would otherwise be unable to access these services.
- Westminster Ryan White Food Pantry providing items such as personal care products that otherwise would not be available to their HIV/AIDS clients.
Ultra Pure Heroin And Overdose
The Grand Rapids Press recently reported that there has been an increase in Ultra Pure Heroin entering the country from Mexico and that this has led to an increase in overdose fatalities around the country. What the Grand Rapids Press fails to mention is that overdose has consistently been a major problem in Kent County for the past few years. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to data from the Kent County Medical Examiner, drug overdose was the second leading cause of accidental death of all people in Kent County under the age of 65. The only thing that kills more people in Kent County accidentally is automobile accidents.
What this article also fails to mention is that there are things that can be done to reduce the death toll from drug overdoses. Much like wearing a seat belt in a car can reduce fatality from automobile accidents, training people who use drugs how to prevent and respond to overdoses can reduce fatality arising from them. The organization that has taken the lead in this has been the Chicago Recovery Alliance. Contrary to nationwide trends over the past decade, the heroin overdose rate in Cook County has actually been going down since the Chicago Recovery Alliance began training people who use drugs in how to prevent and respond to overdoses.
Clean Works, the harm reduction program of The Grand Rapids Red Project, has also been training people who use drugs in how to prevent and respond to overdoses since October of 2008. Since that time participants in our program have used the tools and information we put in their hands to reverse a minimum of 27 drug overdoses right here in Kent County. These are 27 citizens of Kent County who might not be alive today if not for the information and life saving tools provided at the Clean Works program.
So, the Grand Rapids Press got it right, overdose is and has been a huge problem nationwide and right here in Kent County. What The Press failed to mention though is that there is a solution, one part of which is training people who use drugs in how to prevent and respond to overdoses.
“Think About It”
I saw an old friend recently and she was telling me how her 3 year old has adopted the phrase “think about it.” He pops this phrase into conversation at random times and it can be quite funny. “Mom, I am not wearing the crocs today…think about it” or “No, it is not time to go to bed…think about it.”
Yesterday I got the report on the Heartside Happening dance party/Red project fundraiser from a friend. He said that it was a fabulous party and proceeded to tell me that when he paid his cover for entry to the party, he was handed some condoms. I was thrilled. HIV infection continues to increase…in our country and in our city (note: “Parade” magazine–the one that is inserted into Sunday newspapers all over the U.S.–had a story yesterday titled “AIDS in 2010: How We’re Living with HIV”). Yes, there are great treatment options and, yes, people are living long, productive lives, but why does this preventable virus continue to spread?
Obviously there are several ways to answer that question, but for starters…condoms are not routinely passed out at dance parties. Think about it.
Positively Connected
I have a hard time getting my thoughts down on paper. They are swirling in my head all the time, and I think to myself, I need to write about this or blog about that, then when I actually sit down to do it, my mind goes blank. I have so much I want to share about our Positive Parenting group and can’t wait to tell everyone about it. I have met some amazing people in the past few months, people who have a real passion for kids living with HIV. Especially kids without parents who are waiting for adoption. I have met parents who have adopted and I have met people who help them adopt. Our goal for this group is to make sure people who have HIV+ kids or are thinking about adopting have the information they need to raise happy, healthy, and well adjusted kids. That is why we are hosting, along with Bethany Christian Services, the largest adoption agency in the US, an evening of Positively Connected. Information is below. I hope anyone who is interested in learning about this great new program will be able to come.
Positively Connected
(Understanding the joys and challenges of raising a child who is HIV+)
Bethany Christian Services (www.bethany.org) has partnered with the Grand Rapids Red Project (http://redproject.org/) to provide support and education to local adoptive families.
Together we will be hosting an evening of information sharing and resource connection for families who have adopted or are considering adopting a child with HIV. We will also hear testimonials from families who are living with and affected by HIV.
We invite anyone interested to join us for dessert and informal discussion on the evening of June 2, 2010. Children are welcome to attend. Families will be given resources to take home. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at our headquarters in Grand Rapids (901 Eastern Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49501).
Please contact Stephanie at sryder@bethany.org for more information or to RSVP. We would love to have you join us!
Link to our website:
http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/FE3AC7501B328AC2852577290049279A
Congratulations Tami!
Our very own Tami Vanden Berg…board member extraordinaire…has just captured the title of “Young Entrepreneur of the year.”
Check it out: “The Chamber calls Tami a community activist”. Ya-hoo!
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/05/grand_rapids_chamber_of_commer_3.html