October 2, 2002

Walk one step toward solution

AIDS walk raises $14,000, awareness of outreach programs

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Multiply 200 walkers by 3 miles each and you get $14,000 raised Sunday afternoon for AIDS education, outreach and support in this community.
      An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Senior Center to hug, listen and learn before fanning out into the community for fifth annual AIDS Walk Michigan. For organizers, the walkers' presence on the streets of Traverse City was just as important as the money they raised.
      "This is half about raising money and the other half is coming together for camaraderie and support for people and their families affected by HIV and AIDS," said Jim Carruthers, executive director of the Wellness Network in Traverse City. "We are letting people know that they are not alone."
      "We struggle to keep AIDS in people's awareness right now because there is so much stuff going on in the world," he noted. "We have to keep letting people know this is still an issue."
      Traverse City was one of nine cities statewide holding a fundraising walk. This year's theme was One Step Towards a Solution and reflected an annual goal of improving the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and friends.
      The walkers included everyone from babies to grandparents to relatives, friends and coworkers of people living with AIDS - and those who had died.
      "I wanted to walk today to promote public awareness of this deadly and devastating virus, which many people have a lot of ignorance and stigmatism about," said Kim Cook, who came with friends and her young son, DJ, in a stroller. "I've known a lot of people affected by AIDS."
      Keynote speaker Mark Peterson drove up from Detroit for the event. Telling the gathered crowd he proudly proclaims that he has AIDS, Peterson said many recoil from his words and move away. Peterson said that there are many reasons to walk in AIDS Walk Michigan: anger, commitment, compassion and love.
      "We walk because we have a commitment, are involved in this community, are part of the fight and part of your life," said Peterson, who is a member of Michigan's Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Task Force. "Your commitment has built the services available and your commitment allows people with AIDS to live with peace and die with dignity."
      "For those walking out of compassion, HIV may not run through your veins, but it runs through your heart," he said.
      Peterson noted that there are 15,000 people living with AIDS in Michigan and 1,500 new infections annually, Peterson lamented flat government funding levels over the past 10 years. With the recent worries about bio-terrorism and the West Nile virus, Peterson said that his work with legislators, both in Lansing and Washington D.C., is becoming more difficult. He encouraged the crowd to empower themselves to make a difference in their own communities.
      "Don't just walk around this Bay, walk back into the community and make things happen," he told the crowd. "HIV is killing us, but it is also showing us how to live as a community."
      Reaching young people with information about HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted infections is the mission of the Wellness Network's Peer Outreach program. Liz Brief, a peer counselor with the group for four years, said an event like the AIDS Walk Michigan helps get the word out to a broader audience then the teens she usually meets.
      "We go to a lot of house parties and one-on-one meetings with teens," Brief said. "We also hold conferences, training and workshops about these issues. But a lot of the work is underground, not recognized by the community."