BSGE Walks the AIDS walk

Every year on the third Sunday of May, tens of thousands of people march from Central Park to Riverside Drive and back to raise money for people living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, they raised over $7 million dollars. According to http://www.aidswalk.net/newyork, “Since 1986, AIDS Walk New York has raised more than $105 million for HIV programs and services in the tri-state area.” Most of the money raised goes to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), and they use it to help people with the disease get public benefits, get people tested, and to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.
The first thing you do is register online for the walk. You can join an existing team, or create your own. When you arrive at the walk that day, you will sign in with your team and wait for the walk to begin. The walk is 6.2 miles, or 10 kilometers, in total. Along the way, different sponsors offer free snacks and drinks at checkpoints. There are three checkpoints during the walk. Once you arrive back at Central Park, you are awarded with more free food and drinks, and you can sit down and enjoy a concert. After the concert, the total amount of money raised is announced.
Even though the next walk won’t be until May 2010, you can still donate to AIDS Walk NY. You will need a credit card to donate online. Go to http://www.aidswalk.net/newyork and click “Raise Money.” After that, click on “Make a General Donation.” You can pick the amount you want to donate, and then fill out the information. If you can’t donate online, wait until next year, and sponsor someone you know is walking, or sign up for the walk and collect donations.