AIDS walk event support drops in 26th year

By Shelbey Hernandez

 

Associate Managing Editor, Entertainment Editor and Copy Editor

 

The AIDS Committee of Windsor has hosted its 26^th annual AIDS Walk which saw fewer supporters than in past years.

The walk kicked off in Dieppe Gardens on Sept. 21. The money raised will go towards local programs such as client services, harm reduction and the Education and Outreach program.

The ACW was founded in 1985. Its goal is to support those who suffer from AIDS and to educate the public about prevention methods.

The ACW offers services to over 7,000 people annually. There are multiple groups within the ACW which help to educate and give support to specific groups of people. Some examples include the African, Carribbean and Black Community Outreach Program, the Women and HIV group and the Gay MSM Sexual Health Program.

There were about 65 people who attended the walk and the walk raised approximately $5,000 down from previous years according to Michael Brennan, the executive director of the ACW.

Lori Doyle, a client support coordinator with the ACW, said these walks are important because they help raise awareness among people who seem to forget about HIV and AIDS. She said HIV and AIDS are just not popular causes compared to cancer-awareness causes.

“A lot of times […] people […] are forgetting about HIV […],” said Doyle. “I know breast cancer and prostate cancer are very popular (causes) […]”

Doyle said people may not recognize AIDS as being a serious disease anymore, but according to Brennan, the number of cases of HIV and AIDS are much higher than people realize.

“There are 710 known cases of HIV infection in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. However, a quarter of individuals living with HIV do not know they are infected,” said Brennan. “Of those cases, a little less than half of individuals seek primary care at the Windsor Regional Hospital HIV Care Clinic and 82 individuals seek support from ACW.”

According to the ACW website, HIV can only be transmitted through bodily fluids that have direct access to the blood stream through cuts, mucous membranes, open sores or needles.