For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
MORE THAN 950 AIDS MARATHONERS TO HIT STREETS AT HONOLULU MARATHON
Volunteers Have Raised Over $3.5 Million for AIDS Organizations in Four U.S. Cities
Los Angeles, Calif., December 7, 2005 – Among the registrants in this Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon are 950 people who have trained for six months and raised more than $3.5 million for AIDS service organizations in four U.S. cities through the National AIDS Marathon Training Program.
The program, begun in1999, was developed by world-renowned runner and marathon trainer Jeff Galloway. A combination of running and walking, the program is geared toward experienced runners and beginners alike -- anyone with the desire to make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS in their home city.
Proceeds from the program in Los Angeles benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the oldest and largest AIDS service organizations in the U.S. Since its inception, the program has raised nearly $20 million to support APLA programs, which include direct services such as food banks, dental clinics and home health care, prevention education and government advocacy.
“This program is a public demonstration that people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS rely on their community for support,” said Craig E. Thompson, the executive director of AIDS Project Los Angeles and six-time AIDS marathoner. “These runners have risen at dawn and raised money in difficult financial times, while contributing in a major way to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles and beyond.”
Los Angeles runners include: Liz Roark, 47, a nurse and mother of two who lost 143 lbs. after gastric bypass surgery and will run in a jersey bearing the name of a former APLA client and friend’s brother who died of AIDS; and Brendan Rome, who marks 20 years as an HIV survivor in February 2006, the only one of his circle of friends from the 1980s who is still alive.
These and other L.A. runners will join marathoners from San Francisco whose fundraising supports the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Also present will be runners from Chicago and Washington DC, who support the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Whitman Walker Clinic, respectively.
Information about the program is available at www.aidsmarathon.com.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Founded by four friends in 1982, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.
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