"Walk to remember your loved ones." |
| Posted by Administrator on Sep 19 2008 at 1:36 PM |
Photo by Sean Takahashi
Participants of the Tri-City AIDS walk release red balloons before the walking starts. Each balloon represented an AIDS patient who has passed away.
By Megan Oaklund
Antelope Staff
"It is a great day," said Judy Hosier who was joined by others dedicated to their cause at the 17th Annual AIDS walk on Sunday, Sept. 14. Hosier was there to remember her son, Tim, who was studying psychology at UNK before he lost his battle to AIDS.
The annual AIDS walk is an outreach and awareness event that helps raise funds for men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in central Nebraska. The walk is put on by the Nebraska AIDS Project (NAP). NAP was founded in 1984 and now stands as a leader in the Midwest in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The AIDS walk started out with registration and the sharing of stories by family members who lost loved ones to HIV and AIDS; Hosier was one of those sharing that day. The stories ended with messages of hope that education about HIV and AIDS would continue and that memories of those whose battle was lost would not fade.
"It is a great tribute to central Nebraska and those living with HIV and AIDS and honors those who have lost the fight to HIV and AIDS," said Andrew Brackett, an organizer for the AIDS walk.
After the speeches, those attending filed out the doors to release red balloons to kick off the walk. Some wrote the names of the loved ones they lost on their balloon, while for others, the balloons were simply for hope and memory. After a few words of comfort before the release, the Nebraska winds did their job in lifting the red balloons high and away. Over the crowd noise a young girl's voice was heard saying "Go Wes go."
A mile and a half walk around the campus was followed by prizes and refreshments in the Health and Sports Center where stories and messages were still being shared late into afternoon.
Nebraska AIDS Project, serving the entire region, acts to eliminate the spread of HIV and provides comprehensive services to all people affected by HIV and AIDS.
Nebraska AIDS Project serves 32 counties in the Central Neb. Region and provides Case Management to clients with HIV/AIDS. Case Managers work with clients in strict confidence to facilitate links to medical and social service resources, to develop care plans and to cultivate practical, social, and emotional support for people living with HIV and AIDS.
The Kearney office provides free HIV testing.
PO Box 2378
Kearney, NE 68848
308-338-0527
http://www.nap.org/
