16th Annual Vancouver AIDS Walk Misses Money Goal: $413,000 Raised by 7,000 Participants in Stanley Park

Vancouver's 16th annual AIDS Walk came up short of its fund-raising goal this year despite the efforts of about 7,000 participants in Stanley Park on Sunday. Organizers estimate the event brought in $413,000; they had hoped to collect $450,000; last year's walk raised $460,000. However, AIDS Walk spokesperson David March said the money is enough to cover a health fund that provides supplements such as bottled water and vitamins to people with AIDS. A new $2 Scratch & Win ticket featuring four images by artist Joe Average was also released as part of the fund-raiser. Average's work has previously appeared on a postage stamp for an international conference on AIDS and on numerous posters, including the one for this year's AIDS walk.

Organizers say donations may be dropping because statistics show the number of people testing positive for HIV has declined for the sixth straight year. The demographic breakdown of people with AIDS has also changed. The number of women, native people and intravenous drug users testing positive is down, but more gay men, people of color and heterosexuals are becoming infected. Alarmingly, the average age of people who test positive is 23. The annual AIDS Walk is a major fund-raiser for the People With Aids Society. It is also the province's largest campaign to promote awareness about HIV and AIDS. Vancouver's AIDS Walk, the first in the country in 1986, is now one of 130 in Canada.

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