Walkers Turn Out for Clinic; Shadow of Sept. 11 Hurts AIDS Event

The AIDS Walk crowd on Saturday in Washington, D.C., at one point stretched the length of the Mall, as the leaders of the pack turned at the Capitol and the rear guard whipped around the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The crowd was smaller than in previous years, but it was a sign of determined life: Those who decided to don their walking shoes when the sky was gray and the Mall was wet at 8 a.m. had their points to make. "With all the focus of giving to the relief effort after September 11, we're being forgotten," said Michael W. Cover, director of communications for the Whitman-Walker Clinic, the primary provider of HIV/AIDS services in Washington, and the recipient of the walk's proceeds. "A lot of other charities are feeling that pinch right now, too."

One in 20 adults in the District is HIV-positive, a rate that is one of the highest in the country, according to the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Through its walk last year, the clinic raised about $1 million -- but this year it has raised less than $500,000, Cover said. While previous walks have drawn more than 20,000, Saturday's attracted just 3,500.

Still, Scott Evertz, director of the White House Office on National AIDS Policy, agreed that such a turnout is a strong indicator of the American spirit. "I've been encouraging people, since September 11, to not forget this issue," Evertz said. "People out here are really showing they care."

Clinic Executive Director A. Cornelius Baker echoed this sentiment as he surveyed the scene. "People are already worried about being on the Mall because of the terrorist attacks, the weather is horrible and, look, there are people out there. I think the people down here are showing that life goes on."

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