After nearly a decade of potting and selling plants for local AIDS charities, Bob Hamm is finally calling it quits. Hamm will sell about 2,000 plants for $1 apiece at his last AIDS Benefit Plant Sale, Nov. 1-6.

"It's been an interesting journey, but it's time to quit," said Hamm, who has lived with HIV for 20 years and cites his deteriorating health as one the reasons for discontinuing the sales. Problems with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy mean he can no longer spend hours in the sun gardening and carrying plants or standing for long periods at plant sales.

Hamm, a horticulturist and former nursery owner, came up with the idea for the charity plant sales after being hospitalized for several weeks some years ago. Hamm told himself at that time that if he got well, he would repay the agencies that had helped him. He started selling perennials and donating all the proceeds, more than $100,000, to local AIDS service organizations.

Jennifer Novak, events coordinator at Sunburst Projects, a local charity that helps children with AIDS, said she is sad to see Hamm retire. "We are so grateful for all the financial help he's given. He's helped with food drives, raised money to send kids affected with and by AIDS to summer camp," she said. "He's been such a big cheerleader, but it's time for him to play."

The plant sales sometimes prompted people to inquire about how to get involved in helping people with HIV/AIDS, Hamm said. "People don't always know where to go for help. There's not something for AIDS like the American Cancer Society," he said. "Just recently someone came by wanting to know if there was an AIDS support group. I gave her some phone numbers."

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