New name, location for 9th AIDS Walk

The ninth annual AIDS Walk Tampa Bay is Saturday Sept. 8. While many aspects of the event will stay true to tradition, there are a few things that will make this year's event a little different.

The first and most notable change is the name of the annual walk. In previous years, the event has gone by the name AIDS Walk St. Petersburg, however this is the first year the title has officially been changed to AIDS Walk Tampa Bay.

â┚¬Å”We changed it to be more in-line with our other events,â┚¬Â said AIDS Service Association of Pinellas (ASAP) executive director William Harper.

â┚¬Å”There's the Santa Speedo Run which is a Tampa Bay event, we have Dining Out For Life, which covers the whole Tampa Bay area, so we wanted to have all of our events be consistent and really acknowledge all of the areas that we serve.â┚¬Â

AIDS Walk Tampa Bay, an official 3.1 mile 5k event, is ASAP's largest fundraiser and has traditionally been held at North Shore Park, but will be held this year at Vinoy Park. And with a new venue comes new features.

â┚¬Å”This year it's going to be expanded a bit,â┚¬Â said Harper. â┚¬Å”There's actually going to be more entertainment along the route itself.
Heretofore, that's just been at the park itself at the start location, but this year we're going to have more support for the walkers along the route, more things going on for the walkers along the route, and that's going to be the biggest change.â┚¬Â

Harper also says that he has seen support for the event grow over the years.

â┚¬Å”We had one little hitch one year where we got rained out,â┚¬Â he said. â┚¬Å”But believe it or not, we still had very strong donations just from people going online and coming by the office. Participation was also way up last year and we're anticipating it being up again this year.â┚¬Â

Harper added that sponsorship has risen in 2012, and ASAP is happy to see the increased support from the corporate community. In addition, he says that there are numerous groups and individuals within the local community who are steadfast in their dedication to the event in the way of participation and donations. And with a goal of raising $125,000, Harper is optimistic that the corporate sponsors and local community will help that goal be realized.

â┚¬Å”It's a challenge goal, it's something to aim for,â┚¬Â he said. â┚¬Å”Last year we went over our goal with the corporate sponsorships and private donations, so we keep it reasonable, but we also challenge ourselves.â┚¬Â

But in the end, Harper says the event is really about one thingâ┚¬â€camaraderie.

â┚¬Å”When people come out and participate and they see what's going on and feel the camaraderie with their brothers and sisters who are there for the same cause, that is worth a million dollars of advertisement,â┚¬Â Harper said. â┚¬Å”Because when they tell their friends and family about it, and someone needs our services, that word of mouth has educated them and they'll know what we can do for the community and what services we can provide.â┚¬Â

In addition, Harper feels the connection between ASAP and the community is one that is priceless.

â┚¬Å”It's a lot of fun, people can let their hair down a little bit, and enjoy each other,â┚¬Â says Harper. â┚¬Å”Everyone is having a good time, but really they're also helping to provide services for those living with HIV and AIDS. It's a real community driven event.â┚¬Â

For more information on AIDS Walk Tampa Bay or to register or donate, visit AIDSWalkTampaBay.org. For more information on ASAP and its services, visit ASAPServices.org.