AIDS Walk
Submitted by biggirlnow on Sat, 10/23/2004 - 6:05pm.
I really liked the way the aids walk was done this year with the street party at the end and stuff. I havn't heard any thing about the walk since though. How much money was raised this year at the Victoira walk and where is it going? Thanks
Questions
Yes we need to keep asking AVI what it does.
Aidesp
Thank you for developing this very good site
Happy with this years AIDS Walk
We were very happy with this years AIDS Walk and MasquerAIDS. The effort was sponsored by AIDS Vancouver Island, Victoria Persons With AIDS Society and Victoria AIDS Resource and Community Service Society.
This was the first time we have tried this kind of event and it was a success. Financially the event did not make much money. This is not unusual for a first event. We hope to build on this year's success and expect to do much better financially next year.
Thank you again for your supportive comments.
Financial
How can a fundraiser that "did not make much money" be called a success?
There have been AIDS walks for many years.
more
Also a thank you to the many volunteers would have been nice.
Fundraising
Island community members might be interested to know that the Vancouver AIDS walk raised $340,000.
http://www.bcpwa.org/aidswalkevent2004.php
AIDS Walk and MasquerAIDS
AIDS Walk's in Canada have been less effective in fundraising in last five years. The Vancouver AIDS Walk, one of the longest and most successful has also seen dimminishing returns each of the last three years. People have suggested several opinions as to why AIDS Walks are not as successful financially during this time. One is that AIDS has dropped off the public's radar and the other is that there is so much competition for "walks" that the money is now being spread to a wider group of walks.
AVI, VPWAS and VARCS decided earlier this year to try something different. A decision was made to hold an AIDS Walk, more as a chance to remember those that have left us and to raise attention in the media that AIDS is still with us.
The effort to fundraise is centered around MasquerAIDS. There is no other event like it in Victoria. The event being brand new required a great deal of effort in establishing it. It acheived what we needed it to. There was a steady flow of people onto the site, live music, games and food were available and we have all received a great number of positive comments on this new event.
The event like previous AIDS Walks required a large number of volunteers to succeed. Without these people we could not have got MasquerAIDS off the ground. Volunteers continue to be the backbone of all of our efforts. We are very grateful of their donations of time.
Next year's MasquerAIDS will build on this year's. It is an established event and there will be more interest in the general public and our sponsors. Anyone wanting to help out with the 2nd MasquerAIDS can contact anyone of the three agencies in Victoria for information.
success?
Yes, I wonder also... How can a fundraiser that "did not make much money" be called a success? Why no response to this excellent question posted earlier? Either it was a success or it was a flop. If it was a success it made money; where did that money go? If it didn't make money it was a flop.
How?
What will AVI do differently next year to "build on this year's success"? AIDS walks have been less and less successful annually across North America. How does AVI expect to buck this trend? AIDS is simply not the important issue it once was; it's still important, yes, but it is NOT the critical health issue it once was. Which leads to a broader question: how can THREE AIDS AGENCIES be justified for Victoria?