AIDS Walk 2009

Walk With Us on Saturday!

AIDS Walk is only a few days away, and with 44 teams and 160 people already registered online, competition among the teams is heating up. The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus and Team Speedy are neck and neck for the lead in the online fundraising race, followed by Buttercup's Buddies, the HSBC Globe Team and Katelyn Walker's Team. And let's not forget perennial powerhouses Team Special K and the Gap! The rivalry is fun, but all of the teams and individual walkers are working toward the same goal. If you'd like to Walk With Us, click here to register, then join us this Saturday at Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park.

Charts Charts Charts

Cathy sent THIS LINK to a series of 16 charts from the CDC showing HIV/AIDS surveillance among adolescents and yound adults.

Walk With Us (Part II)

Update: the meeting location has been changed! You're invited to the parade event of the year - the Evergreen Association will be marching in the annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 7th, and we'd love to have you march with us! Join us at the Belmont Shelter Corporation (1195 Main Street at Dodge Street). The parade starts at 1:00 p.m. so be sure to arrive early and get your free t-shirt and rainbow flag. If you don't want to march you can still be part of the fun... cheer us on along the parade route (Elmwood Avenue between Summer Street and Bidwell Parkway). Family and friends of all ages are welcome!

Walk With Us

Each year we invite you to Walk With Us at the AIDS Walk, but this year we really mean it! The 2009 AIDS Walk team roster includes not just one but two teams made up of Evergreen Association staff members. Buttercup's Buddies put the challenge out and Team Speedy answered that challenge with a quickness! The two teams have - so far - managed to keep the rivalry friendly, and we'll find out on May 30 which team comes out ahead. If you haven't registered for the AIDS Walk there's still time! Click HERE to sign up. You can register as an individual walker, join an existing team or start one of your own. It's simple, quick and secure. We'll see you on May 30th, Lakeside at Delaware Park.

Our Hope Blooms Garden at the Victorian has become one of Buffalo's most talked-about gardens! Each year, the Garden hosts thousands of visits on Garden Walk weekend, and since ACS is going to be an official hospitality station this year we're expecting our busiest year ever. Returning visitors will notice some big changes in the Garden. The large wooden wheelchair ramp that dominated the yard has been removed and replaced with a much smaller motorized lift. The waterfall and fish pond have been completely rebuilt. They're bigger, and a more interesting shape. Our goldfish can't wait to move back in! Finally, the gravel path has been replaced with the brick and granite Hope Blooms Commemorative Walkway. It's hard to imagine, but the chaos shown above will become a beautiful urban garden over the next few weeks! UPDATE: the goldfish are all moved in to their new home, and very happy from all accounts.

The Flu and HIV

The Swine Flu hysteria presents a good opportunity for a reminder that any influenza carries potential risks for persons with HIV infection. People with HIV - particularly those with low CD4 cell counts - are at higher risk for viral and bacterial lower respiratory tract infections and for recurrent pneumonias. Be sure to use common sense precautions such as frequent hand washing to lower your risk.