The AIDS Walk Colorado isn’t allowing participants to get complacent in the event’s 24th year of raising money for AIDS and HIV organizations and is even keeping some on their toes — by allowing them to run in high heels.
More than 8,000 people came to Cheesman Park in Denver on Saturday morning to participate in the walk and 11 decided to run in heels after the main event. This year marked the second annual Diva Dash Stiletto Fun Run, which is a half-K race, where women and men sprint in 3-inch — and higher — heels. The 1,261-foot dash is held after the 5K walk and run.
Some participants said this year’s walk was smaller than they have seen in the past. In 1997, more than 12,000 people registered for the walk and raised $1.4 million.
“There is lots of donor fatigue, and people don’t think they need to support it any more,” said Tim Schuetz, spokesman for the Colorado AIDS Project, the organization that puts on the walk.
Naomi Marsh, 20, and her sister Leola Marsh, 24, ran in the Diva Dash after the walk. Leola Marsh narrowly lost the race. They went to Stapleton on Friday to raise pledges for the walk. After two hours of knocking on doors, they had raised $3.
“It was really discouraging,” Leola Marsh said.
The sisters have done the walk for 16 years. The past 13 years have been in memory of their aunt, Wanda Ivett Laboy, who passed away in 1999.
“A lot of people don’t understand until they have personally been affected by the impact of AIDS,” Leola Marsh said.
As of March 2010, nearly 11,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in Colorado.
“People think it is under control. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Schuetz said.
Nationwide 56,000 people contract HIV each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no cure for AIDS, but the invention of antiretrovirals in the ’90s has helped people live longer.
“AIDS has moved out of crisis mode to chronic mode,” Schuetz said.
Monique Apolinar said the walk has shrunken in size over the years but she has seen an increase in the number of organizations doing large-scale fundraisers.
Her brother, Richard Apolinar, passed away in 1993, and the family started participating in the walk in 1994. This year, 20 family members did the 5K walk.
“We will continue to be here until we hear there is a cure,” Apolinar said.
Caitlin Gibbons: 303-954-1638 or cgibbons@denverpost.com
