1,000 Take a Walk to Raise Money for AIDS Services

More than 1,000 people raised $205,000 for AIDS service providers by walking downtown Los Angeles streets Sunday in the new “Eastside AIDS-Thon,” designed to highlight the rising incidence of the deadly disease among blacks, Latinos, Asians and other minorities.

The turnout did not meet the expectations of organizers, whose goal was 5,000 participants bringing in $350,000.

But “it’s the first year. We’re very pleased,” said Keith Malone of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which financed the event. “There will be a second one.”

More than 20 agencies involved with acquired immune deficiency syndrome worked together on the walk-a-thon, conceived in part to break what they consider a monopoly on fund raising by the more famous AIDS Project Los Angeles “AIDS Walk.” Proceeds in this year’s AIDS Walk were $2.3 million.