Tacoma Atheists » AIDS Walk

Tacoma Atheists among $1000+ fundraisers for Pierce County AIDS Foundation

rebecca — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:02:15 +0000

For the third year in a row, atheists in Tacoma rallied to raise funds for the Pierce County AIDS Foundation at the annual AIDS Walk. This year, the Tacoma Atheist team raised over $1000 and was among the top 10 fundraising teams! We unfurled our banner, proclaiming our motto, along with health organizations like Planned Parenthood and Group Health; college teams from UPS, PLU, UWT, and others; several church groups; Tacoma fixtures like the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and Russell Investments; and other affinity groups like ours. Some folks came and posed for pictures with the banner while and others cheered us on. We received not one sarcastic “blessing” nor negative comment!

If you saw us at the AIDS Walk and are visiting the webpage for the first time, please also check out our Facebook page and our Meetup.com site for info, discussion, pics, and events. That means YOU, young lady from the nacent Secular Student Union at UPS!!!

AIDS Walk

Amanda — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:39:48 +0000

I almost forgot to post this. We beat out Russell Investms, and made it into the top 10 donating groups. Serves them right for leaving Tacoma. Next year, top position? I think we can do it!

Thank you

Amanda — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:00:33 +0000

We raised more than $1,200 for the Pierce County AIDS Foundation’s AIDS Walk this year, and we had 9 walkers (and a dog). We got so many thumbs up and cheers along the way, I couldn’t believe it! It was just great. Thanks to all who donated and helped make someone’s life a little better. You helped so much to support the HIV/AIDS community in Pierce County.

A shout-out to our wonderful donors

Amanda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:49:03 +0000

Wow. I’m speechless and a little teary. We hit $285 $330 in AIDS Walk donations today. You are all wonderful, generous people.

Chris in Texas writes:

Thank you all for doing this. You truly are compassionate

Chris, you are the compassionate one. Thanks for your generosity and making this happen!

Beth writes:

My friend and I wanted to join your team, but we’re not members of the Tacoma Atheists. Is that ok?

Beth, not only is it OK, but it’s great! We’d love to have you in our team! I’m ordering t-shirts, so be sure to get one so we can all show our atheist pride!

Holey moley!

Amanda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:03:42 +0000

People are stepping up to the plate! We already have $250 in donations for the AIDS Walk! Thank you, Tacoma Atheists!!

Pierce County AIDS Foundation AIDS walk kickoff

Amanda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:14:50 +0000

Last night the PCAF kicked of it’s September AIDS Walk at Shakabrah on 6th Ave., and five of us were there.

We heard from the organizers of the AIDS Walk, PCAF staff and the director, and we learned that AIDS has become the leading killer of young black women. That’s terrifying. The AIDS Walk is a wonderful way to help educate people about HIV/AIDS (which is 100% preventable!), provide services that are so critical to the + community, and show people where our hearts are: “Guided by reason, informed by science, motivated by compassion.”

I encourage all members to join our team and walk with us, and if you can’t, donate any amount — even as little as $20 will help us on our way to our goal of $1,000 and recognition at the AIDS walk of our group.

If every member donates only $10, we will exceed that goal! Join our team and make a donation here.

An interesting side note: One of the organizers remembered us from last year, and asked if he could come to a Meetup! That was so exciting!

Here are some background figures on HIV/AIDS in Pierce County:

1,741 people with HIV/AIDS have come to the Pierce County AIDS Foundation for services, and 638 persons are known to have died from complications related to AIDS as of July 31, 2007. Pierce County has the second highest incidence of AIDS in the State, with 9% of the total number of cases in Washington.

AIDS in Pierce County is distinguished from the state as a whole by a clientele which is poorer, has a lower average educational level and contains a higher percentage of women, people of color, injection drug users, teenagers, and children. Statistics provided by the Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department and the Washington State Department of Health find:

35% of the cases of HIV/AIDS in Pierce County are among people of color. That figure is only 28% for the state as a whole.

18% of the people with AIDS in Pierce County report injecting drug use as the mode of transmission of HIV as opposed to only 9% statewide. 18% percent of the people with AIDS in Pierce County report heterosexual sex as the mode of transmission of HIV as opposed to only 10% statewide.

20% of all Pierce County AIDS cases are women, a number twice the statewide percentage of AIDS cases among women.

Teens are more at risk for HIV in Pierce County. 24% of the cases of AIDS are among young people 20-29 years of age. Taking into account a potential ten-year period where HIV has not yet progressed to full blown AIDS, it is logical to assume that most of these were infected as teens. That figure is only 21% for the state and for the nation.

Recent statistics show these trends in the AIDS epidemic in Pierce County even more strongly than the cumulative cases. Among the 88 new clients served at PCAF in 2005, 39% are from communities of color, 22% are women, and 14% report drug use as the probable cause of transmission. Of the 478 clients served in 2005, 30% had mental health issues, 60% have both mental health and substance abuse problems, and 70% had incomes of less than $10,000 per year.

During 2005, 15% of our new clients were homeless at intake, and almost 25% of the 478 clients served were homeless, or at risk of homelessness during the course of the year.