September 23, 2005

Red Ribbon Walk exceeds its goal with $130,000

by Anthony Glassman

Cincinnati--The final Saturday of summer brought a flood of support out to Sawyer Point for the Red Ribbon Walk for AIDS on September 17.

The event raised $130,000 for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, the area�s largest HIV and AIDS service organization.

�We�re elated that we�ve exceeded our event goal,� said Kathy Nardiello, the chair of the walk.

�AVOC is very happy with the results from the event because of the longevity of the event,� she continued. �This was the 16th annual Red Ribbon Walk and we are pleased that even though we see complacency about AIDS, this event continues to be supported with enthusiasm by its participants because they recognize that not one single case of HIV/AIDS has been cured and that advancements in treatments do not mean that the crisis is over.�

In addition to refreshments along the five-mile route, a continental breakfast was provided during registration.

The online registration through the Kintera web site was again deemed a success.

�Our online registration and donation system continues to be a great tool for us with over $30,000 of the event�s revenues being collected online,� Nardiello noted.

The almost three dozen sponsors lined up for the walk, including Trader Joe�s, Coca-Cola, Sara Lee, radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines and others kept down the cost of the event, leading to a net of at least $110,000 for the event, which last year met its goal of $100,000.

Donations can still be made through the Kintera site, which can be reached through links from www.avoc.org.

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