HIV/AIDS Marathon Kenya 2004
----------------------------
Dear Friends,
I am writing today to tell you about some exciting plans which
are taking shape for an HIV/AIDS Marathon in Kenya on World AIDS
Day 2004. This is the brainchild of Richard Brodsky, an HIV+
runner who is also a poet, an author, a loving father and part-
ner, and who has brain cancer but remains undaunted in his ef-
forts to help others and spread a message of hope and education
about HIV/AIDS. For more on Richard and his book, "Jodi: The
Greatest Love Story Ever Told", please see:
http://www.trebloon.org
To sign up for the AIDS Marathon e-forum where this event is
currently being discussed, please send a blank e-mail to:
mailto:aidsmarathonupdate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
and go to the group home page at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aidsmarathonupdate
The marathon in Kenya is now being discussed by about 30 par-
ticipants in this forum, many of whom are making contacts world-
wide in support of this effort, and much work and planning are
already happening on the ground in Kenya. HIV/AIDS nonprofits,
youth-related organizations, development and tech-related
groups, a travel agency, and soon a communications company are
all working to fit various pieces of the whole initiative to-
gether, and outreach is now happening to the UN and UNAIDS, is
being contemplated with the International Olympic Committee
(which has joined with UNAIDS to highlight HIV/AIDS issues as
they relate to sports and to the Olympics), to a number of pos-
sible donors and foundations, to sports-equipment companies, and
sponsors will hopefully be found soon.
One exciting component envisioned will hopefully be several
types of "humanitarian safaris", which will visit organizations
helping children affected by HIV/AIDS and spend time with the
children themselves, for instance, or wildlife and travel safa-
ris where a portion of proceeds will be donated to such nonprof-
its. The race itself will feature Kenyan and non-Kenyan runners
who will pay an entry fee, thus making a donation themselves, as
the goal is to generate funds which will be donated to a number
of organizations in Kenya who address HIV/AIDS. The incomparable
Kenyan athlete Kip Keino, who is head of the Kenya Olympic Com-
mittee and runs a children's school and home in Eldoret with his
wife, is now an eager participant, helping to map out the mara-
thon route and contacting organizations and individuals within
Kenya and elsewhere for support.
A meeting is being scheduled in Kenya for June 21st at 2pm at
the KICC Cafeteria in Nairobi. Contacts for more information on
this meeting include Serah Njoroge of Eastern and Southern Safa-
ris at mailto:info@essafari.co.ke and see the website at
http://www.essafari.co.ke , or call her at +254-20-242828 or
212371 and mobile +254-722-832795. Also Hillary Koech of ITDG-
EA at +254-20-2713540 or 2719-313 and 413, or e-mail
mailto:hillary.koech@itdg.or.ke . Kennedy Onyango of CISSO/OVF-
Kenya, another contact, can be reached at
mailto:kennedy@onevillage.biz , and Stan Tuvako of
KAIPPG/ANFORD/ActALIVE is at mailto:tuvakoklub2@yahoo.com . In
the USA, Ingrid Kloet and Steve Garrett of the GNP+, NM Poz Coa-
lition, and Planet Poz are serving as the non-profit organizers
of this event, and they can be reached at
mailto:Ingrid@spinn.net and mailto:tagg24@spinn.net . Also see
http://www.planetpoz.org , or call +1-505-280-2218 (mobile) and
+1-505-298-2644. Richard can be reached at
mailto:richardbpc@aol.com and by phone at +1-516-432-8520.
With greatest thanks and all best wishes, and hope to welcome
you as a partner and participant soon!
Janet Feldman
Director, KAIPPG/International
mailto:kaippg@earthlink.net
http://www.kaippg.org
http://www.actalive.org