I'm doing the Hill Country Ride for AIDS next Saturday. I'm nowhere near my goal, but I'm not moving the goalposts until after the opening dinner next Friday night. This diary is to tell you about the people helped by your donations. If you want to bypass all the heartwarming stuff, you can just donate here at my Hill Country Ride page. But if you want to read some great stories about people getting the help they need, I've got some stories to share.
(Becky has been raising money for the Hill County Ride for AIDS ever sine BOR has been around. It's that time of year again and I personally encourage you to donate to her fundraising page as part of this annual tradition. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Well if we've met you know I have 2 big passions besides electing more & better Democrats - AIDS Walk Austin (for which I have been the top fundraiser) and the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which I'll be participating in for the 13th time in - gulp - 3 weeks. I've been the top fundraiser for the Ride before & both the Ride and I have big fundraising goals this year. I want to be the top funtraiser, which means I need to raise around $7,000; and the Ride has a goal of $500,000. If you want to skip my cheesy U2 worshipping diary, here's my Hill Country Ride for AIDS page. Oh - and technically I'm not supposed to be here during the workday, so I'm going to have to sneak in. If an hour or so goes by, I'm not ignoring you, and I am grateful, I just have to please my employer by closing the internet window every so often.
Last week, Austin musician Marcia Ball sent an e-mail out to some friends about the ridiculous cuts in healthcare that our illustrious governor has planned. Here's what was posted on Facebook:
What the heck's happening with our poor country?! Who knew that in 2012 in the USA we would be fighting about contraception and basic women's health?
Next Tuesday, March 6, and the following two Tuesdays, between noon and 2:00 PM, I am going to put on a red shirt and st...and in front of the Texas State Capitol at the corner of Congress Avenue and 11th Street holding a sign decrying the defunding of women's health services. I am calling my effort SEEING RED and it may be just me and a few friends or a few hundred. This is my own personal response to the outrage of the Texas Taliban's war on women and, peripherally, my sadness over the death of foreign correspondent Marie Colvin who gave her life to tell us about the inhumanity and injustice of those who target the powerless. My vigil is in honor of Molly Ivins who said nothing will change until we get out in the streets and bang on pots and pans. I'm just going to stand there and hold a sign (and a broadsheet with talking points).
By the way, this is not a "women's movement". Come one, come all.
Some of you have been in on the brainstorming that only began yesterday about this and you're the "core committee" of a completely unorganized movement. No keynote speakers. No podium. No PA. Just red shirts and signs. Spread the word.
On Sunday, thousands of people in Austin will get together & walk a 5K for a good cause. They will have raised money, or just registered to walk, to care for people in Austin living with HIV & AIDS. I'm still looking for more donations - will, right up to the very last minute - and you can give here at my AIDS Walk page.
Come woth me below the fold & I'll tell you what the donations do & there is (of course) a U2 video.
They've met the minimum requirement -- so let's see how far we can stretch the anonymous donor's pursestrings! Please donate any amount today!
cross-posted at Daily Kos & Texas Kaos
Yes, this is yet another AIDS Walk Austin diary. Friday there is another matching opportunity - and it is really fantastic. If the Walk as a whole can raise $5,000 then all donations will be matched. So even if you can only give $5, Friday would be a great day to do that, because it'll magically turn into $10. I've got a nice diary written up - with a U2 video, but if you just want to donate, you can do so here: my AIDS Walk page
(Please support Becky's efforts today! - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
cross-posted at Daily Kos & Texas Kaos
Well if we've met you know I have 2 big passions besides electing more & better Democrats - AIDS Walk Austin (for which I was the biggest non-board member fundraiser last year) and the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which I'll be participating in next April. I have a crazy big fundraising goal this year - $5,000. I know that's insane in this economy but the agencies that benefit from this event serve people who really, truly need help. And this morning, the first 25 donations of $100 or more are being matched. Come with me below the fold for more information -- and a song. You'll never guess who the song is by.
There's a match challenge this morning. The first 25 donations of $100 or more will be matched by Walgreen's Pharmacy, one of the sponsors. The information I have from the Walk office doesn't mention a cap; so the first 25 wanting to donate $100, $250, $500 ++, would automatically be contributing $200, $500 or even $1000 ++ to helping people with AIDS. You can donate right here at my Walk page
I know that most charity in Austin right now is aimed at helping the many, many people affected by the fires and that is as it should be. Over 1,400 people have lost their homes and they need massive amounts of help, right now. Here are 2 pages with places you can donate for that:
and the Committee on Relief of the United Methodist Church is already on the ground, helping - 100% of donations go to fire relief: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/...
In Austin, we have several events coming up raising awareness and funds for organizations serving those affected by HIV & AIDS. Austin Red Week includes my city's hosting of a segment of the Quilt, and also events like Dining For Life and AIDS Walk Austin.
On September 12 & 13, restaurants all across Austin will be doing something very generous, donating a portion of their proceeds to AIDS Services of Austin. You can find a full list of participating restaurants here but follow me below the fold and I'll tell you more.
Last fall, I listened to Paul Scott, the new executive director of AIDS Services of Austin, talking about what your donations do & I wanted to pass this information on to you. Fifty dollars supplements food for 1 person for 1 month from the Helping Hands Food Pantry. One hundred dollars provides the Prevention Team with supplies to educate 370 people, a $250 donation assists 3 clients in financial crisis with support paying basic living expenses. A $500 donation provides 3 preventive oral hygeine visits at the Jack Sansing Dental Clinic. And when you - that's you people - have given a thousand dollars, you have: helped with more than 40 visits to the Food Pantry, a complete restorative treatment at the Dental Clinic and more than 20 hours of HIV Case Management to support clients living with HIV.
One of the organizations that benefits from donations to the Walk is:
The Wright House Wellness Center
Since 1988, The Wright House Wellness Center has offered care and compassion to Central Texans living with or at risk of HIV and other chronic illnesses and provided resources for support, education and empowerment.
come below the fold to find out more -- and for a matching donation challenge
Hi. I'm raising money for AIDS Walk Austin, which benefits AIDS Services of Austin and several other agencies like the David Powell Clinic, the Wright House Wellness clinic, and others. This is the diary where I'm going to tell you the bad news -- why this fundraiser is so necessary & why I set my goal so high ($5,000).
First, this news from a CBS article -- people with HIV can live longer than before, but at a cost of over $600,000. There are agencies to help people out, but they have been facing cuts for years, and in this budget environment, things are much, much worse.
If you want to donate without reading all the depressing numbers, here's my donation page
