Posted: August 30, 2005

Athletics: World AIDS Marathon Coming to Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, FLA. – The 2005 World AIDS Marathon is coming to Gainesville on December 4, 2005. Registration for the Marathon and its sister event, a 5K fun walk, is now open for public registration at www.worldaidsmarathon.com. This is the first marathon the city of Gainesville has seen in well over 20 years.

The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Richard M. Brodsky, an HIV and brain cancer patient, who saw the need to raise further awareness about AIDS. The architect turned author (2002’s Jodi, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told) once said, "There is no greater joy than raising and then giving away money to those in need. It's fun and rewarding." Proceeds from Brodsky’s 2004 World AIDS Marathon in Kenya – which included a grant from Pfizer – in combination with funds from PlanetPoz are funding the 50-bed Little Lambs orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya. The orphanage will care for and educate 50 orphans. There are an estimated 14,000,000 orphans in Africa, many of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

November 29th to December 6th 2005, the foundation will be bringing its World AIDS marathon, conference, Art for AIDS exhibition, with a sector on cancer awareness, Noor H’mara: A Concert for AIDS, nightclub awareness nights, H’mara: A Night of Poetry, amongst many other events to Gainesville, in commemoration of World AIDS Day, which is December 1st, in partnership with the ONE Campaign. Proceeds from December’s marathon will be going to UF’s AIDS program with a concentration in pediatric AIDS. Proceeds from Noor H’mara: A Concert for AIDS will be going to Visual AIDS and the Gainesville Area AIDS Project, of which provides living aid to those living with HIV.

For more information please visit www.worldaidsmarathon.com