Why I Walk: Kevin Cook

Why I walk...

I walk because I can; I feel like it’s my duty to walk for all who cannot.

While I lost many close personal friends whom I keep in my heart and mind, especially on AIDS Walk day, I walk for those who had no one during their final days, whose friends and families turned their backs on them. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, I witnessed a lot of that--and surely there were many whom I never met or knew very well, but who deserve nonetheless to be remembered.

When our Community first was hit and we started losing friends and loved ones, the Drag Community jumped right in and began raising funds and awareness. To date, sadly, I can list over 100 drag performers who we have lost, among those my closets and dearest friends who created and shaped the entertainer I have become. Most of what I do these days in my “career” is dedicated to them--being a successful full-time drag performer and emcee is possible because of their guidance and inspiration. The many times Poison Waters has emceed the AIDS Walk has been my “toast” to these “ladies”.

I walk for my ”sisters” Misty, Rosey and Lady Elaine Peacock.
I walk for those we’ve lost who had no friends and family.
I walk because it’s the very least I can do for those who cannot.

I love the sense of Community the Walk provides. When I was a teen I wanted to do ANYTHING I could to help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and show support for my Community. The Walk allows everyone to participate through this very simple act of joining. No matter a person's age or financial situation, everyone can be a part of this very important Community event.

While I’m sure I’ve been walking since the early 90’s, I know this will be my 11th consecutive year on the Camp Starlight Team! My birthday is September 17 and I always get most of my donations around that time. I send messages and reminders to my friends and family via e-mail, Facebook and texting, asking for donations to AIDS Walk instead of birthday gifts.

Why I Walk: Drew Picard

Why I walk...

I walk for those that cannot, plain and simple. It's a somewhat cliche and cheesy response, I know; however, I feel as though it is one that is never expressed enough.

This ailment has affected so many people and it will be years before we touch the lives of everyone that it has changed. Our participation, yours as well as mine, shows the world how much we care and that we are not going to just stand by while it takes another life. Just as with the other obstacles we face through out our lives, this battle will be won with massive involvement. This world has yet to see what we are all capable of, if we just stand up together for what we believe in and the people we care about.

So, I walk to show even just one more person that I am here to make a difference--one step at a time!

I have many friends that are affected by HIV/AIDS and whose lives have changed because of it. Yet, I see strength in all of them. Never once have any of them stopped living. I walk for all of my friends, in their name and for my own.

This walk is important to me, for it shows that we are willing to band together and fight for the truth, and for our beliefs. We get our chance to show that we are a force to be reckoned with and that we will fight long and strong for everyone that needs our help.

This will be my second year actually walking, but third year in participation. I have enjoyed playing many roles and lending a hand when ever I can. It's been a blast so far this year, and it's only going to get better!

It's hard to find a person that is not already informed or knowledgeable about the walk or what we do. Still, I spread the word and try to get people involved any way I can. Working at my bar provides a steady influx of customers that are willing to help with donations and even volunteer to walk. It is truly awesome to see the city organize and band together to show support. Way to go Rose City!

Daren Parks: Why I Walk

Why I walk...

I walk because I believe that everyone deserves to live a life free from pain and suffering. I walk for my dear friend Louie, his family and his friends. We will never forget him.

The walk has always been a very important part of my life because I am gay. In the early 90’s I was approached by one of our Health Club Members inquiring if I would be his Personal Trainer. He told me that if anyone could help save his life, it was me. He said that I inspired him.

In speaking with him about his needs and goals, he informed me that he had been recently diagnosed with AIDS. He feared that he did not have long to live. I asked him how he had heard about me and he said that he had been observing me train clients for over 6 months and finally worked up the courage to speak to me.

He told me that he was embarrassed to tell someone he had AIDS and that he was terrified that I would judge him and refuse to train him. He had been turned down by 3 other fitness professionals. I began crying and assured him that his search was over.

I trained Louie for over a year and a half before he lost his battle with the disease. Our time together was much more than Personal Training. There were times that I trained him at home because he was too physically weak to get to the gym. I remember holding water for him so he could drink because he didn’t have any strength to hold the glass. I remember getting blankets for him to stop him from shivering. And there were times that I held him while he cried himself to sleep. I wanted him to know that he was loved.

Ironically, at the end of it all, it was his will to live and bravery that inspired me.

I began walking in the mid 80’s in Albuquerque, New Mexico by organizing a team, speaking at the event and leading the warm-up. I continued my involvement with the walk in Phoenix, Arizona and in Denver, Colorado. In all cities, I was instrumental in ensuring that our Health Club was a major sponsor and promoter for the event. Our Club served as a platform for meetings and kick-off parties.

I communicate my passion for the walk through work, social media, email, volunteer time and by giving back to the community.

We all have an opportunity to make the world a better place. The decision you make to help others must we done with diligence, commitment, passion and be relentless! It must come from the heart and be unselfish. There is always something you can do.

Andrew Shayde: Why I Walk

Why I walk...

I walk because Americans still die of AIDS. This is my 2^nd Walk.

I was born in June 1981, the exact month that CDC released its first official statement about AIDS. I have never known a world without HIV/AIDS and I think people have grown complacent about the subject. Up to 80% of those living with HIV/AIDS are still gay/bi men and I want to walk to educate so that my friends don’t add to this statistic. I want to change the tide on this disease and lead the way to a decrease in infections by reminding people that HIV still lives here.

I walk for ‘Mo’ my first friend that I lost to AIDS. I went to his funeral where they said he passed of cancer because saying the word AIDS was apparently too controversial. I thought, people keep getting sick because we can’t say the word AIDS out loud.

Because, in America, up to 18,000 people still die of AIDS each year. More than 279,000 gay and bi men have been lost to the virus.

I am the Team Leader for The Ultimate Alliance: Superheroes for HIV. We are raising funds and dressing as our favorite Superheroes in the attempts to gain more attention back on the important topic of HIV/AIDS in Portland and to create a fun energy to help decrease the stigma placed on the words HIV/AIDS.

I work in HIV testing and counseling and I would LOVE to put myself out of a job by playing my role to help eradicate this disease. I’d rather flip burgers all day in a world without HIV.

Dale Hottle: Why I Walk

Why I walk...

My story began 13 years ago as a boy, raised in a conservative home and barely out to himself. A good friend disclosed to me that he had recently tested HIV positive. I was shell-shocked, frozen. I only knew HIV/AIDS as a death sentence--and one that only “wrongdoers” could be afflicted with. My own fear and ignorance were my shield and my sword that night, and they cut me from my friend. I silently turned my back on him and walked away. I will forever regret that moment.

I started volunteering with the Colorado AIDS Project a year later--and when I moved, I continued, volunteering with the Utah AIDS Foundation and then Cascade AIDS Project. My motto became “if I can reach out and make a difference to one person then everything is worth it.” I wanted to raise awareness and hopefully prevent someone from shunning another the way that I had in my ignorance. That friendship--a person to laugh, cry and smile with--can make a big difference to someone living with HIV/AIDS, a lesson that I learned well over time.

I tested positive three years ago and it fractured my life. While I had advocated ending the stigma to others, I still harbored it within myself. This great hypocrisy could have destroyed me--and nearly did. I resorted to drinking and shoved my friends away, isolating myself; I was so fearful that others might shun me that I alienated them from myself first.

Then, two strangers that I had only recently met became my guardian angels. They helped me turn my life back around, so that I could see past the disease to a life beyond. I was fortunate enough to receive the gift of understanding that I had once denied my friend. I can only be hopeful that he and others will be as lucky as I was.

So why do I walk? Well, the short answer is selfish: to find a cure and end the stigma that surrounds the disease.

But the long answer is that I walk for a cure to end this pandemic. I walk to educate others so that they may protect themselves and be accepting when someone else imparts their status. I walk to say thank you to the guardian angels that have provided aid and support for me and so many others through our darkest hours. Finally, I walk for Aric, the friend that started this journey; he changed my life in more ways than he will ever realize.

CAP Employees in Just Out!

Two of our amazing employees are in this week's Just Out:

First, go to page 13 to the NW News: In Brief; there you'll read about Eowyn Wood's second novel being picked as a finalist for the National Best Books 2010 Award. (You can also read about that here online--scroll down.)

Then, on page 19 you can discover more about Michael Anderson-Nathe's experience being part of the "only gay Jewish-Vietnamese adoptive family in Portland." (That one can be found here online--again, scroll-down.)

CAP Program Highlight: LUES

Latinos Unidos Enfrentando el SIDA (LUES)

LUES is the Spanish language acronym for Latinos United Confronting AIDS. LUES provides culturally driven HIV prevention education in the Latino community. Over the past four years, CAP has seen the number of its Latino clients increase by 31%. Based on the continued disproportionate effects of HIV in the Latino population combined with feedback from the community, CAP secured funding from the United Way to expand its prevention efforts in the Latino community.

The goal of LUES is to reduce stigma and promote healthy behaviors in relation to HIV and STDs through education, training, outreach, and social marketing. Partners include Multnomah County Capacitation Center, the Oregon Council of Hispanic Advancement (OCHA) and Hacienda CDC.

LUES works with Latino youth to develop and produce social marketing materials. Middle school and high school students participate in age appropriate and culturally relevant sessions learning HIV and STD information, as well as information on how to use the media as a tool for educating their communities. With the support and guidance of CAP staff, youth produced six short radio novellas. They were broadcast on the radio in Spanish, reaching thousands of listeners with messages about HIV prevention, and are now available on CD.

In collaboration with the Multnomah County Community Capacitation Center, LUES provides HIV capacity building training to Community Health Workers. Sessions are based on popular education. They also offer two popular education basics trainings per year and will be offering an STD training in the near future. In addition to the trainings for community health workers, shorter trainings are offered for more informal HIV Educators ideal for groups interested in creating HIV experts in their community (church groups, alcohol and drug treatment groups, etc). Some of last year's Educators include Hacienda's parent involvement group.

LUES participates in several community events per year. Events vary from film screenings to health fairs. We usually partner with county health departments to conduct on-site testing at these events.

Cascade AIDS Project conducts outreach and education in migrant camps and with day laborers. These critical services bring HIV education and testing to populations at increased risk for HIV and late detection. In the camps, our long-time partner, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, provides mobile medical care services and Washington County Health Department does rapid testing. At the day labor site, Outside In provides medical services and testing.

For more informations, contact Maricela Berumen at 503.278.3867.

CAP Program Highlight: Teen2Teen

Teen2Teen is a group of passionate, activated youth ages 15-19 who are trained as peer educators in HIV/AIDS and Sexuality education. They make a one year commitment to dedicate their time to learning and educating about HIV/AIDS, sexuality, gender, sexual orientation, healthy relationships, and much more. Throughout their year of volunteering they attend meetings every week and take part in extra training sessions and workshops.

Teen2Teen youth become a resource for their friends, families, and communities on topics ranging from how to get tested for an STD to how to become activated around sexual health. They present in schools and at Agent Trainings, attend and present at conferences like the Oregon Queer Youth Conference and the Adolescent Sexuality Conference, and create amazing outreach projects in our communities. They also have huge amounts of fun, and make incredible friendships.

Teen2Teen's Mission was written by and for the youth in Teen2Teen. It is a statement meant to describe and inspire the work that Teen2Teen does through their outreach, their discussions, their Agent Trainings, and the societal change they make with their program:

"As Teen2Teen we strive to educate our peers and ourselves about HIV and Sexuality. Our goal is to create an empowered, active, and informed community. We aim to provide comprehensive information and end stigma surrounding HIV and Sexuality."

For more information or to find out how to volunteer or get involved, please email Annika Shore, the Youth HIV Education Coordinator, or fill out a Teen2Teen application.

CAP Program Highlight: CHATpdx

Curbing HIV/AIDS Transmission among at-risk and racial/ethnic minority youth (CHATpdx). Funded through the Department of Health and Human Service – Office of Minority Health (OMH), CHATpdx is a new program designed to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission among at-risk and racial/ethnic minority youth in Portland, Oregon. The program is carried out via a coalition of organizations and individuals including Cascade AIDS Project, Outside In, and the African American AIDS Action Awareness Alliance (A6).

CHATpdx uses four main strategies to accomplish this work.
• peer-to-peer education to reach at-risk youth,
• expand HIV testing opportunities for at-risk youth,
• use social media to enhance peer education and extend its reach,
• expand and enhance partnerships among youth serving agencies.

CHATpdx hosts an HIV testing night for youth at Pivot (209 SW 4th Ave; formerly the Men’s Wellness Center) which occurs every 2nd and 4th Mondays from 3 – 7pm. The space and testing are open for all youth 24 and under, and include games, peer education, wii, snacks, and more.

CHATpdx is on Facebook and Twitter! “Like” the Facebook page to get the latest CHATpdx news and events. Additionally, a blog for youth is coming soon. They post information for events relevant to youth 24 and under and also provide free testing for some events. If you’d like to add rapid oral HIV testing for your event please contact us and we will make every attempt to set up free and confidential testing.

While CHATpdx will not turn away any youth 24 and under, there is a special emphasis on reaching and serving racial and ethnic minority youth.

For more information, see the Facebook and Twitter, or contact Ernesto Dominguez or Annika Shore.

CAP Program Highlight: Camp Starlight

Camp Starlight, a program of Cascade AIDS Project, is a residential camp that serves children and youth ages 5 to 14 from across Oregon and Southwestern Washington. The program gives HIV-affected and -infected children the opportunity to enjoy a week at B’nai B’rith Camp. At Camp Starlight, children dealing with HIV themselves or in their family can feel “normal” knowing every other child at camp understands their situation. Camp Starlight partners with another program at Cascade AIDS Project called “Kids Connection” to offer campers and their families activities throughout the year to help maintain friendships and build lasting support networks.

During a typical day at Camp Starlight, campers eat breakfast together at about 8:30 am, then separate into groups based on age for a morning fun, doing such things as archery, canoeing and dance, playing music, and enjoying nature, pool time, and arts and crafts. After lunch, campers have a rest period when the younger children usually take naps. Then another cycle of activities begins, including a “free period” where campers can choose the activity they prefer. Each night, there is a different activity. One evening is movie night- campers bring their sleeping bags to the baseball field to watch a movie and sleep under the stars. On another evening, campers hold a talent show called “Night of a Thousand Stars”. On yet another night, Camp Starlight holds a carnival with games and costumes.

Camp Starlight works to ensure safe space for all attendees. The camper-to-staff ratio is about two to one rather than the eight-to-one ratio in an average camp. This high number of staff promises that each camper is showered with attention and acceptance. Additionally, other than a fun, first-night skit directly addressing HIV, campers are free to talk about HIV—or not—as they choose during the duration of the camp. Attendance is free of charge to the campers, which is the only way most of the campers are able to attend.

Camp Starlight gives children a chance to recover from the stress of living with HIV and to spend time with other children who understand their challenges. This builds resiliency and sense of community, which, in turn, decreases feelings of isolation and improves social satisfaction and well-being. In taking away the fear of talking about HIV, some of the stigma of HIV lifts. It is only by talking about HIV, asking questions about it, learning about it, and understanding that people living with HIV/AIDS are among us as friends, neighbors, and coworkers that we can confront the pandemic head on.

More information is available on the camp brochure. For information about becoming a camper, please contact Angie Raffaele-Burns, Camp Starlight Coordinator, at 503.223.5907 ext 3823.