AIDS Walk Austin is on Sunday, and today (Tuesday) the 1st 25 people to raise $100 will get that amount matched. So, you don't have to give $100 (not that that wouldn't be great), just give what you can & early. Once I get $100, that will be matched. So I thought I'd share some music & ask for donations. If you want to skip the U2 song & my babbling, you can make a donation at my AIDS Walk Austin page. And here is an article AIDS Service of Austin put on their site about me walking this thing every year & a picture of me with all those t-shirts: http://www.asaustin.org/...
Ok, if you've met me you'll know that I'm somewhat of a U2 fan. I tend to try everything I can to tie my fundraising diaries in to U2 songs. Here's the one I'm using today:
Magnificent -- that's what I think everyone who donates to this cause is. If you have been to the AIDS Services of Austin office, seen the work they do..... or if you know someone who has used the services of the Wright House Wellness Center, or the Jack Sansing Dental Clinic (which is facing a severe funding shortage), or any of the other programs, you know how valuable their services are. And these are not luxury services, wasting your donations on posh offices or services that aren't absolutely vital. If you donate to my AIDS Walk Austin page , I assure you, your money goes to help people who really need it, right now. So I say you're magnificent.
I just checked, and the Walk over all has only raised 42% of their goal. I know that most donations come in toward the end of the fundraising period, but the Walk is less than a week away, so now would be really great. If they fall short of their goal, truly vital services will be underfunded. And my $2,000 goal -- well, I was the top fundraiser a couple of years ago and I'd really like to repeat that performance. What did I get? Extra hugs, and I got to go to a nice reception. But mostly I satisfied my insanely competitive spirit. (if you don't buy that, just ask anyone who knows me irl, it is totally true) And it will definitely take more than $2,000 to be the top person again, the current top person has raised over $5700.
But I'm not really asking you to donate because I'm super-competitive. I'm asking you to donate for love. Because people I love beyond my ability to tell you about are HIV+ and I can't do anything for them but this. Because people my friends love are affected, and too many have died. Because people you know are affected.
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
and since I'm appealing to your hearts, I'm gonna make you cry again, with the "Imagine A World Without Hate" video:
Please donate, today if you can. Here's my AIDS Walk Austin page
and my favorite song of 2015, Patti Smith with U2 doing People Have The Power: