AIDS Walk 2004!
First off, please let me put forth a HUGE ‘THANK YOU!!’ to all who supported Judy and I in our walk by making such generour donations to the cause. I know how difficult it can be for everyone right now to scrounge up a little extra money. With families to support, schooling to pay for, and so many other worthy organizations needing our time and money, it can be difficult to fund and help yet one more.
So, Thank you to all who were able to give. And, also thank you to those who wanted to, but for one reason or another were unable to at this time. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers.
Okay… enough of the adulations.
On the day of the walk, once at the Summerfest grounds, we realized on big thing… WE FORGOT THE CAMERA!!!! Dangit! Okay… so we’ll have to create a verbal picturs for everyone. Here goes…
Aids Walk Wisconsin 2004 - 4,000 walkers strong!!
(photo from Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal online)
To start, Judy and I spent the past couple of months contacting friends, coworkers and family to help in the cause. Between the two of us (with our team ‘Faith in Certain Victory’), we were able to raise approximately $535 for the Walk.
Sunday morning we arose from our slumber, dressed and drove the 2 hours to Milwaukee (LARGE coffees in hand!) to attend the Walk. Upon arrival, we registered, received numerous neat AIDS Walk prizes for our work, and donned our new ‘AIDS Walk 2004′ t-shirts.
We sat and listened to entertainment from Ronnie Miles and a group called The Love Monkeys until the opening ceremonies. During the ceremony, speakers spoke, crowds cheered and doves were released (one was quite reluctant and stayed until he/she realized it was okay to leave its cage).
We started our walk with the help of a hand-drumming group called ‘One Drum’. Awesome beat and kept your toes and feet moving. ‘This is good! We can DO this,’ we thought. ‘No Problem!’
The entire walk was 10k (6.2 miles) starting at Summerfest grounds, around the Lakefront, back through some VERY well-to-do neighborhoods, and back to Summerfest. No sweat!
We saw the sign for 3k after about 20 minutes. And, we didn’t hurt too bad, yet. Sweet!
We chatted, watched the other walkers, enjoyed the lakefront scenery, soaked up the beautiful weather, a just kept on trucking. Grabbed a bottle of water at a rest stop, a little food here and there, but just kept going. No stopping and resting for us! We’re on a mission, darnit!
By about 5k, bathroom breaks were needed. No snacks for us this time.
At the 6k sign… feeling the pain. We could feel the burn in our legs. Especially in the joints. Okay… not much more to go. We’re still good!
7k was rolling around… pitifully slow. Ack! Is that all the further we walked? Dear Lord!
8k… pain was complete in the legs. Feet burning. My legs felt like rubber. I collapsed to the ground and urged Judy ‘Go on! Save yourself! And, remember, I’ve always loved you!!’ She laughed, said ‘You’re weird. Get up you big baby. You’re embarrassing me.’
Okay… so that didn’t REALLY happpen… but it COULD have! And, you’d feel bad for mocking me! Okay.. so you wouldn’t… but, you SHOULD!
Anyhoo… 9k was in view. Yay! Woohoo!! I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. We couldn’t believe that a walk this short could cause our bodies so much pain! Eep!!
10k!!! The Finish line is in site! Woohoo!!! And… so are the protesters*. Awe… how sweet. They missed us so much from the last time, that they came out to greet us all at the finish line. All 4 of them!! 
Four thousand walkers participated in the walk and all they can muster up is four cute widdle pwotesters. Awe. I bet their parents are proud!
Highlights of the walk: Lots of rainbow stickers for Kerry/Edwards. Judy and I each got our ‘Support Russ Feingold’ stickers. We signed a petition to stop the Gay Marriage Amendment. The weather was perfect. And, the Walk raised over $414,000 to fight the spread of AIDS!!!
All in all, it was a wonderful day! Judy and I are planning to make this an annual event. So, keep us in mind next year and set aside the date to join our team. I’ll be changing the name to ‘Team Pilsung’ (shorter than this year, but still means ‘Faith in Certain Victory’).
Team Pilsung will have shirts with a TKD kicker on the front and a quote on the back from the Broadway musical ‘RENT’: Act up! Fight AIDS!! (I’ll be starting on a design next spring.)
Thank you all, again, for all your thoughts, prayers and support. Together we CAN stop this disease!
Pilsung!
Julie & Judy
* Note: If you’re wondering what the protesters had to say, it was this: ‘Homosexuality is a sin’ and ‘AIDS is Gods way of punishing homosexuals’ - It’s too bad they can’t see that AIDS is NOT a ‘homosexual disease’. It affects men, women and children of all creeds, religions, social classes, and sexual preferences.
Unlike closed-minded humans, AIDS does not discriminate.
It’s just sad that some folks have such closed minds and hearts they cannot see the truth. To them, I say this: ‘I feel sorry for you.’
