COUNTYWIDE : AIDS Walk Donations Top $400,000

Setting attendance and donation records, more than 6,500 people spent a near-perfect Sunday morning walking, running, skating or bicycling through the UC Irvine campus, all with the goal of collecting money for AIDS research.

“There was surprisingly more response than we anticipated,” said spokeswoman Joann Paige Ruden. “All of our T-shirts were sold out before the event began.”

A 15-person-wide column of marchers, many in white T-shirts bearing the emblem of the sixth annual AIDS walk-a-thon, made the 6.2-mile journey as they more than doubled the $200,000 raised last year.

Throngs of parents walked the path with their children in wagons, and others took along their dogs on long leashes as they made the three-hour loop around the campus after a worship service that began at 8:30 a.m.

One small contingent took turns carrying a sign bearing pictures of a friend who died of AIDS less than two months ago. Sandra Martinez, 26, said they were doing it “in his memory because he was a dear friend and we want to show we are not forgetting him.”

Many participants took part although they did not know anyone who is ill or has died of AIDs, but simply wanted to contribute in some way.

Wai-Yee Chan, 19, said she learned about the walk-a-thon through a friend who works in a health care center. “Most of what I learned about AIDS has come through school and the media,” she said, adding she had long wanted to find a way to express her concern about the disease and help raise money to fight it.

Participants solicited pledges from acquaintances of $15 to $100 to back their friends’ commitment to the event.

As music from a rock band played for the returning participants, two friends Joel Lee, 42, and Bill Scannell, 61, were resting from having spent the early morning hours setting up the registration booths and later participating in the walk-a-thon.

“We had a good time helping out and we hope the program is successful,” said Scannell, who also participated in last year’s program.

While resting with his two dogs on the grass, Don Bild, a 55-year-old salesman, said he wants to do all he can to rid the world of AIDS.

“AIDS is just one of many diseases that a cure has yet to be found, but eventually it will through programs like these,” Bild said.

Since 1981 in Orange County, there have been 2,073 reported cases of AIDS and more than 1,200 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In the United States, more than 1 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, though their conditions have yet to be diagnosed as AIDS.

Toward the end of the day, organizers had counted more than $400,000 in pledges and donations and felt the total might reach $500,000, said Ruden, who stopped short of celebrating. “I hope one day someone puts this organization out of business,” she said. “Then I’ll really be happy.”