California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : AIDS Walk Raises Record $2.5 Million

An estimated 15,000 people took part in a 10-kilometer AIDS Walk through Golden Gate Park, setting a record for participation, organizers of the event said. The walkers, including children, had money pledges from 138,500 sponsors, said Craig Miller, spokesman for the sixth-annual event. “This year we raised $2.5 million, surpassing the record $2.2 million raised last year,” he said. A similar walk is scheduled for Los Angeles on Sept. 20. “We are deeply touched by the tremendous outpouring of support that Bay Area AIDS organizations received today,” said Pat Christen, executive director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the main beneficiary of the walk.