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Whitman-Walker Clinic cuts ties with AIDS Marathon organizers
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Related Topics: WASHINGTON
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Participants from the Whitman-Walker clinic at the AIDS Walk Washington last year. The clinic is now severing ties with a local promoter who organizes a similar AIDS Marathon in Washington and several other cities nationwide.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Whitman-Walker Clinic, the region’s primary nonprofit health care provider for those suffering from AIDS and HIV, has decided to cut ties with the company that organized its annual AIDS Marathon fundraiser after nine years. Walk-The-Talk Productions, a District-based for-profit company, stages fundraising marathons in several cities across the country, but the clinic said the costs associated with the marathon became too prohibitive to continue the relationship.
Although Whitman-Walker raised about $3 million in 2005 through the AIDS Marathon, expenses associated with the event meant the nonprofit only took home about half of that, said Kim Mills, Whitman-Walker’s director of communications.
Richard Zeichik, national director of the AIDS Marathon, said more than 10,000 runners raised about $25 million for Whitman-Walker Clinic over the past nine years, $14 million of which went directly to the nonprofit’s programs.
About 1,800 Washington-area runners raised funds for Whitman-Walker Clinic every year. Each runner was required to raise a set amount of money — which depended on the marathon location, but was typically above $2,500 dollars — in return for six months of marathon training, an airline ticket and hotel accommodations near the marathon site. Runners trained for marathons in cities such as Honolulu and Miami.
Whitman-Walker received all of the fundraising dollars, but also had to pay for the hotel rooms, airline tickets, marketing and about a 4 percent fee to Walk-The-Talk. As costs increased over the years, the clinic ended up spending about 50 percent of the total amount raised, Mills said.
Mills said Whitman-Walker will focus its efforts on more community-focused events, such as their annual AIDS Walk, that will get the clinic’s name out into the community. About 28 percent of Whitman-Walker’s $22 million annual budget comes from fundraising events and private donors.
The last several years have been financially bumpy for Whitman-Walker, which saw donations dip in the wake of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina. It closed its Montgomery County location and went through several shifts in top management, including the hiring of a new chief executive in May.
Last week, Whitman-Walker announced it will absorb the Washington Free Clinic, which had 11 employees and 1,800 clients, in order to save the financially strapped organization from closing its doors.
Comments from Examiner Readers
5:50 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 11, 2007 re: "Dixon’s fundraising lead is a runaway"
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Examiner Reader said:
Yeah OCO, and supposedly one of Noris's many women on the side was Sheila Dixon.. They did recently rendezvous in a hotel. LOL Anyway, the city needs to use all potential resources and experts to get a handle on this crime problem. Norris was better than what we've had since. Besides, I'd trust him as much as I'd trust no-bid contractto family and friends Dixon and $40,000 missing money Mitchell. LOL
215 agree | 200 disagree
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Jill Carter said:
I hope Jill Carter is right about integrity mattering more than money but I fear otherwise.
221 agree | 197 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
For those who didn't hear the radio debate, the candidate's statements are on the Sun website. You can click it on from the blog on mayor race 2007. See for yourself.
220 agree | 223 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Of course Dixon leads in fundraising. She's very easily bought, and that's why she has never done anything for the people of the city, only those who've paid her off.
238 agree | 219 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I have a lot of respect for Delegate Jill Carter. Unfortunately, she is incorrect. You need millions of dollars to become mayor. Every mayor elected this decade has had millions of dollars.
230 agree | 211 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Mike Huckabee came in fourth, beating McCain. That is telling as well. Thompson getting second was probably the truest "surge" vote, because Romney's volunteers were out in full force and bought lots of ballots.
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Examiner Reader said:
I don't even see how anyone could disagree with both comments posted below???
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Examiner Reader said:
My son Christopher died from Batten Disease 3 years ago at age 8. It is ALWAYS fatal, as there is no cure or treatment for it. Since it is a rare disease, large pharma's will not see a big return on their investment, so they do not fund any research for a cure. Much of the research funding comes from fundraisers by the families of affected children. Its alot to do when you are already stretched to the limits caring for a sick, and in many cases multiple sick children. I think if more people knew how devastating and fatal this disease was, there might be more buzz to create awareness. Visit BDSRA.org to learn more and to see the faces of our children.........they are special gifts indeed!
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for writing this article. I also have two children with juvenile Batten Disease. One thing you left out of yur article is that Batten Disease is always fatal. If the family wanted that omitted from the article I can totally understand that. However if they didn't want it excluded that is a very powerful statement. Also we want more of the general public to know about this disease that is killing children every year and that the Federal government is doing very little to help in the research to find a cure or treatment for this disease. I believe this is something that the publice should be aware of. Also that the members of the BDSRA are the main the main source of fund raising for research against this disease. An interview with the executive director of BDSRA could also add more wait to your article and also raise more awareness for the disease. Please continue to write about this disease and raise as much awareness as possible. Thank you for your help.
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