Victor Mooney never gives up.
Here are some random numbers that eventually add up. Three, five, twenty-five, fifty. A New York man named Victor Mooney, 44, is trying to encourage children to stay in school and strengthen the HIV/AIDS curriculum by rowing from Africa to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Sounds strange, right? Well not to Mooney. He is a participant in the Pepsi Refresh Everything challenge. The challenge is to present an idea, get enough votes for it through the website, and receive a grant.
Victor Mooney is a rower who decided to take on this challenge and use his rowing skills to raise money for his idea. “I tried two times to row across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to New York's Brooklyn Bridge. The first time my boat sunk. The second time, I ran out of water. This World AIDS Day, I'm going again,” says Mooney on his Refresh Everything page. This is his third attempt to complete this five thousand mile journey. "I lost a brother to the virus and I have another brother that's fighting with it now. And the main focus of my third attempt to row from Africa to Brooklyn is to get as many people as possible tested for HIV-AIDS," said Mooney.
This month Mooney will commemorate the 25th anniversary of AIDS Walk New York with up to 25,000 names from those that lost love ones to HIV/AIDS and those still fighting to end the crisis for his rowboat named Never Give Up. If Mooney wins the challenge he will receive $50,000 to help him develop his education idea. Victor recently received national sponsorship from Procter & Gamble’s Prilosec OTC, which dubbed him the Official Rower for a Cause.
Today Mr. Mooney will be here in DC at the White House for a National Policy meeting on AIDS. The community meeting will provide an update and gain additional recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) will provide a brief overview of key priorities and identify issues where additional feedback would be helpful. Participants will be able to offer suggestions for the strategy. The meeting will be held at 11 am (Eastern Time). For people who cannot attend, there will be a conference call from 1:00-2:00 pm (Eastern time). Participants in the conference call will be able to hear the updates and offer recommendations as well. The conference call phone number is (800) 288-8961. The public is highly encouraged to join in.
To vote for Victor's idea, click here.
Get tested. Get care. Get involved.
Comments
Victor Mooney is a thief. The kit from which he built his first boat was STOLEN from two American ocean rowers. He has alienated the entire ocean rowing community with his selfish tactics and dishonesty. DO NOT SUPPORT HIM, he is a scam artist.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!