HomeNewsWissinoming woman an advocate for AIDS awareness

Wissinoming woman an advocate for AIDS awareness

Spreading awareness: Mairead Nekkab (left) and Shannon Wright (right) are volunteers for the annual AIDS Walk/Run Philly on Sunday.

This Sunday, Oct. 19, almost 15,000 people will assemble on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to participate in an event that is focused on a crucial public health issue.

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It’s the annual AIDS Walk/Run Philly, now in its 28th year, which raises funds for HIV prevention education, public awareness and HIV/AIDS service organizations.

“So many people living with HIV don’t even know they have it,” said Wissinoming’s Shannon Wright, who is participating for the second consecutive year. “This is a very worthwhile way of raising funds to educate people and raise awareness.”

On Sunday, she will be a volunteer who will help collect the all-important funds that are the main goal of the event. The 5K run begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by the walk at 9. All morning, Wright will be stationed inside a large tent for volunteers where she’ll collect the donations that participants bring. It will be a long stint but she feels a strong commitment to this cause.

It began in a most unlikely way — thanks to Daly’s Pub, at 4201 Comly St. That’s where Wright, a dental assistant, is a part-time bartender three nights a week.

At the pub, Wright met Robb Reichard, also from Wissinoming, and a regular at Daly’s. Reichard is executive director of the AIDS Fund, which sponsors the annual AIDS Walk/Run.

Wright quickly learned that one in four new HIV infections occurs among young people ages 13 to 24. And almost 60 percent do not know they have the virus. She also learned that 30,000 Philadelphia-area residents live with HIV (the virus that can lead to AIDS). And more than 1 million in the U.S. are living with HIV or AIDS.

Wright not only became aware of the issue, she was eager to help the cause. And so were others who were friends of Reichard and patrons of Daly’s.

Every Wednesday evening, Reichard and a group of his friends gathered there to play Quizzo. Wright doesn’t work on Wednesday nights, so she soon joined the group of regulars.

Last fall, 10 of these regulars started to discuss the upcoming AIDS Walk/Run.

“Everyone in the group wanted to participate,” said Wright.

They decided to serve as volunteers rather than walk or run.

“It would be more beneficial to the cause to help out all day rather than do a 5K for just an hour or so,” explained Wright.

On Oct. 20, the day of the walk last year, the 10 volunteers from Daly’s Pub were all at the art museum at 6 a.m., ready and eager to serve as volunteers.

She and another Daly’s Pub volunteer, Cathy Sementelli, also from Wissinoming, worked together at the same table. All morning, they collected donations that the walkers and runners brought in.

Participants are asked to commit to raise at least $50 each, whether through their own donations or by getting sponsors. In return, they get an AIDS Walk Philly T-shirt. There are other mementos for those raising larger amounts — and many do raise far more.

Meeting and interacting with the donors was a highlight. Wright especially recalls a homeless man who came up to the table and told her, “I want to donate, but I only have 95 cents.”

She and Sementelli certainly were not going to turn him away. So they added enough to his donation so that he could meet minimum requirements and in return get an AIDS Walk/Run button given to all donors.

“It was so touching,” she said. “He had nothing — and yet he wanted to give to this cause.”

Wright also recalls meeting a grandfather who’s been living with HIV for 20 years — and has been doing the walk for all 20 years. This time, he was there with his wife and granddaughter.

While Wright was in the tent with the other volunteers, the participants were walking or running along the route on scenic Kelly Drive.

Some walked in teams, or with friends or family. Some walked in memory of victims, others were committed to this cause for varied reasons.

“So many people had inspirational stories about why they do this,” said Wright.

As in past years, it was a high-spirited event. And even though Wright was busy in the tent throughout the morning, she felt very much involved.

“Afterwards, I felt good,” she said. “I felt a sense of accomplishment.”

The experience motivated her to learn even more about AIDS issues.

“It opened my eyes, and helped me to educate myself,” she said.

She used the Philly AIDS Walk website and followed the links to read and learn more. And now, she’s eagerly anticipating this Sunday’s event.

“Last year, we had such a great time,” she said. “We met so many wonderful people who wanted to give and to help in any way they could. That was very inspiring. And I’m sure it will be just as inspiring this Sunday.” ••

To register online or get additional information, visit www.aidswalkphilly.org or call 215–731-WALK.

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