My Sixth and Final Houston AIDS Walk

This is my senior year at St. John's School so I will be away at college next year. As a result this will be my final solicitation to you for AIDS Walk Houston. My first walk was when I was thirteen for my upcoming Bar Mitzvah. I was fortunate to have a godmother who ran the Center for AIDS and was able to help me find a project that I still love. Over the past five years I have been the largest fundraiser each year and have raised over $125,000 thanks to the loyal support of so many of you. I am really grateful for all of your generosity, and am asking you to sponsor me one last time.

At last's year's AIDS Walk I found out about Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), a morning after pill equivalent for HIV. U.T. Health Science Center had offered to open a clinic to dispense PEP if the Center for AIDS was able to raise the cost of a doctor's salary for two years. So last summer I wrote a presentation on PEP and in the fall I raised the funds for the doctor's salary. I am thankful to the many, hugely generous Houston foundations and families that helped me achieve this goal. As a result, U.T. Health Science Center and the Center for AIDS are opening a clinic this March to dispense PEP. We hope over the two years of the pilot program to reduce new HIV infections in Houston by 10%, saving human suffering and tens of millions of dollars, to become self-funding and to develop a model for future clinics which can be duplicated all over the United States.

Please visit the Center for AIDS website at http://www.centerforaids.org/ to learn more about the organization. I have really enjoyed working there for the past five years.

Thank you so much for helping. As always it would be great if you came and walked with us.

With love,

Daniel