D.C. AIDS Walk draws 7,500 participants

The annual Washington, D.C., AIDS Walk, held on October 5, drew about 7,500 participants, up dramatically from the 3,500 people who participated in 2001, The Washington Post reports. Officials at the Whitman-Walker Clinic, the beneficiary of the walk, had said that if participation and donations were not up this year, they would likely have to implement staff and program cuts at the clinic. Although final fund-raising figures won't be available for a week, the event appears to have raised enough money to cover its costs and avoid budget cuts at Whitman-Walker, according to Michael Cover, the clinic's associate executive director.