An 18-year-old Barrie boy will take the first steps in this year’s Simcoe County AIDS Walk by walking 100km down Yonge St over four days.
Steve Kobus says he’s motivated by friendships with people who are HIV-positive, and by the feeling that youth need to take a stand. Kobus will also be raising money for the AIDS Committee Of Simcoe County.
The group’s Keith Fernandes says, “I think that there a lot of misconceptions surrounding HIV and AIDS in the northern communities and one of the biggest ones is that AIDS is not a problem here. We estimate that there are 900 people who are HIV-positive in Simcoe County. Steve’s walk will help in raising community awareness, especially among young people.”
Kobus’s walk begins at 1pm on Mon, Jul 30 near Molson Park, and will conclude that evening in Deerhurst. On Tue, Jul 31, Kobus will walk into Newmarket for a dinner at the Newmarket Youth Centre at 6pm with the Stone Soup Supper Club, where he’ll take part in an educational forum. On Wednesday he’ll spend the night in Richmond Hill and will finish at 5pm on Thu, Aug 2 at the AIDS Memorial in Cawthra Square Park (behind the 519 Church Street Community Centre).
Donations can be mailed to 336-80 Bradford St, Barrie L4N 6S7, with cheques made payable to AIDS Committee Of Simcoe County. For more info, call 1-800-372-2272.
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