Richard M. Brodsky Foundation 1247 Mara Court Atlantic Beach, NY 11509
Contact: Richard Brodsky Phone: (516)770-7724 E-mail: RichardM.Brodsky@gmail.com

ANNOUNCING THE 2009 WORLD AIDS MARATHON

Registration is now open by visiting the website, www.worldaidsmarathon.com, and clicking on the REGISTER link. The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, a 501(c) 3 public charity and the Kisumu World AIDS Marathon Group will be co-sponsoring the 2009 Kisumu, Kenya World AIDS Marathon / half marathon and a children?s walk for 250+ children on World AIDS Day, December 1. In addition there will be orphan dinner(s) for 300+ orphans and seed provided so orphans and their caretakers can grow their own fruit and vegetables, http://www.richardmbrodsky.org/seedfororphans.html.

We are hopeful that President Obama will re-visit Kisumu on World AIDS Day 2009, signifying President Obama's belief that AIDS must be defeated, both globally and in America, or more specifically in a letter, see excerpt below, that then Senator Obama wrote me, Richard Brodsky, in 2007,

? Overseas, we still have a lot to do when millions of children are orphaned by AIDS in Africa alone and people are still afraid to get tested because of the societal stigma associated with the disease in many countries. That's why my wife, Michelle, and I took a public test in Kenya to combat the stigma. I will continue to work for more funding to: develop new medicines, educate people on prevention and on living with this disease, and to get the tools we have, including condoms, into the hands of the people who need them most, both here in the U.S. and around the world?

Mama Sarah, President Barack Obama?s grandmother flagged off the 2008 World AIDS Marathon and cut the ribbon at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new playground at Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground which was donated from proceeds from the 2007 World AIDS Marathon. Kenya?s ?Daily Nation? covered the story on its front page with photos of Mama Sarah, http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/497278/-/tm6b7g/-/index.html, and did a follow-up story of how and why the World AIDS Marathon evolved, http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/501178/-/view/printVersion/-/5b6yquz....

I, Richard Brodsky, President of the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, am HIV+, a brain cancer survivor and a marathon runner. This will be the 5th World AIDS Marathon in Kenya that my wife Jodi and I will be participating in. We know from experience these Events can only be successful if we have a good team of Kenyans organizing these Events in Kenya; we have a great team. Board member Joseph Ochieng, Architect in charge of CDC Construction Projects in Kisumu, Kenya and International Race-Walker official for Athletics Kenya acts as race director. Board member Alie Eleveld provides clean drinking water through her organization, Safe Water and AIDS Project.

? The 2008 World AIDS Marathon and its related Events were attended by over 1,400 people.

? 288 people participated including 8 wheelchair athletes participated in the Marathon & Half-Marathon

? 361 orphans were fed at two orphan dinners

? 250 children participated in the Children?s Walk

? 500+ people tested for the AIDS virus

The Foundation seeks to raise awareness that 2,000,000+ people need not die from AIDS every year. The AIDS medicine and follow-up medical care must be accessible to all people living with HIV. All the AIDS medicine in the world will not help unless clean drinking water and adequate nutritious food is available. Educating people about safe sex, advising people living with HIV not to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, and to get some daily exercise?these are messages that need to reach HIV+ people. It is essential that the media broadcast stories about the 11,600,000 orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. These children could have been our children if we were born in Africa.

The Foundation donates money, www.richardmbrodsky.org/support.html, to homes for orphans in Kenya, AIDS & cancer research projects in America, and to organizations providing aid to people living with HIV and cancer. To make a donation to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation you can?

? mail a check to the Foundation, Richard M. Brodsky Fdn, 1247 Mara Court, Atlantic Beach, NY 11509

? visit the Foundation?s website, www.richardmbrodsky.org, click on PayPal or credit card Donate link

? visit the World AIDS Marathon website, www.worldaidsmarathon.com, click on Donate link

A $100 donation will entitle you or your company to have your name on the 2009 World AIDS Marathon commemorative t-shirt and a $250 donation will entitle you to a logo on the shirt. In addition, a shirt will be mailed to you. For further info about the 2008 World AIDS Marathon, you can visit the marathon website, www.worldaidsmarathon.com. Great photos of the past World AIDS Marathons can be viewed at the ?Photo? links on the marathon website.

Special thanks to President Barack Obama who has written me four letters over the past five years; President Bill Clinton; Stephen Lewis, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa; and Senator Ted Kennedy for their encouraging letters of support which can be viewed on the marathon website, http://www.worldaidsmarathon.com/support.html.

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Very Truly Yours,
Richard Brodsky, President
Richard M. Brodsky Foundation
www.richardmbrodsky.org foundation website
www.worldaidsmarathon.com marathon website
www.trebloon.com book website
www.5kaidscancer.com 5k run/walk in America website