Walk for AIDS and Hepatitis at Calaveras Big Trees State Park on September 27, 2008 SONORA, CA

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Walk for AIDS and Hepatitis at Calaveras Big Trees State Park on September 27, 2008Big Trees State Park, CA....Sierra HOPE will host their 12th Sierra AIDS Walk, a Hike for AIDS and Hepatitis, on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The Walk is a major fundraising event for Sierra HOPE, a nonprofit organization providing a variety of educational and support services for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. They were founded in Sonora, CA as the Sierra AIDS Council in 1990.....

Sierra HOPE Executive Director, Jerry Cadotte, says that he often hears from local residents who participate in one of the large AIDS fundraising events, such as the San Francisco AIDS Walk or the California AIDS Ride. “I tell them: ‘That’s great, but we need your help locally too.’ They’re often surprised to learn that Sierra HOPE doesn’t benefit from the big events.”Most of the funding for Sierra HOPE’s services comes from government contracts and grants, but an increasing amount must be raised locally, through fundraising and individual donations. This year that amount is $30,000.The first Sierra AIDS Walk was held in 1995 at Columbia Community College. Subsequent walks have been held in Sonora and Twain Harte, and returned to Columbia in 2004. The most successful year saw about 50 participants, but numbers have fallen off in recent years.“We’re hoping that people from all over California will be drawn to the beautiful surroundings at Calaveras Big Trees.” said Cadotte. To attract participants from outside of the three-county service area, Sierra HOPE is offering to share the pledges they raise with an AIDS or Hepatitis charity organization in their hometown.Calaveras Big Trees State Park is located east of Stockton on State Highway 4, four miles northeast of Arnold, at the mid-elevation level of the western Sierra Nevada. Giant sequoias dominate ponderosa pines, sugar pines, incense cedars and white fir. The trails in the park have something to offer walkers of different skill and stamina levels. The North Grove features a 1.5 mile level, self-guided trail that is barrier free. The more challenging 5-mile trail in the South Grove passes the park’s two largest trees. And the 600 foot long Three Senses Trail, one of the earliest accessible design trails in the State Park system, allows visitors to experience the feel, smell and sounds of this magnificent forest.Sierra HOPE will provide a special welcome packet and picnic lunch to all participants. Individuals who raise $100 or more in pledges will also receive a free Sierra AIDS Walk – Hike for AIDS and Hepatitis at Calaveras Big Trees State Park T-Shirt. Registration is available online at www.sierrahope.org , or call Sierra HOPE at (209) 736-6792

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