Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 18, 1995                   TAG: 9504210020
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

AIDS STROLLERS PREPARE FOR CROWD

"There were so many people that were so caring ... we got a lot out of that walk," said Kanabar, a Virginia Tech sophomore.

But there also were people who weren't so caring. "There were people out there taunting the walkers," she said. "There were people who didn't want to be educated, who didn't understand the importance of AIDS awareness. It made you realize the need for support and awareness and supportive, caring people."

So for the past year, Kanabar and Ansel have organized a similar walk for Blacksburg - the "New River Valley AIDS Walk." Townsfolk will meet April 22 to stroll 21/2 miles around downtown and Tech's campus to promote AIDS awareness and to raise money for the New River Valley AIDS Coalition. It will be the first such walk in Blacksburg.

"We've gotten a lot of support," Kanabar said. "We're estimating that we'll get some 500 people, but we're hoping that's low. It's really hard to tell."

Walkers can pick up pamphlets from merchants in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford or from Kanabar, who can be reached at 232-5200. Walkers ask friends - or strangers - for donations and bring the pamphlet and registration with them the day of the walk.

The event begins at noon in front of Alumni Hall and Squires Student Center with a celebration that will feature bands, jugglers and speeches. The walk kicks off at 2 p.m.

The AIDS walk is sponsored by Alpha Chi Sigma, the Golden Key honor society and the University Honors Associates.

"We hope to make this an annual event," Kanabar said. "We're already planning for next year."

According to the Virginia Department of Health's Bureau of STD/AIDS, 151 AIDS cases have been reported in Roanoke since 1982, and 241 cases of HIV infection have been diagnosed since 1989.

In the New River Valley, the number of cases is 38 and 32, respectively.

Nationwide, about 195,000 people have AIDS and nearly 1 million are infected with HIV.