KRIS KALK
Observer-Dispatch

AIDS Community Resources and Hamilton College are teaming up Sunday for the fifth annual AIDS Hike for Life, a fund-raiser to benefit those in the Mohawk Valley affected by HIV and AIDS.

ACR provides support services, education and prevention services to the community.

"So often our staff has heard comments like, 'AIDS isn't here, so what's the big deal?'" said Dyana Smolen, an ACR spokeswoman. "The reality is that HIV/AIDS is here -- in New York state, in the Mohawk Valley, in Oneida County, and right here in Utica."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that New York state has the highest rate of reported AIDS cases in the nation.

The 5K walk is planned each year on the college campus in Clinton and is co-sponsored by the Hamilton senior class.

One hundred percent of the money raised will stay in the Mohawk Valley and will benefit ACR's Teen AIDS Task Force, a peer education program for high school students and ACR client services in Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties.

Emily Richardson, a 22-year-old senior at Hamilton College, is one of five students who helped organize the Hike for Life. Last year, the Webb City, Mo., native spent a semester abroad in sub-Saharan Uganda, an AIDS hotspot.

"It is important that people know that the AIDS crisis is not just in Africa, it's in the United States as well," Richardson said. "If we can get people to think about the importance of AIDS for three hours while they participate in the walk, we're already improving the situation."

The AIDS Hike for Life begins at 11 a.m., rain or shine, with registration starting at 10 a.m. Refreshments and a ceremony awarding the top fund-raisers and most creative team is scheduled immediately following the walk.