Sunglasses. I knew I'd forgotten something.

I’m at the 19th annual AIDS Walk Kansas City. It’s eight o'clock in the morning, and I’m already squinting from the bright outdoor light. Most of the MCC – Penn Valley group isn’t here yet, but the early bird catches the worm, right?

As I attempt to dodge gargantuan mud puddles that haven't yet dried up, I contemplate the fate of the early worm.

I'm here for a good cause, though. Funds from the walk benefit four charities that support people suffering from HIV/AIDS. The Good Samaritan Project provides a variety of services, including transportation and counseling for HIV/AIDS victims and education programs for those at most risk of contracting the disease. The Hope Care Center offers nursing care to people with HIV/AIDS. The Kansas City Free Health Clinic provides free health services, including HIV testing. And SAVE, Inc. helps those affected by the disease find housing.

A crowd begins to fill Theis Park, the starting point of the walk. Someone announces from the stage that this is the biggest turnout since 2001. Multitudes of people squelch through the mud, some with strollers or dogs in tow.

There’s plenty to keep walkers busy before the event begins. Booths line the park, offering information about everything from a cappella groups to newspapers. A table in the center of everything advertises a scavenger hunt among the booths, with a grand prize of a trip to the Bahamas.

Some of the booths offer freebies. The KC Free Health Clinic hands out novelty condoms and flavored personal lubricant. Ameriprise Financial offers free financial consultation, with a bonus of a $50 donation to the AIDS Walk for every taker. And Starbucks heroically staves off caffeine deficiency with free coffee for all.

Near the stage, the Mosaic Project displays HIV/AIDS-themed tiles created by high school students. The tiles sell for $5 apiece, and all proceeds go to the walk.

The MCC – Penn Valley group, led by PV anatomy instructor Nancy Harrington, rapidly increases. Harrington hands out team shirts to wear, and groups of light blue cluster around the MCC table.

MCC Team

Ceremonies begin at 9:00, interrupting a rockin’ remix of The Fray’s "How To Save A Life." Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders leads the proceedings, interspersed with the usual vocal performance by Bar Natasha. Several religious leaders offer spiritual words, and then the walk begins.

The names of KC area residents who have died from AIDS in the past year are not read aloud, unlike in previous years. Instead, volunteers march through the crowd, holding flags with the names printed on them.

People stream out of the park and onto Cleaver II Boulevard. The walk, extending almost to Westport and down Brush Creek, is 5 kilometers long (about 3.3 miles). Along the way, there is entertainment in the form of live music as well as volunteers cheering on the walkers.

At the end of the walk, back at Theis Park, one man mutters, "I could have been at paintball." Other walkers shoot him dirty looks, but otherwise ignore him. The spirit of the event is overwhelmingly positive, and no one is going to rain on our (literal) parade.

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College