Monday, September 28, 1998LEAGUE Minnesota stars at '98 AIDS Walk
Esteemed Assembly & Officers
The article below appeared in this month's Minnesota AIDS Project News.
Hats off to LEAGUE Minnesota not only for their hard work and participation in the AIDS Walk in Minnesota, but also for the mention in the article. Even though the article waxes eloquent on how the Dayton Hudson Corporation participated – the ONLY picture in the article is of the presentation of the check from LEAGUE Minnesota to the Minnesota AIDS Project – it gets better – standing in front of the very glamorous LEAGUE MINNESOTA BANNER and in big letters says: LEAGUE MINNESOTA – Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgendered United Employees of AT&T. Thanks to the chapter for letting Linda and me know about this coverage!
The Minnesota AIDS Project in the Twin Cities is equivalent to Whitman Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. or Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago.
Great Work, LEAGUE Minnesota!
Joe Gauss & Linda Escalante, LEAGUE Co-Presidents
From the September 1998, MINNESOTA AIDS PROJECT NEWS
Corporate Community Enliven's '98 AIDS Walk
With more than 150 corporate teams, the 1998 Minnesota AIDS Walk broke records for participation from the corporate community.
Chief among Twin Cities companies represented at the Walk was the Dayton Hudson Corporation (DHC). Sponsorship support from Dayton's, Target, and Mervyn's helped make the AIDS walk possible. Moreover, nearly 2,000 DHC employees and family members took part in the event, comprising one of the largest corporate Walk teams in the nation (bested only by the DHC team in San Francisco!). This year, DHC made the AIDS Walk a focal point of its annual Week of Giving in Minnesota. "Everywhere you looked, there were people wearing Week of Giving T-Shirts," remarked Doug Flateau, MAP's AIDS Walk Team Coordinator. "It was incredibly inspiring."
In addition, DHC volunteers provided children's activities along the route and served as the "Welcome Back Pack." This energetic crew cheered walkers on as they returned to Minnehaha Park after their 10K trek.
Recognizing the toll that HIV and AIDS have had on the artistic community, the Dayton Hudson Foundation also played a part in the Walk. Since 1991, the Foundation has matched pledges raised by artists and the non-profit arts community. Including this year's match, the Foundation has contributed more than $600,000 to AIDS care and education through the Dayton Hudson Cultural Community Challenge.
Also prominent at the AIDS Walk were participants from AT&T. In advance of the Walk, several Minneapolis staff members spent time in MAP's offices as part of AT&T's volunteer program. The AT&T team included members of LEAGUE, the company's gay and lesbian employee network. In June, MAP was pleased to accept a $5,000 gift from the AT&T Foundation, which matched the AT&T team's pledges. Other top corporate teams included Toro Company, The St. Paul Companies, Dorsey & Whitney, Room & Board, LifeUSA, and Horst.
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