People Paddle for AIDS

On Sunday, April 15, 2007, 120 people gathered at Pier 40 for a one of a kind fundraising event in which participants kayaked around the Bay to support 23 Bay Area AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) including Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center! Participants raised over $22,000 in pledges to benefit their ASO of choice. The event was made possible through the collaborative efforts of two organizations: People Paddle, a consortium of individuals whose passion for combining the kayaking experience with fundraising prompted them to start the event in 2006 and Healing Waters, a San Francisco-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower, inspire and enrich the lives of people challenging HIV/AIDS through wilderness adventures. This was A&PI Wellness Center’s first year participating in the event as a beneficiary. With a team of four kayakers representing the agency, we were able to raise nearly $2,000 in unrestricted funds to support A&PI Wellness Center programs. For information on how to get involved with next year’s event, please contact Ryan Fuimaono at ryan@apiwellness.org.


A&PI Wellness Center’s Ruben Garcia (left) and friends prepare to kayak around the bay to raise money for Bay Area AIDS service organizations.