Victor Mooney's upcoming journey across the Atlantic will not be cheap'the budget for the transatlantic row is set at a hefty $200,000. But AIDS advocates and other supporters can help to defray some of the expenses'and participate in a personal way in the Gor'e Challenge.
Interested donors have been able to contribute $10 and have their names painted on the boat Mooney will row more than 8,000 miles to raise AIDS awareness among African-Americans and residents of Latin America and the Caribbean. At press time, Mooney said he hoped to have the names of hundreds of donors listed on the vessel.
Mooney and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg helped jointly launch an ongoing fund-raising effort on October 21 for Mooney's voyage and to benefit city AIDS services'through the sale of red plastic bracelets, similar to the yellow LiveStrong cancer-awareness bracelets sold to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation that became a fashion sensation in late 2004. The fund-raising bracelets are available for $1 each. Proceeds will first help pay for Mooney's voyage, with all money raised above that total then going to local and international AIDS charities.
'This lets people really get a sense of feeling like they are joining with us,' Mooney says of the bracelets, which can be purchased on the challenge site at www.goreechallenge.com. Event organizers are also seeking in-kind support and corporate sponsors'and have already enlisted several, including Alitalia, Poland Spring Natural Spring Water, Loews Cineplex, the ASA Institute, Polar USA, and others.
