ExxonMobil employees walk for AIDS Foundation

Greg Moreno-Earle gives a pre-walk talk to Anni

More than 300 ExxonMobil employees recently laced up their shoes on a cold Sunday morning to walk 3.5 miles though downtown for AIDS Walk Houston.
The community walk represents support for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and also helps increase awareness and education throughout Houston. In 2001, AIDS Walk Houston raised more than $350,000 with 4,000 participants. This year, more than 5,000 participants helped raise more than $400,000, with dollars still being tallied. By supporting the community walk, participants can make a difference in thousands of lives and encourage major strides toward combating the disease.

ExxonMobil, which was a Premier Sponsor and the Kickoff Event Sponsor for this year s event, had increased employee participation this year, with nearly eight times the number of employee participants, bringing the total number of participants to more than 300. In fact, ExxonMobil’s team was the second largest corporate team this year.

And for AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH), which sponsors AIDS Walk Houston, that means significantly more dollars. ExxonMobil walkers earned nearly $20,000 for AFH though the company’s Individual and Team Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP) grants, which match volunteer hours and money with grants. In addition to that, individual employees have raised nearly $15,000 in pledges and still counting.

As a Premier Sponsor and the Kickoff Event Sponsor, ExxonMobil also donated $15,000 and sponsored the AIDS Walk kickoff party.

“ExxonMobil is proud to have partnered with the AIDS Foundation Houston as a sponsor of the 13 annual AIDS Walk Houston, said Terry Koonce, president, ExxonMobil Production Company. “As a participant in past walks, we have seen first-hand the difference our involvement can make in the lives of our fellow Houstonians living with HI V/AIDS. ExxonMobil welcomed this opportunity to help AIDS Foundation Houston serve more of our neighbors by continuing its support of AIDS Walk Houston.”

Proceeds from AIDS Walk Houston benefit more than 100,000 Houstonians through housing, food, education, job training, medical care, youth programs and services provides by AFH and five Houston-area HI V/AIDS service organizations.

AFH is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to help address the HI V/AIDS epidemic. AFH was Houston’s first community-based organization dedicated solely to HI V-related issues. For nearly 20 years, AFH has been committed to providing education and awareness programs to assist individuals/families diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. On an annual basis, AFH serves more than 3,000 clients through its housing, educational, youth and multicultural programs.

Supporting AFH is just one of the many ways ExxonMobil is involved with community service. The ExxonMobil family has a long history of supporting community groups and educational organizations in the greater Houston area, not only with contributions and grants to targeted organizations, but with thousands of employees and retirees who volunteer their time and talent to local non-profits.