Where does AIDS WALK New Jersey take place?
Directions to AIDS WALK will be posted in 2006.

Where does the money go?
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation uses funds from the AIDS WALK to fight the AIDS epidemic on three fronts:

• Services to People Living with HIV and AIDS:
  Hyacinth provides direct services to people in New Jersey affected by the epidemic. These services include case management, free legal assistance, emergency financial assistance, support groups, one-to-one "buddy" programs, and recreational activities.
  
• AIDS Education and Prevention:
  Through the AIDS Hotline, the Experiential Speakers Bureau, "HIV in the Workplace" program, and Project POW! (a peer outreach program), Hyacinth is working to slow the spread of the epidemic.
  
• Provide a Critical Voice:
  In the public debate surrounding this health crisis, the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation is the voice in Trenton and Washington advocating the needs of everyone affected by HIV and AIDS in New Jersey.
  

What is a team?
A team consists of a group of people from a business, social, or religious group and can range in size from 4 to more than 1,000 people.

What do I have to do as a team leader?
To start, team leaders distribute the pledge forms as quickly and widely as possible. It is most effective for each employee to receive their own form. Try distributing forms with paychecks, through interoffice mail, desk drops, etc. Remember, each walker, including the team leader, must register individually.

• E-mail this site to a friend from the the left side of this page.
  
• Form an AIDS WALK team committee and enlist coleaders to help get the word out to as many people as possible.
  
• Display point-of-purchase stands and posters (in cafeterias, restrooms, near elevators, on community bulletin boards, etc).
  
• Hold an AIDS Awareness Day.
  
• Host an AIDS WALK New Jersey kick-off luncheon.
  
• Locate a person in senior management to support the team and have that person write a personal appeal.
  
• Remind staff through follow-up memos and/or e-mail and/or company newsletter.
  
• Ask your team coordinator for a current team roster and post it, along with a sign asking people to join the team or sponsor a walker.
  
• Plan a picnic or brunch for the day of the AIDS WALK.

• Investigate your company’s matching gifts program. Your company can support the team fiscally through direct support (a donation to the team) or by awarding money to walkers, either a set amount per walker or on a matching basis. For example, Coach matches $2 for each $1 its employees raise and Gap matches $1/$1.
  
• Offer prizes or incentives such as theater/sporting events tickets or a day off with pay for top walkers.
  
• Sell red ribbons.
  
• Many teams raise extra money by holding bake sales or potluck lunches.
  
• If you have offices in other cities, ask those locations to sponsor your walkers.
  
• Remember, anyone can join your team. Encourage employees to register family and friends as part of your team. Invite vendors, clients, and customers to help fundraise and walk with your team.
  
• If you work in a building with small companies that do not have teams, invite their employees to join your team. There is no such thing as a team with too many walkers.
  
• Ask everyone that works in your company and is not walking to sponsor you $1 per kilometer. It really will add up quickly.

How can I help start a matching gift program at my company?
The first step is to talk to your Human Resources Director or Corporate Giving Officer. Companies do respond to employee interest in these types of programs.

If someone registered for AIDS WALK New Jersey as an individual, can they still join our team?
Yes! You can call, or fax, the AIDS WALK office any time to transfer registered walkers to your team. Before calling, however, please make sure that you have the person’s name, home address, and phone number. It is important to have all of this information (particularly the correct spelling of the person’s name) so that our records can be properly updated. If the person’s name is misspelled or we have the wrong address, it is possible that the walker could be listed more than once in the AIDS WALK database and never make it onto your team list.

Is there a deadline to register for the AIDS WALK?
There is no preregistration for AIDS WALK New Jersey.

Can someone register at the AIDS WALK and still be added to the team roster?
Yes. Walkers should turn in their contributions at Sign-In and then be sure to have their names added to the team transfer sheets that are on each team table. In the weeks following AIDS WALK, team lists will be updated with new walker names and contribution information. A final walker list will be sent to all team leaders by the middle of June.

Do team walkers have to sign in at the same place as individual walkers?
Yes. All walkers, including team participants, must turn in their contributions at the sign-in area at Woodlawn. This is done so that we are able to organize the sign-in alphabetically at the same location. Additionally, we are able to organize the sign-in envelopes for easy reference should walkers call the AIDS WALK office with questions regarding their contributions.

How does my company/organization benefit from participation?
Team participation in AIDS WALK New Jersey is the most visible and effective means for company-wide involvement in the fight against AIDS. All teams are listed in the AIDS WALK New Jersey program, which will be distributed to all walkers and members of the media.

Is your question not listed here? Call the AIDS WALK New Jersey office at 888-4NJWALK or 732-846-0534. You can also email us at info@hyacinth.org. An AIDS WALK New Jersey staff member will be happy to assist you.

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation
Suite 203
317 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
1-888-4NJ-WALK
www.hyacinth.org