About the 2008 World AIDS Marathon

Mama Sarah also cut the ribbon officially opening the children's playground at Jomo Kenyatta Sports Stadium. Kenya's leading newspaper, The Daily Nation, covered the story on its front page and did a follow-up story on December 11, 2008, about how and why the World AIDS Marathon came about. The park was donated from funds raised by the Kisumu World AIDS Marathon Group. Both the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation and the Kisumu World AIDS Marathon Group co-sponsored the 2007 and 2008 World AIDS Marathon, orphan dinners and children's walk.

photo above: courtesy of Mr. Jacob Owiti, photographer and the Nation Media Group Limited as the Publisher of the Daily Nation, a leading newspaper in Kenya.

photo below: taken by Violet Achieng, YGC,

Pictured below is Mama Sarah having dinner with the organizing committee of the World AIDS Marathon at the Imperial Hotel in Kisumu, November 30th, 2008. Standing, left to right, is Joseph Ochieng, Board Member of the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation and racing official with Athletics Kenya; Betty Okero, Director CSO; Richard Brodsky, President of Richard M. Brodsky Foundation; Alie Eleveld, Board Member of the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation and Project Manager Safe Water and AIDS Project; Masrat Obama, Mama Sarah's daughter; Eunice Dollar, Tuungane Project; Violet Achieng, YGC Orphanage. Seated, left to right, is Jodi Brodsky, Richard's wife; Mama Sarah; and a friend of Mama Sarah's.

The World AIDS Marathon and related Events were attended by over 1,400 people.

• 288 runners participated in the Marathon and Half Marathon.
• 250 children participated in the 5k Childrens Walk.
• 275 orphans were served dinner at Reach-Out Orphan Support Center
• 86 orphans were served dinner at St. Catherine's Orphanage
• 500+ people were tested for AIDS.

8 wheelchair athletes completed the marathon / half marathon and were each awarded 1,000 shillings, about $13. Not a bad deal considering the entry fee was only 50 shillings, about 65 cents and all participants received an Event t-shirt. The balance of the $1,000 prize money was awarded to the top 5 male / female participants of the half and full marathon. The winning wheelchair participant for the full marathon was Anthony Oriwa Riako and for the half marathon, John Ochieng took home the GOLD. First place winners for the following races were:

Marathon (male) Hillary Mutahi 2:19:28
Marathon (female) Helen Chenonges 3:04:19
Half Marathon (male) Leonard Leting 1:07:12
Half Marathon (female) Rose Jebet 1:22:30

All runners also received a Certificate of Completion. That's me, Richard, handing out a Certificate to one of the finishers.

My HIV-negative wife Jodi and I both completed our 5th World AIDS Marathon in 04:52 and 04:59:32 (that's me in the yellow shirt at the FINISH). Only 365 days to the 2009 World AIDS Marathon!

250 children and 1 grizzly bear participated in the Children’s Walk and were served snacks at the end of the walk. I personally received pledges from the following local Kisumu businesses: Imperial Hotel, Mon Amie, Nakurmatt, and the Kenshop for $125, 50 loaves of bread and 8 kilos of margarine. Compulynx Nyanza, Ltd. And the Braeburn Kisumu International School provided juice, biscuits and food to the children. Thank you to all.

Special thanks to Channa and her husband Dr. David Silverstein, President of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation, for inviting Jodi and me, Richard Brodsky, to stay at their home in Nairobi. It was very comforting to stay with the Silverstein's especially since it was Thanksgiving and Jodi and I were far away from our children. Jodi and I had a chance to reflect how lucky we are to be living in America where we take so much for granted: access to health care for the majority of Americans, enough nutritious food to eat, and access to AIDS medicine and follow-up medical care. In Africa, sadly this is not the case as poverty, malaria and tuberculosis also are major concerns and have a great impact on reducing life-expectancy.

Jodi and I had the opportunity to visit the local Nairobi Hebrew Congregation and pray that the Churches continue with the great humanitarian work they are doing. We also pray that we will run a successful race and we will have the opportunity to run in many more World AIDS Marathons and raise a lot of money for AIDS and cancer charities.

St. Claire's orphanage pictured below. Ten of the 86 orphans are HIV-positive and some have been orphaned from the 2007 post-election strife in Kenya and the other children have lost their parents due to AIDS. Sister Philemona, acting mother in the pink outfit cares for all the children as if they were her own. All ten of the HIV-positive children are taking AIDS medicine. Saturday, December 29th, 2008, the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation sponsored a dinner for 86 orphans at St. Claire’s.

36 children sleep in a room that measures 22' X 24'. These are the lucky children as they have malaria nets. There are nine bunk beds in the room and two children sleep on each very thin mattress. Note the mattress on the left.

Sunday, December 30th, 2008, the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation sponsored a dinner for 275 orphans at Reach Out Orphans Support Center. This was the second year the dinner was at Reach Out.

Picture above is Richard and Jodi Brodsky serving dinner to the orphans at Reach-Out. Our host, Hezekiah Nyaranga cares for the 350 orphans during the day and the orphans return home in the evening so the state cannot take away their land.

It was very difficult raising money for the 2008 World AIDS Marathon and orphan dinners but Jodi and I decided it was important for us to run the marathon and let the orphans know that we represent people in America who really do care about the orphans in Africa. We are painfully aware that the economy as of early 2009 is even worse than it was in 2008. We hope Americans will realize that we do have a moral obligation to help the most vulnerable children in the world; orphans living in poverty who need to be nourished, vaccinated, clothed, educated and sheltered.

My Kenyan Board Members have suggested for next year we plan projects based on sustainability. For example, in addition to the orphan dinners, we could provide seed for orphanages to grow their own produce and if they show good results, we could fund these orphanages on an annual basis. Naturally this will depend on donations.