From: Richard Brodsky
you are invited to dine & dance with 750 orphans at Kendu Bay (ancestral home of President Obama’s great-grandfather) and Kisumu, Kenya on November 29 and 30. The orphan dinner dances are being sponsored by the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation thanks to the generosity of
Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group, LLC
Five Towns Community Chest
Omar Rodriguez / Associated Food Stores of Long Beach, New York &
UN General Realtors Group, LLC, Owen and Ethel Robinson
If other donors would be interested in co-sponsoring an orphan dinner dance for 375 orphans, a donation of $500 would be required. It would make a nice Thanksgiving gift, early Chanukah or Christmas present knowing that you and someone you love opted to provide 375 orphans a nourishing meal instead of adding a piece of jewelry to a collection. Imagine what that jewelry item would say if it could speak, ‘Why did you pick me? I cannot place a smile on a child’s face nor can I provide an evening of dining or dancing for a single orphan.
Register Now for the 2010 World AIDS Marathon, co-sponsored by the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation and Kisumu World AIDS Marathon Group, and you will also be entitled to roundtrip transportation to two orphan dinner dances from Kisumu, Kenya to local Kenyan orphanages
Hi November 22, 2010
To all my friends and sponsors, we’re really much more than just a marathon, the Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of people affected by HIV and cancer, especially children. Please consider making a donation to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation so my wife Jodi and I can continue to visit Africa and sponsor orphan dinner dances for the Kenyan orphans. It costs about $4 per child to provide a nourishing meal with music and dancing. Perhaps you would like to join Jodi and me and experience firsthand the joy of knowing you are really making a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphans.
The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation has sponsored orphan dinner dances for 1,950 Kenyan orphans since 2006.
If you would like to co-sponsor an orphan dinner dance kindly submit a $500 donation online by Thanksgiving. To commemorate your generosity I will send you an 18 X 24 poster with photos of the Event with your name on the poster to acknowledge your gift, or if you choose you may provide someone else’s name on the poster. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and may be submitted by
– mailing a check to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation,
1247 Mara Court, Atlantic Beach, NY 11509
– visiting the Foundation’s website and clicking on the
PayPal link for World AIDS Marathon or
– visit the World AIDS Marathon website
and click on the Donate link
The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation has committed $1,000 in prize money for the World AIDS Marathon. This is a very small amount of money as Kenyans are used to participating in running events where the prize package is much greater. It took me awhile to understand why is prize money being provided as this money is being taken from money that could be given to charity. The fact is for Kenyans to succeed, many of them turn to running and the successful Kenyan runners are very charitable and giving when it comes to helping people living in Kenya. If anyone would be interested in donating $500 or $1,000 in prize money, an 18 X 24 poster acknowledging your donation will be presented to you. See two photos above with text instructions in red on how to donate.
Special thanks to NY State Senator Dean Skelos for writing me a very nice note this week. It is these types of letters of support which make me realize ‘Failure is not an option’ and my job is to finish the marathon. I never did quite understand why G-d permitted HIV and brain cancer to change my life as there are millions of people who he could have chosen who were more well known, more religious, more tolerant, etc. Honestly, I think rather than being chosen; it was more of a random choice. I promise to do my part and keep running if you promise to help support people whose lives have been affected with HIV and cancer, both in Africa and America.
The rest of this news release is the same as another news release I sent out recently so if you have been reading my news releases, you need not need further.
The stigma of AIDS is much worse in Africa than in America as families often times throw the person living with AIDS out of the home. That’s another reason why Jodi and I travel to Kenya to show that AIDS has not destroyed our family and when someone is living with a so-called-life-threatening illness, that is the time for families to come together.
Living in America, I do not consider my being HIV-positive to be a life threatening illness since I have access to the AIDS medicine and follow-up medical care. I also have access to clean drinking water and adequate nutritious food. Clearly, this is not the case for Africans and to the small extent that I can help get the word out about the plight of people living with AIDS, and the problems of malaria, tuberculosis and poverty facing Africa, I feel compelled to help because I realize had I been born in Africa, my children might be three of the 11,400,003 orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. I also am extremely grateful that I am surviving terminal brain cancer for 7 years and I made a promise if my life was spared, I would do everything to help others living with HIV or cancer; hence the three orphan dinner dances the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation co-sponsored with Associated Food Stores of Long Beach, New York; ASAP Screenprinting of Gainesville, Florida, and KenShop Bakery of Kisumu, Kenya.
Many groups such as FACES brought their own banners.
An ecstatic Jodi Brodsky after finding out she finished 4th for the female runners for the full marathon. Richard Brodsky and Alie Eleveld, both congratulating Jodi.
Richard Brodsky finished dead last but then again I was the oldest runner.
The World AIDS Marathon and related Events were attended by over 1,950 people. Pictured below is 1 of 15 athletes with disablities; the real heroes of the day.
-300+ runners signed up for the Marathon and Half Marathon and there were 254 finishers.
-250 children participated in the 5k Childrens Walk.
-700 orphans participated in orphan dinner dances at Reach-Out Orphan Support Center, Hope Initiative and St. Claire’s orphanage.
-700+ people (exact number to be determined) were tested for AIDS
15 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. Special thanks to Bank of Africa for also providing 60,000 kenya shillings, $800 in prize money. The winning wheelchair participant for the full marathon finishing in a time of 03:06:09 was Pius Otieno Ochieng, pictured above, and for the half marathon, Mildred Auma, in a time of 01:51:49, took home the GOLD. First place winners for the following races were:
Marathon (male) Peter Kipkoech 2:27:56
Marathon (female) Helen Chenonges 3:12:23 repeat winner from 2008
Half Marathon (male) Elijah Tirop 1:06:08
Half Marathon (female) Susan Kiplagat 1:27:26
All runners also received a Certificate of Completion. We were very fortunate to have Douglas Wakiihuri, pictured below, winner of the New York City and London Marathon in the late 1980s presenting prizes to some of the runners.
After the marathon, Jodi and I jogged 4 miles to St. Claire’s Orphanage where the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation co-sponsored an orphan dinner for 86 orphans with KenShop Bakery of Kisumu, just kidding about the 4 mile jog. The photo below at St. Claire’s was taken by Ibrahim Oiro Odero
December 2, 2009. We had a chance to say good-bye to Joseph Ochieng, (above, standing 4th from left) board member of the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, and six of the 25 orphans he cares for pictured in the green shirts. The two runners dressed in blue were part of a team of Uganda runners who traveled with their coach, William Mungadi, standing third from left.
Farewell lunch at Kiboko Bay Resort, left to right, Joseph Ochieng, Rispah, Jodi and Richard Brodsky and one of my favorite people in Kenya, Beldina Opiyo-Omolo, Public Health Specialist with Millenium Cities Initiative. Beldina is clearly in the minority as she returned to Kenya after graduating from an American college to help her fellow Kenyans.
Prior to Jodi and I visiting Kisumu we spent a day in Nairobi. Saturday, November 28, Jodi and I had the opportunity to visit the local Nairobi Hebrew Congregation and pray that we would 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. We stayed at the President of the Synagogue’s home, Dr. David Silverstein, personal physician to former President of Kenya, Daniel Moi. Jodi and I were fortunate to be there for the Sabbath, and even more fortunate as I was the 10th and final Jewish male to be present so the service could proceed and the Torah was taken out of the ark and read. Part of the charm of the congregation is that it has no Rabbi and each of the 10 +/- regular male members take turns conducting the service. This week the service was conducted by a Jew from Cocina, a Jewish Community in India. Kenya’s only Synagogue even has a website where you can read more about its history and Interfaith relations. These photos were taken from earlier years as it is not permitted to take photos in the Synagogue on the Sabbath.
It was very difficult raising money for this year’s 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. If you’ve already given a donation to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, thank you very much. It is not too late to make your donation now. For $100, you can have your name placed on the commemorative 2010 Event t-shirt, see below, and the shirt will be mailed to you. Special thanks to ASAP Screenprinting of Gainesville, Florida for providing FREE Commemorative Event t-shirts and sweatshirts. Sweatshirts are available for a $125 donation. If you would like an Event t-shirt or sweatshirt kindly submit your donation so it is received before Christmas.
One last way to raise money for the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation. While visiting a friend’s home I came across a forest of flowers which a florist in America typically charges about $8+ per stem. In the picture below there must be about 100 stems of the flower. If anyone could ever find out about selling these flowers, if they have any on their property, to a local flower exporter and donating a portion of the proceeds to the Richard M. Brodsky, your donation will help feed the orphans of Kenya.
Special thanks to a lot of people
I would like to thank President-Elect Barack Obama; President Clinton; Stephen Lewis, former United Nations Special Envoy for HIV / AIDS in Africa; Senator Ted Kennedy; Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy; Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi; and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray for their support for the Foundation’s work which includes its annual World AIDS Marathon held in Kisumu, Kenya as well as the 5k AIDS / Cancer / Survive / Run / Walk in America. These letters can be viewed by visiting the website link, view letters. The American Medical Student Association, AMSA, has also created a story line of the Foundation’s work which can be viewed on FACEBOOK. The One Campaign has also been very supportive of my work. If you are interested in hearing me speak and seeing photos of the Foundation’s work in America, the One Campaign and the American Medical Student Association have covered my speaking fee in the past.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Foundation donates money to various AIDS projects in Kenya, AIDS and cancer research projects in America and to organizations providing aid to people living with HIV and cancer. To make a donation to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation you can mail a check to the Foundation’s address, Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, 1247 Mara Court, Atlantic Beach, NY 11509, USA, or visit the Foundation website and click on the PayPal donate link. Alternately you can make your donation via the World AIDS Marathon website, by clicking on the Donate link. A $100 donation will entitle you or your company to have your name on the 2010 World AIDS Marathon commemorative t-shirt and a $250 donation will entitle you to a logo on the shirt. In addition, the shirt will be mailed to you.
For more info about the Foundation’s mission and the World AIDS Marathon, please visit Foundation website & World AIDS Marathon website. There are some great photos of the 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2004 World AIDS Marathon which can be viewed by visiting photos 2009 photos 2008, photos 2007, photos 2006 and photos 2004.
October 24, 2010, FREE 5K AIDS / Cancer Run Walk for HIVers, Cancer Survivors & Friends
The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation will be sponsoring its second annual FREE 5K Run / Walk for HIVers, Cancer Survivors & Friends in Oceanside Park, October 24, 9 AM. The purpose of the run is to get people living with HIV and cancer running or walking. As a brain cancer survivor who is also HIV-positive, no one knows the benefits derived from running more than me. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get participants living with HIV or cancer to run or walk a few miles.
To encourage participants, the Foundation will be providing $45 in toiletry / gift items to everyone, Even if you are healthy, please accept the items and give them to someone living with HIV or cancer during the week. We will also be serving a sumptuous breakfast and everyone who signs up by October 10 will have their name placed on the Event t-shirt. Also, there will be thousands of dollars of FREE raffle prizes given away.
To sign up for the Free Running Event, click here, and then click on the link in the 5th paragrapgh. Events are a great opportunity to collect toys for children.
Please consider making your annual contribution to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation as the Foundation’s work has become my life’s work. There are no other Presidents of Foundations who are HIV-positive and have brain cancer whose main fundraising activity consists of running marathons. But if running marathons can help raise awareness that hundreds of thousand lives can be saved each year if access to the AIDS medicine is free for people who cannot afford the AIDS medicine, then I have no choice but to continue running marathons.
We are always looking for volunteers so if you’ve managed to read this entire newsletter, we could really use your help. Please contact me, Richard, at the contact information below.
Richard M. Brodsky Foundation
1247 Mara Court
Atlantic Beach,NY 11509
Contact: Richard Brodsky
Phone: (516) 770-7724 (516) 432-1254
E-Mail: RichardM.Brodsky@gmail.com
Very Truly Yours,
Richard Brodsky,
Richard M. Brodsky, President of Richard M. Brodsky Foundation
http://www.worldaidsmarathon.com marathon website
http://www.richardmbrodsky.org foundation website
http://trebloon.com book website
http://www.5kAIDScancer.com 5k run in America website
Contact Information
phone: 516-770-7724 or RichardM.Brodsky@gmail.com