Sept. 24 AIDS Walk Delaware seeks walkers, sponsors and donors

James C. Welch, Ivo Dominguez Jr. and their four large dogs live in a geodesic-dome house in southern Delaware. The house is an appropriate metaphor for how HIV/AIDS treatment, recognition, stigma, and outlook have come full circle – well, almost.

Welch and Dominguez are pioneers in the history of HIV/AIDS in Delaware. In 1982, they founded the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Delaware, establishing a Health Issues Committee and a statewide hotline. Dominguez was the organization's first president. Soon after, they initiated talks with the Division of Public Health and the Blood Bank of Delaware to discuss definitions of risky behaviors and future testing options for the state, helping both form policies regarding this new threat to public health.

GLAD became information central in regard to AIDS in Delaware. The organization trained lesbian and gay volunteers for a statewide AIDS hotline. GLAD then partnered with the Delaware Nurses Association to sponsor the first public AIDS educational forum in Delaware, which was held at Christiana Mall. They also worked together to lobby New Castle County Council to pass a resolution in support of AIDS education.

On top of all the advocacy work, Welch and Dominguez transported people with AIDS to various Delaware hospitals for care, when treatment was not available everywhere. It is important to note that all this took place long before Route 1 was constructed.

In 1984, Dominguez proposed that GLAD spin off its Health Committee to form the Delaware Lesbian and Gay Health Advocates, Delaware's first AIDS service organization. DLGHA incorporated a buddy system with the help of Welch, Dominguez and their friends Joan Schwartz and John Wills. These four were among the founding board members of DLGHA, which eventually became AIDS Delaware.

For some perspective, in 1985 Ryan White was barred from school and Rock Hudson announced he was dying of AIDS. That same year, Welch, an openly gay man, was hired by the Delaware Division of Public Health as a nurse consultant at the Alternate Test Site program for HIV antibody testing, the state's first official HIV/AIDS effort. Welch, Dominguez and Schwartz consulted on the opening of Delaware's first comprehensive AIDS outpatient clinic at the Medical Center of Delaware, now Christiana Care.

The following year, Welch and Dominguez purchased and renovated the space at 214 N. Market St. in Wilmington to create The Griffin Community Center, home to GLAD, DLGHA and Immanuel Metropolitan Community Church. The space was also a meeting place for lesbian and gay community groups as well as 12-step support meetings. Welch and Dominguez occupied the third floor and attic. For two years, Dominguez served as DLGHA's first executive director. Sweet commute – he simply walked downstairs.

A few years later, Welch was instrumental in establishing Christiana Care's HIV Wellness Clinic in Georgetown, a cooperative venture with Christiana Care and Division of Public Health. They can also be thanked for their involvement in the formation of CAMP Rehoboth.

Welch and Dominguez also had a hand in organizing the first AIDS Gala held at the Grand Opera House, a “Die In” in Rodney Square and the first AIDS Walk fundraiser, A Walk for Life.

Now, more than 30 years later, the 30th annual AIDS Walk Delaware will be held at Grove Park in Rehoboth and at the Wilmington Riverfront Saturday, Sept 24. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the step-off is at 10 a.m. Inasmuch as the AIDS Walk is a fundraiser, it is also a walk for awareness and a show of unity by the community - a community of support that Welch and Dominguez helped build.

For more information on how make a contribution, sponsor a walker or sign up to walk, go to www.aidswalkdelaware.org or call 302-652-6776.