Real People: Volunteer strives to top annual fundraising goals

Information: 404-876-9255 or www.aidswalkatlanta.com

Mike Woodside had only been in Atlanta two months and was still finding his way around town, physically and socially, when a friend asked him to join a fundraising walk for AID Atlanta.

“It was fun, but I only raised $115 - not even enough to get the t-shirt,” Woodside recalls with a laugh. “So I made it my goal for the next year to raise at least enough for the shirt.”

What started with a whimsical purpose has blossomed into a consuming passion for the Midtown media buyer. Since that first walk 12 years ago, Woodside has committed himself to raising more money each year for the organization that supports those living with HIV/AIDS.

The effort was gradual at first, but in the last two years, Woodside has dedicated himself to breaking fundraising records. He’s gone beyond mere sponsorships and started hosting events for friends and colleagues whose admittance tickets are a donation. He quickly went from raising $200 to collecting $16,000. The parties and events became more frequent, and to stage them, Woodside recruited a cadre of 19 pals he calls his Ready4Hope team.

“The team started when I tried to host a houseboat party and needed help to promote it,” said Woodside. “It was good I had them; the boat fell through four days before the event, and we had to switch and do a pool party instead. Now that party has become our an annual event; we had the first last year and our second in August.”

But Woodside starts hosting events in March, and it’s not unusual for him to spend most of his free time on planning and organizing.

“I can’t even tell you how many hours I put in raising money,” he said. “It’s pretty continuous. I work on something almost every night. But it’s worth it.”

With the next AIDS walk coming up Oct. 19, Woodside and his team expect all that fundraising will translate into their biggest donation yet. They’re currently at $46,000, and the amount may go even higher.

“Last year, we raised $33,000, and I want to beat that,” said Woodside. “And I want to beat that next year. We’re now planning to become an official nonprofit by next year so we can do even more.”

Woodside admits that becoming such a big supporter of AID Atlanta wasn’t in his mind when he started out.

“I definitely didn’t decide to pick this cause; it just kind of happened when my friend asked me to walk with him 12 years ago,” he said. “It was fun, and I liked that we were doing something for our community. It gradually became my goal. But now, in the last two years, I have a lot more people coming up and telling me their stories, of how without this funding they wouldn’t be alive. It’s opened my eyes and taken on a very different meaning for me now.”