Hundreds of thousands of people die from AIDS each year, and the disease is no longer confined to the homosexual community, no one is immune to the disease.

Steve Lux, health educator at NIU’s Health Enhancement Services said the national statistics on AIDS put the number of reported cases at 139,765. And of those people diagosed with the disease 85,430 have died.

“After someone has been diagnosed with AIDS, it’s just a matter of time before they die,” Lux said.

In an effort to raise money for AIDS education and prevention, the city of Chicago will hold its first-ever “AIDS Walk Chicago/Walk of Life” September 30.

In the Chicago metropolitan area there are 3,744 reported cases of AIDS, said Lux.

Money from the walk will not go toward research, said Stephan Donovan, executive director of the walk-a-thon. The walk-a-thon is expected to raise $1 million dollars.

Donovan also said the walk is not going to be a “strictly gay parade” because he said AIDS is no longer a strictly gay disease. He said the disease is venturing into black, Hispanic and suburban white communities.

Theresa Brown, president of NIU’s Gay/Lesbian Union said, “NIU should be aware of the AIDS epidemic. There is no cure for it.”

Lux said out of the 4,206 people in Illinois who have been diagnosed as having AIDS, nine of them live in DeKalb County.

The walk will cover a 10 kilometer (6.3 miles) route encompassing the Grant Park/Lakefront/Adler Planetarium areas and will begin at 9 a.m.

The goal of the walk-a-thon is to have at least 5,000 participants who will obtain monetary pledges for each kilometer walked. Each participant is encouraged to earn $200 to reach the $1 million goal, a Walk for Life information sheet states.

Brown said she has about five or six GLU members signed up for the walk but she hopes to have at least 20 members go. She also said she is trying to get the Student Association involved as well.

But SA President Rob McCormack said the SA has yet to determine if they will send anyone to the Walk for Life. “We’re waiting for students to get back to school” before they determine if they can send anone, he said.

The money raised by the walk-a-thon will remain in Chicago to be divided among 13 AIDS Services Agencies.