``Team WeHo'' Hits the Road to Raise Money for the Fight Against HIV and AIDS.

WEST HOLLYWOOD -- Since its inception the City of West Hollywood has been on the cutting edge of the fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. One special way the City preserves this tradition is through Team WeHo. Team WeHo is a group of employees from the City of West Hollywood who run national and international marathons to raise money for the National AIDS Marathon Training Program and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). APLA serves more than 7,000 men, women and children in the Los Angeles area by providing home care visits, groceries, counseling and many other essential services.

This year, as a part of the National AIDS Marathon training program, seventeen employees from the City of West Hollywood, led by Mayor John Heilman and City Manager Paul Arevalo, will run a marathon in Florence, Italy, in November or Honolulu, Hawaii, in December. The members of Team WeHo include: Allyne Winderman, Director of Rent Stabilization and Housing; Chris Corrao, Administrative Specialist III; David Escobedo, Administrative Specialist IV; David Wilson, Management Analyst; Donn Uyeno, Assistant Engineer; Eric Millsap, Transportation Engineering Technician; John Keho, Planning Manager; Long Thu, Parking Operations Engineer; Michael Compton, Recreation Supervisor; Oscar Delgado, Parking Operations Manager; Rachel Heiligman, Associate Planner; Tamara White, Public Information Officer; and Vanessa Gonzales, Permit Services Specialist. The money raised by Team Weho will provide vital AIDS services, to help keep people alive until there is a cure for the virus.

The City of West Hollywood was established in 1984, coinciding with the discovery of some of the world's first HIV/AIDS cases, and the start of the international pandemic. Since that time, the City of West Hollywood has supported those living with the virus by creating an ordinance to prohibit AIDS discrimination; developed 62 units of affordable housing for people living with HIV/AIDS; became the first government entity to fund explicit HIV prevention materials and condom distribution programs; reserves 1/2 of the annual Social Service budget, approximately $1 million a year, for HIV/AIDS-related services; and much more. Today, the City of West Hollywood is home to close to 1,100 people living with the virus, which is the largest concentration of people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern California. According to UNAIDS, at the beginning of the year 2006, 40.3 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with HIV. Twenty-five million people worldwide have died from the disease.

For more information regarding Team Weho, please call 323-848-6431. To show your support for Team WeHo and APLA through online monetary contributions, please visit: www.teamweho.org