AUNT RITA'S FOUNDATION

AUNT RITAS FOUNDATION HAS BEEN PURSUING SINCE 2005 ITS MISSION TO END HIV IN ARIZONA, BUT HAS A RICH HISTORY DATING BACK TO THE 1980S. IN 1986 THREE INDIVIDUALS, RANDY SCHROCK, GARY MANGUM AND SKIP ONEILL, FOUNDED AUNT RITAS FOUNDATION IN THE BEGINNING YEARS OF THE EPIDEMIC. THEY SAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EPIDEMIC A LACK OF RESOURCES FOR THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DYING FROM AIDS AND RECOGNIZED SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE. THESE THREE FRIENDS SET ON A HUMBLE QUEST TO RAISE MONEY IN ANNUAL BAKE SALES TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR THOSE LIVING WITH, AND DYING FROM, AIDS. WHEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT BEGAN IN THE EARLY 1990S, FUNDING BECAME MORE PLENTIFUL AND THE NEED FOR AUNT RITAS FOUNDATION WANED. THE FINAL BAKE SALE OF THE ORIGINAL AUNT RITAS FOUNDATION WAS HELD IN 1996. IN 2005, PASSIONATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS REVIVED AUNT RITAS FOUNDATION WITH THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING BACK AIDS WALK ARIZONA, WHICH HAD ENDED A FEW YEARS PRIOR. THIS BEGAN THE NEW CHAPTER OF A