Winthrop resident raises money to fight AIDS

Kelly Gaule, a Winthrop resident for eight years, and a nonprofit fundraiser for about twice that time, has a personal goal: “I have buried more people who have died of AIDS than any other cause and until the balance shifts, I won’t stop giving to this cause,” she says.

Gaule, 46, works as the development director for the AIDS Action Committee, where she has overseen production of AIDS Walk Boston, which takes place this year Sunday, June 6, for the last five years. During her tenure, the Walk has raised about $5.5 million to fund HIV/AIDS client services, policy work, and AIDS education, prevention, and outreach to people vulnerable to HIV infection.

In addition to giving professionally, Gaule also gives personally. She is captain of Kelly’s Heroes, a group of about eight walkers that also includes Gaule’s partner, Julie Clark. Last year Kelly’s Heroes raised $3,000 for AIDS Action. This year, the team’s goal is $5,000.

Before working for AIDS Action, Gaule raised money for the Boston Living Center, a community and resource center for people living with HIV and AIDS. A number of colleagues and former colleagues from both organizations also live in Winthrop. “It’s a wonderful, tight-knit community. It’s a very welcoming community and for me it exemplifies the theme of the AIDS Walk, which is “From all walks of life,” Gaule says. “The influence of the Italian families that settled in Winthrop is evident, which is why you’ll find the best eggplant parmesan sandwiches here. But it’s a place where people know their neighbors and really care about each other. I love it.”

If you want to donate money to Kelly’s Heroes, please visit AIDSWalkBoston.org and click on “donate,” and then search for “Kelly’s Team.” If you want to join Kelly’s Heroes and the 15,000 others who will be walking June 6, just show up at the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston that morning. Registration and check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.; the Walk begins at 10 a.m.