Former executive director of S. Dallas AIDS Walk plans new event next year

Auntjuan Wiley

Auntjuan Wiley says he’s reorganizing and rebranding the South Dallas AIDS Walk and has set March 23, 2013, as the date for the new event.

Wiley was executive director of the original South Dallas AIDS Walk, which was associated with the Anthony Chisom AIDS Foundation. But the Chisom Foundation lost its nonprofit status prior to this year’s walk, founder Anthony Chisom has not released a financial accounting of the March event, and beneficiaries haven’t received their checks. Wiley resigned from his position when Chisom stopped returning his calls. Chisom also hasn’t returned phone calls from Dallas Voice.

This week, Wiley registered two names — South Dallas AIDS Walk and AIDS Walk South Dallas. The first name he said he registered so that Chisom won’t be able to use it. The second is the one he will use for the new event.

The lead organization for the new South Dallas AIDS Walk is C.U.R.E., a Collin County-based AIDS organization that does mostly education work.

“Their nonprofit status is current,” Wiley said smiling, waving a copy of the form.

Roseann Rosetti of C.U.R.E. said her group would be the nonprofit presenting partner and funds from the walk would go to fund HIV/AIDS work in South Dallas. She said C.U.R.E. will not be a beneficiary.

“Rosemarie Odom and I are proud to have been asked to be part of the AIDS Walk,” Rosetti said.

Wiley said he already has at least two sponsors — Walgreens and Avita — and is working to secure others. He said over the next few weeks he plans to contact the South Dallas Cultural Center about using their facilities and will work with C.U.R.E. to put together a steering committee.