Sridhar M. Reddy, a computer scientist in CSC’s Enterprise Business Applications group, is planning a 500+ kilometer run this September to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and physical fitness awareness. Sri, who lives in Delaware, will run with his India-based brother Jayanth Reddy around the perimeter of the island of Cyprus. This is not the brothers’ first long-distance endeavor: In the past, Sri ran 1,300 miles from New York to Miami, Florida and 400 miles from New York to Massachusetts to support this worthwhile cause.

“This summer I’m undertaking a venture in the service of humanity. This will be my fourth run for AIDS awareness and physical fitness: a 500+ km run around Cyprus.

We, two brothers, Indian and U.S. citizens, are planning this run on Cyprus to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, especially the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. Forty two million people are infected with HIV/AIDS in the world, which makes it the most serious health-related catastrophe of modern times.

According to the World Health Organization, by 2010, five countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, India and Russia) with 40 percent of the world’s population will add 50 to 75 million infected people to the worldwide pool of HIV disease. In addition, the United Nations estimates that, currently, there are 14 million AIDS orphans and that by 2010 there will be 25 million. Ninety percent of the 2.3 million HIV-positive children living around the world contracted HIV from their mothers, and 1,500 children contract HIV every day. This is simply unacceptable. As a global community, we must do more to help HIV-positive AIDS victims.

The Society for Education and Health has stepped forward to help me in this endeavor. They will match every dollar I raise. This money will pay for logistics, transportation and accommodations supporting the run. In addition, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMfAR) has agreed to provide me with valuable AIDS-related literature to distribute along the run path on Cyprus Island.“

For more information, and to donate, visit www.RunningForHumanity.Org.