After 22 years, Farha Foundation's AIDS walk moves from the street to the web

For 22 years, the Farha Foundation has rallied thousands of Montrealers to take to the streets for AIDS research. This year, for the first time, the fundraising effort will be done entirely online.

Instead of asking people to partake in the Ça Marche walk, which used to take place every September, the foundation is asking for donations on its website.

"We want to maximize the dollars going to those we support," said Linda Farha, president of the foundation. "There's no doubt putting an event like this does cost money. So we decided to do something that's almost entirely cost-free."

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When the foundation started in 1992, AIDS was still a terrifying, mysterious new disease. Since then, medical advances have allowed those with the HIV virus to live longer lives.

This, Farha said, has reduced the urgency of the disease in the public eye.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding about the disease. People are living longer, but there is no cure for AIDS," she said.

The Farha Foundation is also no longer the only AIDS-driven charity in town. The number of non-profits increased by 72 per cent, Farha said.

"Couple that with misunderstanding of disease, people don't feel need to come out and walk."

The fundraising website went live on Thursday. Donations above $20 are eligible for a tax receipt.