Lace up your sneakers, Los Angles. The annual AIDS Walk is back and ready to get some steps in.
The theme for the 35th annual AIDS walk is “AIDS Has Met Its March,” which calls upon participants to continue the fight in our efforts to make AIDS history. The walk is approximately four miles and starts and ends at the steps of L.A. City Hall and takes about two hours to complete. The morning kicks off with an aerobic warm-up, followed by opening ceremonies featuring special guests including HIV/AIDS activists and leaders. A post-walk celebration congratulates walkers, volunteers and supporters. Individuals and Teams can register at no cost and fundraise on www.aidswalkla.org.
Thousands of participants register every year for this pioneer fundraising walk. AIDS Walk will have free family activities for children of all ages, a band, drag queen entertainers, stilt walkers, acrobatic performances and more! The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grand Park.
VIP and Celebrity Guests Include:
- Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles City Councilmember
- Paul Koretz, Councilmember
- Ron Galperin, Los Angeles City Controller
- Adrin Nazarian, California Assembly Member
- Karamo Brown, Queer Eye
- Jai Rodriguez, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Channel Q
- Dales Soules, Orange is the New Black
- Garrett Clayton, Teen Beach Movie
- Zoe Perry, Young Sheldon
- Lesley-Ann Brandt, Lucifer
- Jake Boreli & Alex Blue Davis, Grey’s Anatomy
- Zuri Adele, Tommy Martinez, Josh Pence, Emma Hunton, Good Trouble
- Jake Choi, Single Parents
- Ellen Leyva & Karl Schmid, ABC 7
- Mikalah Gordon, Channel Q Radio
- Frenchie Davis, American Broadway Performer and Singer
Over the past 34 years, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has drawn hundreds of thousands of supporters to walk, and millions more to donate, raising more than $88 million to combat HIV and AIDS. The funds raised at the event remain a vital lifeline that sustains APLA Health’s care, prevention, and advocacy programs for the over 60,000 men and women living with the disease in Los Angeles County. Proceeds also benefit more than a dozen other local HIV/AIDS service organizations that are able to participate and raise funds through the Community Coalition Initiative (CCI). For more information, visit aidswalkLA.org
Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.9 million people in an area of approximately 470 square miles with a rich diversity of culture and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Since the epidemic began 31 years ago, about 31,000 individuals have been diagnosed with AIDS, 13,000 of them still are living. As of December 31, 2009, there are approximately 27,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS in the City, according to LACityAIDS.org.
Men account for nearly 90 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases every year, women and transgender individuals making up the remainder. Latinos are highly impacted by HIV/AIDS, accounting for 39 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS, followed by Whites who make up 34 percent. African Americans are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, accounting for 11 percent of the general population but making up about 23 percent of individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
