Posts
Between 12,000 and 15,000 people
participated in the 26th annual AIDS Walk Philly on October 21, according to
AIDS Fund, the event organizer. Participants marched to raise money and call
attention to a disease that they fear is falling away from the public’s
consciousness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in
the United States, one in five persons infected with HIV does not realize it,
and Philadelphia has an infection rate five times higher than the national
average.
The walk began near the base of the
steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where college students, church groups,
parents with children in strollers, and sorority sisters marched 12 kilometers.
Others participated in a 5-K run or viewed the exhibits. A timeline of HIV was
constructed near the Art Museum steps depicting prominent moments in the
epidemic, including the reporting of the first cases in 1981 and the 1993
Academy award for the movie “Philadelphia.” People could view an AIDS quilt
display depicting lives cut short by the disease.
Before the walk began, participants
took turns reciting the names of local AIDS victims over a public address
system. AIDS Fund officials said the event raised $375,000, matching the 2011
total, to support a variety of local organizations that provide counseling,
education, hospice care, meals, and other services.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit:
http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
