AIDS Walk

AIDS Walk is a kind of walkathon fundraiser that raises money to combat the AIDS epidemic. The funds raised from AIDS Walks usually benefit local AIDS service organization (such as Gay Men's Health Crisis or the AIDS Project Los Angeles), which provide services to local community residents who are infected with HIV. They are also often credited for being effective tools of public outreach, community empowerment, and education for the issues surrounding AIDS.

AIDS Walk fundraisers are a primarily American phenomenon due to the fact that the United States has no nationalized healthcare system, and the services provided by local AIDS service organizations may not be otherwise accessible to people who are HIV positive. This makes community support of AIDS service organizations through fundraisers like the AIDS Walk absolutely essential to help prevent the local spread of the disease.

History

The first AIDS Walk was AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which took place in 1985, and was produced by MZA Events on behalf of AIDS Project Los Angeles. It took place on the lot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Shortly afterwards, MZA Events started producing an AIDS Walks for local AIDS organizations all over the country, including AIDS Walk New York for Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York City, and AIDS Walk San Francisco for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The model that MZA Events created was has since been replicated widely by local AIDS organizations, and today most major cities in America have AIDS Walk events.