June 5 Marks Boston AIDS Walk and 5K Run

On June 5, the 31st annual AIDS Walk Boston & 5K Run will take place at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade. The event regularly draws thousands of participants, making it AIDS Action Committee's largest annual fundraiser. The Walk is 6.2 miles. The 5K Run is a competitive, timed event fully sanctioned by the USA Track & Field Association.�AIDS Action expects to raise approximately $1 million from the event.

"We raise more than money for the life-changing services offered by AIDS Action at our annual AIDS Walk. We also raise awareness that about 700 people a year in Massachusetts are newly diagnosed with HIV, and that we need to continue our outreach and prevention efforts in order to get to zero new infections," said AIDS Action Executive Director Carl Sciortino. "Those who are living with HIV also need support to manage the disease and be as healthy as they can be, which dramatically reduces the likelihood that they will pass HIV on to anyone else."

The AIDS Walk & 5K Run will begin and end at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade. Registration and check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. After opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., the 5K Run begins at 9:50 a.m. and the Walk sets off at 10 a.m. WCVB-TV Eye Opener Newscaster Randy Price will emcee the event, which also includes a�Wellness Festival, presented by Whole Foods Market, a post-walk celebration of healthy living.�

Participants can register for the AIDS Walk & 5K Run at www.aidswalkboston.org. There is neither a registration fee nor a minimum fundraising requirement to participate in the Walk. There is a $35 registration fee for the 5K Run. For the month of May, the events 5K Run Match Sponsor, The TJX Companies matched the running fee.�

The AIDS Walk was first held in 1986 and is one of the first fundraising walks to be introduced in Boston, as well as the country. The 5K Run was added to open up fundraising to runners. Historically AAC's largest fundraising event, it has raised over $39 million for programs and services to support those living with and at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.�

Corporate sponsors of this year's AIDS Walk and 5K Run include Macy's, Whole Foods Market, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, The TJX Companies, Inc., Walgreens, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Eastern Bank, Gilead Sciences, AbbVie, EMD Serono, Partners Healthcare, Patriot Care, Joel Benjamin Photography,�Neighborhood Health Plan, ONE Condoms, REPRIEVE Trial, Planned Parenthood, Pfizer, Inc., Polar Beverages, Boloco, and JetBlue. In addition to WCVB-TV, this year's media sponsors are Kiss 108, JAM'N 94.5, 101.7 The Bull, and Yelp.

AIDS Action will support AIDS Walk & 5K Run with a robust social media outreach and fundraising plan. Walkers can fundraise through their Facebook and Twitter pages. Last year, walkers raised approximately $25,000 in donations through Facebook.

Facts About HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts