October 16 Marks the 30th Annual AIDS Walk/Run Philly

On Sunday, October 16, Philadelphians will come together for the 30th Annual AIDS Walk Philly and AIDS Run Philly 5K, presented by Merck. It will begin and end at Eakins Oval, going up Martin Luther King Drive.

This event, produced by AIDS Fund, brings 10,000 people together to raise money for HIV prevention education, public awareness, and HIV care services right here in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

Panels from The AIDS Memorial Quilt provide powerful visuals, an area of great reflection, and a place to start conversations about the power of the AIDS epidemic. Free, rapid HIV tests will be available on site at the Walk. "1981-Until It's Over..." AIDS Timeline, a large text and photographic timeline of 30 years of HIV/AIDS history, also brings striking visuals.

Inspired by the United Nations' aspiration of getting to zero, AIDS Fund is striving to reach zero new infections, zero stigma, and zero deaths in all their efforts.

Guests include Robb Reichard, Executive Director, AIDS Fund; emcees Pierre Robert, WMMR; Mutha Knows, Power 99; and Michaela Majoun, Representative of Prevention Point Philadelphia, Beneficiary Organization from AIDS Walk/Run Philly.
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There are an estimated 30,000 people living with HIV in the Greater Philadelphia Region, according to the Philadelphia Department of Health. The 30th Annual AIDS Walk Philly is sponsored by Merck, Medi-Dose�/EPS�, ViiV, Cedar Woods Care Management, Blessings4Ever Home Care Agency, Wells Fargo, Frito-Lay, PGN, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
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Individuals can take action in the fight against AIDS by getting sponsors, making a donation, and joining thousands of others on October 16 for the AIDS Walk/Run Philly 5K. These efforts will support emergency financial assistance to people living with HIV disease and organizations providing HIV services in the Greater Philadelphia region, and help to provide education and increased public awareness of HIV/AIDS issues.

Each participant is requested to make a commitment to raise at least $50, for which they will receive an AIDS Walk/Run Philly T-shirt. Participants who raise $250 will receive AIDS Walk/Run Philly sunglasses and a T-shirt. A Limited Edition "500 Club" hoodie sweatshirt is given to those who raise $500. Raise $1,000 and receive a distinctive AIDS Walk Philly 2016 jacket.
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AIDS Walk/Run Philly 5K will again be honored to display 25 blocks from The AIDS Memorial Quilt. A powerful tool for raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, The Quilt is the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. Each of the more than 48,000 colorful panels that make up the Quilt memorializes the life of a person lost to AIDS and serves as a compelling reminder that the fight is not over yet. Free rapid HIV tests will be provided on-site at AIDS Walk Philly. Find out your status in only 20 minutes.
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AIDS Fund produces a variety of fundraising and awareness programs throughout the year, including AIDS Walk Philly, AIDS Run Philly, GayBINGO, Black-Tie GayBINGO, and Workplace Giving Campaigns.�AIDS Fund provides emergency financial assistance to people living with HIV disease and organizations providing HIV services in the Greater Philadelphia region, while providing education and increasing public awareness of HIV/AIDS issues. AIDS Fund is also the Philadelphia affiliate of The Names Project, curating panels of The AIDS Memorial Quilt for a local audience.�

For more information, call 215-731-9255 or visit www.aidsfundphilly.org.