"“I had a really good friend who had been in the hospital in those days. ... Nobody would touch him, so it was very hard,” McNamara told The Advocate. “I'm going to walk until there is a cure.”"
"Participants in this year's walk helped raise more than $1.7 million for HIV service organizations in the greater New York City area, according to Gay Men's Health Crisis, the HIV advocacy group that organized the event. Roughly 10,000 people participated in this year's walk, which marked the 41st annual event, a GMHC spokesperson told The Advocate."
"Each year, participating individuals and groups walk a miles-long loop of Central Park together, with their coworkers, friends, and family members pledging donations. Major health companies and community organizations pitch in with fundraising efforts, too, and several operate booths offering free merchandise and HIV resources for participants to access."
"“The goal is to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS,” said T. Anthony Patterson, vice president of communications and brand at GMHC. “It was birthed out of the movement of the HIV and AIDS crisis, and it's been going strong ever since.”"
Maureen McNamara has taken part in AIDS Walk New York since it began 41 years ago. In the 1980s, she watched the AIDS epidemic take the lives of friends and community members in New York, including a hospitalized friend whom others avoided. She continues walking each year as an act of remembering and as a commitment to walk until a cure exists. This year’s walk helped raise more than $1.7 million for HIV service organizations across the greater New York City area. About 10,000 participants joined the 41st annual event, which included speeches and appearances by public figures. The walk follows a Central Park loop with pledges from participants, support from major health companies and community organizations, and booths offering HIV resources. The event’s goal is to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS.
Read at Advocate.com
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